ISA Study Abroad in Melbourne, Australia

Upon looking into different locations, University of Melbourne caught my eye for a couple of reasons. Primarily, the university has a very strong reputation of being academically challenging and prestigious- it's actually the #1 university in Australia. Also, Melbourne is ranked the most liveable city in the world and after experiencing the culture and the beautiful city, I'd have to agree.

Globalinks does an absolutely wonderful job from everything including pre-depature (things like getting visas, living situations sorted, etc) to while abroad to returning back home. They really emphasize having a meaningful, fulfilling time abroad rather than a semester of partying- although there will be plenty of celebrating!

Let me start by saying that if you are looking at studying abroad in Australia definitely think about attending La Trobe University in Bundoora.

Students/ Social: I found that students were very welcoming of international students and were very helpful when I had questions. During my first days on campus I met a ton of people wanting to get to know me. It made the transition easy because it felt comfortable. Social wise there is always something to do, like going out to eat or party with friends. I was never really bored.

Campus: The Campus is really easy to get use to. it is kind of big but still manageable. The colleges (dorms) available have a lot of opportunities, I stayed in Glenn and loved it, it has a meal plan for breakfast and dinner but lunch is on your own. one thing to keep in mind is the kitchens in this college are small so if you like to cook or bake a lot i wouldn't recommend it. I have also heard great things about Menzies (one of the other residents) the kitchens there are bigger but meals are not provided. the perk of this college is the gym membership. There is also a bus stop on campus, and a tram stop just outside of campus.

Education: I found the education system different to that of the US so be prepared for a change. personally i liked how all class lectures and notes are available online to look back over if you missed something in the lecture. So far I feel like the assignments are really big and take a lot of work, but they are spread out so you don't get to stressed. Because of this there are hardly any little assignments, quizzes, or tests. Also the professors are very helpful and always there if you have problems with understanding or working on an assignment.

Sites/ Location: the La Trobes Bundoora campus is fairly close to the city of Melbourne. It is about a 40 minute (give or take) trip by tram. I think every time i have gone to the city i see something new. It is nice to go there and site see on weekend so you can leave the campus a little.