Experience and Education for a Lifetime!

My time at ICMS is priceless. The school is small enough that class sizes are small and you get the opportunity to really get to know your instructors. The instructors are highly knowledgeable, because they are working in the industry that they teach on. As a school of management, they are focused on the special programs and degrees they offer, and that focus is reflected in the quality of education. I participated in the Event Management program and got more hands-on experience in one term there than I got in 3+ years at my home university in America.

This particular school requires a uniform of business attire, provided through the school. If you have never been required to wear a uniform, you may be wary of this, but I found it to be a wonderful benefit. Everyone knows exactly what they will wear to class and what is expected of them. The goal of the uniform is to help you achieve a high degree of professionalism in your appearance to prepare you for the business world.

The student population in very diverse, with students from over 60 countries. While being immersed in the Australian culture, I got to experience other cultures on a daily basis through fellow students. The staff at AustraLearn and ICMS did a fantastic job with orientation and getting students acclimated to life abroad.

The living situation is quite good on campus. Room furniture is provided, along with housekeeping, bed linens, and laundry service for the provided bed linens, and a phone. Each floor has community bathrooms, which were kept clean. I happened to have a room at the top front of the castle, overlooking the ocean, which was breathtaking. Computer labs are conveniently located throughout the school to easily complete school work, or wireless is offered for use with personal laptops. Internet access is limited and must be paid for, if you go over your allowance. I had not trouble with this. I was able to complete my work and keep in touch with friends and family. I preferred spending time out and about. The food was also very good and the chefs did a great job catering to the diverse tastes of the international students. Eating everyday outside in the sunny weather was just lovely.

The fun never ends. Manly Beach is just a short walk down the hill. I went almost everyday to relax, swim, and surf. ICMS provides some sporting equipment, including surf boards, for students to use, and they offer a surfing lesson at orientation. Right by the beach is the Courso, filled with shops, restaurants, and bars. At the other end is the wharf, where you can catch the ferry to the heart of Sydney. Once there, you can walk or catch a bus or train to anywhere in Sydney, or take the train further for a weekend trip. The public transportation is excellent. It is clean, safe, and reliable. ICMS also has something going on almost every weekend in the way of excursions, for an extra fee, such as sky diving or surf safari. I went on the surf safari, where we went down the coast for the weekend to catch some great waves and get more surfing lessons. It was a great price and we had a great time.

Studying abroad anywhere is definitely different and comes with its own difficulties, but the overall experience is worth every penny and every moment. I had a little trouble adjusting to the grading in the classes. The grading scale is different and most classes offer grades for a minor project, major project, and a comprehensive final exam. They don't have all the busy work and quizzes and mid-term exams like American universities do. It is nice because it is less busy work, but difficult because there is less room for error on the few graded assignments. However, I found my professors were incredibly helpful and quite available to me if I had questions or needed help completing an assignment or studying for exams.

In the end, I ended up with memories and friends for a lifetime.