Review Overall Rating
A review on CISabroad - Semester on the Gold Coast
Reviewed by cmf1006student(Suffolk University) on
Fun
I loved studying abroad in Australia and I am so happy I chose to study here. However I think I would have liked studying in a place such as Sydney because of how cultural the city is. Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbor Bridge etc.. The Gold Coast is one big party basically, which is awesome, but I feel that you really get the "Wow I'm actually in Australia right now" feeling when you are in Sydney, not the Gold Coast. Bond University is an amazing school, beautiful campus, great classes. Beaches are fairly close, about a 25 minute bus ride. I would definitely not choose to work with CIS Abroad again, I was not very happy with their program especially after hearing about the other study abroad groups, so my advice would be to stay away from CIS.
Review Details
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Academics
The Australian academic system is a lot different from the US. Fewer assignments during the semester mean a lot of weight is put on the final exam which I found to be very overwhelming and since we didn't have any tests during the semester I didn't know what to expect. The grading system is also very different a 50 here is about a C back home.
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Program Administration
No comment
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Living Situation
Really nice on campus housing with maid service once a week. The only thing that I didn't like was our meal plan/ It was only apparently supposed to cover 10 meals a week...But seeing as we live on campus in the AC, with no kitchen, our meal options were limited and we all ran out of meal plan money a month or two before the end of the semester. Didn't seem very fair.
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Cultural Immersion
The Gold Coast is a very fun place to go to school. There are a lot of study abroad kids(Americans) at Bond, especially in the AC. The Australians are very welcoming to the American's for the most part and it was a lot of fun to meet people from all over the world. However, as far as "culturally rich" places in Australia I would suggest going to study in Sydney or Melbourne. The Gold Coast is basically one big party city with great night life, shopping, and food.
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Safety
No comment
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Food
Meal plan does not last for on campus students at Bond. We don't have kitchens so it's not possible for us to make our own meals ( other than microwavable) yet they expect the meal plan to only cover 10 meals a week. That's less than 2 meals a day. The meals are also really expensive here and not of great quality which stinks.
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Social Life
Expect to do a lot of partying here. And to be drinking a lot of "goon" AKA boxed wine, because it's the only thing American's can afford to drink here.
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Health Service
No comment
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City Life
Surfer's paradise and Broadbeach are the main area's for night life. They have a lot of great clubs/bars. Club East in Broadbeach has ladies night on Thurs nights which means free champagne for girls until they run out which is awesome. Bond also does a lot with the night club called Shooters in Surfer's , can be a lot fun but usually gets very sloppy by the end of the night. Beer Garden is a fun place to go as well, more like a bar than a club but lots of dancing and good music, sometimes a band.
Other Reviews on CISabroad - Semester on the Gold Coast
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CISabroad - Semester on the Gold Coast Study Abroad at Bond University
Reviewed by Amanda Dennehy on .
Bond University has given me great academic and social opportunities as a study abroad student.
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CISabroad - Semester on the Gold Coast night life.
Reviewed by Courtney Fabiano on .
did'nt go out to eat much i was too broke but the clubs were really fun. East in broad beach of thursday nights was insane for ladies. It is ladies night so free entry, free champagne until it runs out then free spirits at midnight. Great place to have fun, be social, get drunk and dance with friends.
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CISabroad - Semester on the Gold Coast The best location imaginable!
Reviewed by tcn88 on .
Almost every building on campus seems like it has been built in the past decade. From the new library to the outside swimming pool, there are state-of-the-art facilities everywhere you look! It's so easy to get downtown since the local buses buses stop right outside of campus, or if you want to go by foot the beach is about the 20-30 minute walk. The biggest knok on this program is that there are tons of American sstudents on campus or you won't have the opportunity to meet locals, but if you actually participate is some of the campus activities like Res Wars and the many social and sporting clubs, you'll find that there really are students from all over the world studying at Bond. If you want to take classes with Australia students, then just stay away from the ones that seems designed to attract only study abroad students. How many native students do really expect to be taking Australia Pop Culture??
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CISabroad - Semester on the Gold Coast Filmtastic
Reviewed by Tyler Prigionieri on .
Film and Television Production Majors! Come to Bond University! You will get opportunities to write short films, make 2-3 minute narratives, work on the graduation films (SP3 films), and even the live broadcasts of BUFTA and the Television class dramas! So many opportunities for your resume and CV. Cheers.
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CISabroad - Semester on the Gold Coast Semester never to forget
Reviewed by Sarah Asher on .
I would highly sugest studying abroad to anyone who is considering it. I gained more knowlege inside and outside of the class room in these few months then I ever have in any of my other semester. Australia was great because of the weather and relaxed environement. Made some great friendships that i know will be good connections in the future and are going to last for a very long time.
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CISabroad - Semester on the Gold Coast Australia
Reviewed by corey voelkel on .
the best decision i ever made.
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CISabroad - Semester on the Gold Coast Amazing time
Reviewed by Kaylene Inthavong on .
I had a lot of fun in Australia and met a lot of cool people. CIS abroad did a good job with keeping everyone in my program together. This made us all really close and we still keep in touch with one another. Overall, Australia was great, the course work was decent, and it is definitely one of the best experiences ever to occur in my life.
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CISabroad - Semester on the Gold Coast Location
Reviewed by Christopher MacDonald on .
Sydney was fun but I would have liked to fly into cairns and do that for a few days before we headed to campus
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CISabroad - Semester on the Gold Coast BOND UNI
Reviewed by Laura Wilcox on .
Australia was incredible. I just wish that we were told about how the weather actually was here during the time that we came it literally rained for a straight month. The classes at Bond University are much harder than my school back in the states. There are only a few grades other than mid terms and the final. For most classes you have to pass the final to pass the class, and it doesn't matter if you are passing the class before you take the final. Sort of seems like a waste of work and money if you ask me when it comes to the school aspect of it. Other than that Australia is definitely a place I would recommend studying.
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CISabroad - Semester on the Gold Coast Down under. Great beaches, great cities, and great people
Reviewed by Chase Austin on .
Living in the Gold Coast wad the best decision I made when making my decision about where to study in Australia. I have traveled to a few major cities that i would have had the opportunity to study in had i not chosen Bond Uni. Melbourne and Sydney are all beautiful, great cities to visit. If you enjoy the beach lifestyle ( in my opinion the most beautiful beaches in AUS) mixed in with the fun of being near a big city (Surfers Paradise) I highly reccomend Bond University on the Gold Coast.
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CISabroad - Semester on the Gold Coast Gold Coast
Reviewed by Samantha drummond on .
The Gold Coast is a perfect place to study abroad because surfers paradise is a very fun city and the beaches are beautiful.
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CISabroad - Semester on the Gold Coast Time abroad
Reviewed by Matt Banahan on .
Bond Uni was a blast but it is very international and it tends to be a bit harder to make Aussie friends. Gold Coast is an awesome place with amazing surf.
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CISabroad - Semester on the Gold Coast Studying In Paradise!
Reviewed by Hannah Naranjo on .
Studying abroad was the best decision I ever made and the best experience of my life. I'm sad to be home and I plan to go back. I met the most amazing people in such a beautiful place. I don't think my eyes can handle all the beautiful places I was able to visit there. It seems unreal. The whole experience ended too soon for my liking.
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CISabroad - Semester on the Gold Coast Where to drink
Reviewed by Dean Agen on .
Surfers paradise is a little more uptight than a real "surfers paradise" should be. Pants are required which was annoying. I suggest the bars instead.
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CISabroad - Semester on the Gold Coast In the Land of Oz
Reviewed by Jenny Woo on .
This experience has been great with meeting new people and seeing many new places. The campus is beautiful and everyone is very friendly and nice.