University of Newcastle - Newcastle, Australia
From Australian Studies to Performing Arts to Environmental Science, the University of Newcastle offers international students a wide variety of interesting, exciting and relevant courses. There are over 2,000 different courses available for students interested in studying abroad at the University of Newcastle.
Specifically, when enrolled in this program, you can take any level math course (freshman - senior level) that you have the prerequisite for, which will easily transfer over to Virginia Tech to fulfill mathematics requirements. Another benefit of this program is that there are many other courses that you can take to fulfill non-math requirements, too!
A semester at the University of Newcastle runs over 14 teaching weeks.
A 10 unit course normally comprises four contact hours a week, although courses requiring laboratory work, for example in science and engineering, often involve more contact hours.
Study Abroad students must enroll for a minimum of 30 units and a
maximum of 40 units each semester.
Answered by Shelley Kasiske (Class of 06) about her semester at the University of Newcastle:
Email: shellyk@vt.edu
1. Did you participate in a home-stay? Would you recommend it to other
students?
I participated in a home-stay program. The family I lived with was
wonderful and I learned so much about the Australian culture, especially
in family life and K-12 schooling. I was invited to join the family in
some of their activities around town and while on vacation. I was even
offered rides to the university if it was raining or too hot out to
walk! One large negative aspect of the home-stay program was that I was
the only college student in the neighborhood. Most of my friends lived
a 30+ minute walk from my house. It wasn't as easy to stop by a
friend's and say hello or hang out for an evening.
2. Was it hard for you to learn the language? Were there any resources
available to help you do so? What were some of the barriers that you
faced?
I love the Aussie slang! I chatted with new friends for hours teaching
them American slang (which they knew from tv shows, movies, etc) and
learning heaps of Aussie slang. I had an American friend tell me that
an Australian affirmatively told him that "colour" should never be
spelled without the 'u.'
3. How did the mathematics courses in your program compare to those
available in the math department at Virginia Tech? What were some pros
and cons of how the course material was presented in your program?
I did not have the prerequisites for one of my math courses. The math
department was extremely nice and my professor understood my specific
situation. The 1000 and 2000 level courses were taught with different
syllabi and some courses were overloaded with information, as compared
to Virginia Tech, because the average BS degree is only 3 years.
The courses that they offer depend on the semester. They also invite
students studying math to tutor peers in beginner classes during their
"Maths Clinic" hours.
4. How much more did it cost you to attend the program than it did to go
to Virginia Tech for a semester?
Because I'm an out-of-state student, it was actually cheaper for me to
go to the University of Newcastle than Virginia Tech. Including room,
board, tuition, and my flights to and from Sydney, it was the same as
room, board, and tuition at Virginia Tech.
5. What specifically would you recommend that I see or do while I am in
the program overseas?
Empty out your bank account and travel. You're
only overseas once and you'll regret not taking the opportunity to see
the country. Australia is almost the size of the United States, so be
sure to book some weekend trips to Brisbane, Melbourne, etc. Another
word of advice would be to make friends with locals instead of other
Americans; I did this by joining several clubs.
6. What specific food did you enjoy the most?
Tim Tams, the Home Brand choc coated honeycomb and nut muslei bars,
rocky road, pavlova, the traditional meat pie, and Passion Pop. My
Australian "mother" cooked a lot of rice with Asian influence because of
the closeness of the continents. They lacked any type of Mexican food,
again, because of the distance.
7. Were the people friendly? Please describe some common characteristics
of the native population.
Everyone was extremely friendly. When I first got there and had no
place to stay besides a youth hostel with cockroaches, I was reminded by
the locals that I should have "no worries." Australian students were
friendly when I joined in several clubs and activities. The way that
you know if someone's a true friend there is if they make fun of you and
bash you to pieces! To Australians, this is the fun and friendly thing
to do ...
They love making fun of themselves too.
8. What was the most startling difference between their culture and ours
in America?
The school system is different. In high school, students can specify an
area in which they want to concentrate in, which will then affect the
school that they go to. Since there are only a small number of
universities in the entire country, it is common for students to live at
home and attend the college that is closest to home. As well, their
university program is only 3 years long, so they don't have to take any
core classes to fulfill area requirements.
9. Is there anything else that you would want interested students to
know about the program?
Initially, you'll feel like a freshman again. But the experience is
well worth it. I suggest spending a year overseas, if at all possible.