71 reviews
4.14 / 5 based on 71 reviews

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khorrocks
Student life
Describe host city:
Student life dominates the city
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Activities, Nightlife: Takes place mostly within the university/student environment
Travel: Takes place both within and outside of the university/student environment
Personal social experience
Personal comments
Not being 21, fraternity parties and apartment parties were my best options for night activity. Since turning 21, you can't beat the Cafe on Friday afternoons for 1/2 price Long Island Iced Teas! The G-Man is also pretty good, and it also has a small dance floor. Players is an OK dance club. The Deli has great food - especially dessert!
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khorrocks
Housing
Type of housing: On campus
Arranged by: Host university
If returning, I would choose: Apartment/House
Why?
For extra space and privacy.
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Personal comments
The rooms were bigger than I was expecting and provided a fridge, microwave and cable access. The bathrooms were kept pretty clean. The dining commons and computer rooms were close by and provided great services. I also had a fantastic roommate which made my stay at the dorms more enjoyable.
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khorrocks
Expenses
Main source of funding:
Not specified
Other sources of funding:
Other
Work opportunities:
I worked during my study abroad experience
Personal spending habits
Accommodation in America is generally more expensive than in Australia. I spent less on telephone calls as all local calls were free from the dorms. I spent more on travel because I was in the States to travel.
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Telephone:
was more expensive than at home.
Overall, Food, Nightlife:
was the same price as at home.
Travel, Housing:
was less expensive than at home.
Accessibility of student needs
Second-hand household items

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khorrocks
Languages
Language of instruction: English
Was learning English a key decision factor?
No, it wasn't.
Language difficulties
Administrative / Institutional
Personal comments
I didn't have many language problems since both Australia and America speak English. I had a few communication problems having a different accent and using different slang, but overall there was nothing terrible.
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khorrocks
Overall
I wish I had known...
No, I was pretty informed before leaving.
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In my opinion:
Most people loved it.
Important factors in my choice
(1) Unimportant – (4) Very important
Personal recommendation
I loved my stay at PSU. There were many activities planned by the University and plenty of non-University events also going on. State College is a really fun town and the University offers a wide variety of interesting courses. If you want to be near a big city, PSU wouldn't be the place to go, since it's nestled in a small rural community. The closest big city (Philadpelphia) is about a 3 hour drive. I really enjoyed the University-town life though.
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During my experience abroad, I ...
(1) Never – (4) A lot
Became familiar with another culture
Met people from other countries
Experienced a change in life
Advanced my studies & career
Final comments
I would recommend PSU as a great university to go to as part of a study abroad program. It's great to go there for football season - the town goes crazy around this time and for Thon. Philadelphia, Washington DC and NYC aren't too far away for weekend trips. PSU is a really pretty campus, especially in fall.
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khorrocks
Academic
Course recommendations
I really enjoyed all my courses. I would recommend any of Mr Texidor's classes and also a course called Scientific Criminal Investigation.
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My academic experiences
Interaction with teachers
Interaction with international students
Interaction with local students
My opinion of the university assessment
Exams throughout the course
Essays and/or projects at the end of course
Essays and/or projects throughout the course