Q: Initially, what made you decide to study abroad? Why did you choose your program?
A: My older sister did not study abroad and that was one of her regrets after graduating college. I knew I didn't want to have that same regret and I also knew I always wanted to travel to Australia, so now was the perfect time to! Although I had no idea where in Australia I wanted to travel to and study in, once I researched my school options, the University of Melbourne stuck out to me the most because it was a public research University just like Merced.
Q: What was the highlight of your study abroad experience?
A: The highlight of my study abroad experience was definitely going on a day tour to the Great Ocean Road. I was surrounded by such beautiful scenery and had the opportunity to interact with Australian wildlife, such as feeding an Australian bird. It was refreshing to see a different area since I was usually always in the city.
Q: What was your greatest challenge abroad and how did you overcome it?
A: My greatest challenge abroad probably does not compare to many other study abroad student's challenges. During my 2 weeks abroad I was apartment hunting before I found an apartment I thought would be one I would stay at my entire time abroad. However, problems started to arise with the landlord and so I moved out, but never got my bond/deposit returned to me. This caused me financial hardship at times and discouraged me, but at the end of the day, I did not let it define me. I'm not sure if I really overcame the situation, I just moved on from it (along with filling out a lot of legal paperwork).
Q: How did your coursework abroad compare to your courses at UC Merced?
A: My coursework abroad was much more relaxed, in the sense that I did not have an assignment/reading due each week and 4 exams like I typically am used to. At the University of Melbourne, I was only given 2 big assignments (a paper and a mid semester exam) and a final assessment. However, the assignments were heavily weighted which caused a lot of stress!
Q: What did you gain from your study abroad experience?
A: I gained independence and self-confidence while studying abroad. That is probably a cliche answer, but it is very true! I had to learn to navigate around a city I had never stepped foot in before, along with learning the tram/train system. During my experience, I grew and learned life-long lessons, which helped with my confidence as a whole.
Q: What advice do you have for students considering study abroad?
A: My biggest piece of advice I would give to students considering to study abroad is if you want to do it, just apply and go for it. Don't let anything hold you back such as: not having the money to because there are other ways to make it happen (FAFSA, scholarships, borrow from family/friends, fundraise, etc) or not wanting to fall behind in school/wanting to graduate on time. Studying abroad is an AMAZING experience that I hope if you can do-you definitely should! (Yes, there are some "downs" that come with the experience, but expect that too).
Q: Describe a typical day for you abroad.
A: A typical day for me would be waking up and either cooking brekkie (Aussie slang for breakfast) or going to a cafe to get some, then walking or tramming to class. Most of my classes were either at 11PM or sometime in the afternoon. After that, I usually would go into the city to walk around the shops (mostly Melbourne Centre Shopping Centre because the mall is huge and I can spend hours in there). I would tend to spend a lot of time in the city because it was nearby and I adapted to the fast-paced environment which I learned to love.
