Q: Initially, what made you decide to study abroad? Why did you choose your program?
A: My grandparents hosted foreign exchange students from around the world from countries like Switzerland, UK, Brazil and Venezuela to name a few. Each student who stayed with my grandparents became attached to our family as they engaged with our culture. We shared many fun memories and they will never be forgotten.
My tia, who travels the world, also influenced me to study abroad from all the different pictures she's shown me, as well as her stories. She would tell me that she did cliff hanging in Costa Rica, explored Europe with one of our previous exchange students, or how she rode an elephant in Thailand.
For me the world has so much to offer that I knew I had to take advantage of and is the main reason why I decided to study abroad.
Studying abroad in Australia was not my first choice! In fact, the dual program of Italy and Spain was my first choice; however after further research I found that the dual program was not the best fit for my major. My decision to apply to Australia came from a Happenings email that was listed for chemistry majors. It was also a country that spoke English so I chose Australia based on those two reasons.
Q: What was the highlight of your study abroad experience?
A: The highlight of my study abroad experience was when my tia came to visit me in Sydney and we explored the east coast of Australia, hitting up towns like New Castle, Coffs, Byron Bay, City of Gold Coast, and lastly Cairns. While in Cairns we canoed to Fitzroy Island and scuba dived in the Great Barrier Reef, which is one of the seven wonders of the world.
Q: What was your greatest challenge abroad and how did you overcome it?
A: My greatest challenge/fear abroad was asking myself the question "how am I going to get from point A to point B and back." Exploring a new country is great, but knowing that you could get lost by not knowing which train to hop on or when to hop off or transfer over to can be very scary, as it was for me. I overcame this challenge by strictly getting a data plan for my phone, no texting and no phone calls. Turns out that Google Maps is very helpful.
Q: How did your coursework abroad compare to your courses at UC Merced?
A: My coursework abroad was very similar to courses at UC Merced. I took a physics course that included lecture, discussion, and lab, which is what a student at UCM would expect to take. I also took a math course that was styled like UC Merced's math courses with a basic lecture and discussion.
Q: What did you gain from your study abroad experience?
A: I learned how to be more flexible, mindful, and respectful of other people's culture. While abroad, it was not just the Australian culture I was learning, but also the huge population of international students that I lived with in the dorms. What I also gained from my experience abroad is how to navigate where I needed to go which all together has made me into a more independent person.
Q: What advice do you have for students considering study abroad?
A: Do It! If you have the opportunity to study abroad, you should go for it. There are definitely no wrong choices when it comes to study abroad. No matter what, you learn and will grow from it. Be open minded and flexible. Sure, some people might have their sights on specific programs, but not always will a country or program be the best choice for your major. Lastly, explore. The world is too big to be left un-explored.
