A Student's Perspective-Brittany in Australia

This week we have a blog from Brittany, a fellow intern and friend in the Education Abroad Office. Brittany studied abroad Fall 2013 at the University of Newcastle in Newcastle, Australia. I know from all of Brittany's stories, just how much Education Abroad changed her life and the amazing memories she made. Australia sounds beautiful and has endless opportunities. If her experience doesn't make you want to go abroad, I don't know what will!

With so many places to study abroad how do you know what program is the right one for you? I’ll give you a little insight on how I made my decision. I was a freshman and I attended the Education Abroad Fair where you can see and hear about amazing places to study abroad. I walked into the fair not knowing what to expect and I left with a passion to study abroad. While walking through out the fair I came across the poster for Newcastle, Australia and became intrigued. It was so beautiful and everything about it seemed so wonderful. I was sent more information on this program and set up a meeting with one of the interns in the office. We talked about Australia and I knew it was the place for me. My parents travel a lot and a few years before I came to Platteville they took a cruise to Australia and New Zealand. After returning they showed me pictures of their time and I fell in love. I knew I had to go there someday and studying abroad was the perfect chance. 

I decided to study abroad in Newcastle, Australia in the fall of 2013 (1st semester of my junior year).

I was so excited! My dream of going to Australia had finally come true. Leaving my friends and family for 4 and a half months was hard, but I knew that the experience I would get in return would be the time of my life! I was greeted in Newcastle by Rayna and Jason; our coordinators (also known as my Australian parents). Upon arrival I also got to meet the other 13 individuals I would be spending the semester with. Throughout my time in Australia I had the opportunity to do so many amazing things. I climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge, went jet boating on the Sydney Harbour, traveled to Melbourne, Cairns, New Zealand, and Whitsundays, and most importantly I got a different view of the world. I met so many great people and I now have friends all over the world. I loved learning about new languages and cultures. My passion for travel was born in Australia and never left me even though I came back to the states. It’s the little things that make your experience a great one; like having your roommate become your best friend, spending every weekend exploring new places and meeting new people, attending classes in a new setting, and having the people that your study abroad with become your Aussie family. I left my heart in Australia and I knew that when I left I would return someday.

 

Upon returning from Australia I had the opportunity to be a Global Amigo, be an International Orientation Leader, and most importantly become the Marketing and Outreach Intern for the Education Abroad Office. My last year and a half on campus has been great and I am so glad that I have had the chance to be involved in so many great opportunities. During my intern position I had the opportunity to talk with heaps of students about studying abroad. Not just in Australia, but everywhere. It’s honestly one of my favorite parts of the job. I got a chance to talk with people about my amazing experience and my life changing time. Talking about my experience with students made me realize how much I missed it and how much I really wanted to go back. I graduate in May and I have decided to work/holiday in Newcastle Australia. I have decided to go back because studying abroad changed my life and I love the country. 

My heart is still in Australia and I can’t wait to make more memories. You have the world in your

hands and you can do anything and go anywhere you want, why not go discover what is out there. Do it while your young because you don’t know where life to is going to take you. Studying abroad taught me to take risks and to do things that are out of my comfort zone. Moving to Australia is a big risk and is a little bit out of my comfort zone, but I see an opportunity in it and I am going to go for it. I don’t want to go through life always asking myself, what if? In the end we always regret the chances we never took. If not now, when?

Your Fellow Adventurer,

Brittany

So as you can see from Brittany's time abroad she  truly admired her time in Australia so much that she is moving back! It really is a beautiful experience to fall in love with a country. Once you get the travel bug it never goes away, but rather becomes a lifetime love affair. The University of Newcastle is one of UW-Platteville's main six Education Abroad Programs. Our office knows endless information about it and if it sounds like the right fit for you come into the office today to learn more! Every country, not just Australia, has so much to offer and it's own unique experiences. It doesn't matter what country you start your journey in, just as long as you do.

Life Happens

Life happens. It never goes as planned, no matter how much you plan in advance for it. You graduate high school, the place where you think you are invincible and have limitless time. You then go onto college where you spend four years figuring out what you want to do with the rest of your life. It's like society has set this model of what the "American Dream"  is. It goes like this: mainly people graduate, get a job (if they're lucky), get married and have children (sometimes). Then when they are say 35, have a big white house, a husband and those 2.5 kids they wonder okay, what next? I have succeeded, I accomplished the American Dream. I say, break out of that mold, live the life you want to live. Don't get married, never have a kid, become the crazy old cat lady or do it all out of order. Life is not meant to have a mold and people need to start realizing their own dreams versus the ones they think they have because society tells them too. Basically, what I am trying to get across is, that life happens and before you know it you have so many more commitments than you did just a few years previous, whatever those commitments may be, kids, a husband or 10 cats. I guess as I get older and my college years dwindle, I have been thinking a lot about the future and what it holds, what direction I will go when I graduate college. I just keep thinking of how fast time goes by and to not waste a second. It's so hard to explain in words, but going abroad really just makes you feel alive in a way you haven't before. You have these moments abroad where you just are so utterly amazed by the moments you are in, you never want them to end. It's a beautiful feeling. So while you are young, in college and this time is all about you, study abroad. Be selfish. You are only young for so long, so be selfish with who and what you give your time to. I can tell you from experience that your time spent abroad will never be wasted.

 All I know is growing up my mom always inspired me with her travels of going abroad to new places all through her 20's and I couldn't wait for it to be my turn. When it finally was my turn, it all went entirely too fast. Once you go abroad it changes you in so many ways when you come home, you have often altered, but everything at home is the way you left it. To be honest, some days it's hard to be back in my same routine I had before I left. I just feel like I am dying for another adventure and routine is so difficult. You just catch the travel bug and are constantly looking for ways to go back abroad, new adventures are always waiting to be had. I know what you're thinking, I just have so much going on with school, I don't know if I could leave for a whole semester. How will I afford that? These are all reasonable questions and ones you must address, but just stop. Just stop thinking of why it wouldn't work or why you can't and start thinking, HOW it will work and HOW you are going to do it one way or another. That's where I am right now in fact, figuring out how I will go abroad one more time before I graduate. It is really just the commitment you put into it and the effort you put into going.

There are so many study abroad options to choose from, there is something for everyone. I knew study abroad was my goal so I spent an entire summer working endlessly at two jobs to raise the money to go. You know, yeah I did give up my social life for the summer, but the experience I received in return for that summer was so much greater than what I gave up. I know now that I can always look back proudly on my time in college and remember traveling a new part of the world, I am a part of a slim 5% of students in the United States who go abroad every year and that is something to be proud of. Wouldn't you like to join that small percent? In the end, I hope I can inspire just one soul looking for an adventure, to go abroad. If you go abroad early enough in college then you always have the option of going again, but even getting to go once is a gift. Take the chance, be selfish and go abroad. Better yourself. Get lost and find yourself. Education abroad gives you the opportunity to create yourself. Opportunity is knocking at your door, but it won't always. So take the chance because before you know it, life just happens.