Bryan School Study Abroad Program
Samantha Sweet
International Business and Marketing major; studied at Deakin University in Melbourne, where she completed an internship
Upon arriving at UNCG as a freshmen, I remember being worried because I did not know what I wanted to study, what kind of classes I wanted to take, or how I could possibly make a whole new group of friends. The only thing I was certain of was studying abroad. I have always wanted to travel and learn about new cultures. In the fall semester of my junior year, I finally got the chance to make this happen by studying abroad in Melbourne, Australia.
Classes and Internship
I studied in Melbourne at Deakin University and took classes the counted towards my majors in International Business and Marketing. The classes in Australia focus much more heavily on independent study. In most of my classes, there were only one or two assignments during the semester, and then the predominant portion of your grade came from your final exam. This seemed very scary at first, but it was fine as long as you kept up with your outside reading.
The most unique aspect of my classes abroad was my internship. I had the opportunity to participate in an internship with an Australian commercial real estate company. It was an incredible experience and provided valuable insight into the way that other countries conduct business. Not to mention, my coworkers and bosses were very animated and lively, so coming to work twice a week was always fun.
Accommodations
I was lucky enough to live on campus, which is rare at Australian universities. Where I lived, there were twenty different units with ten people living in each. In the individual units, everyone had their own room and we all shared double bathrooms, a double kitchen where we cooked all our own meals, and a living/dining area where we sometimes shared our meals. For the most part, the students living in the village were Australian, so it provided an amazing chance to become close friends with Australians. There were also many fun events held for us, like dances, parties, and game nights. It made living there a blast! I still keep in touch with all of my roommates and plan on going back to visit them whenever I have the chance.
Traveling
Traveling was something that was very important to me during my time abroad. I even extended my stay by a month so I could travel more! During the semester there wasn’t much time to travel because Deakin did not offer any breaks, so I was only able to make it to Sydney for a week during that time. After my semester ended, I was able to do most of my traveling. I joined a two-week tour that went from Sydney to Cairns, which is a good portion of the East coast. I was able to do so many things on this tour, like visit all the major cities, see beautiful beaches, learn to surf, snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef, hike through rain forests, and even bungee jump. Joining a tour is an excellent way to see a lot in a short amount of time, plus I made even more great international friends that way.
Advice
- Don’t be afraid to try new things. Being open-minded about everything will allow you to have new and exciting experiences,
- Don’t be afraid to go abroad alone. You meet so many people who are in the same situation and it’s very easy to make friends abroad if you get involved.
- Stay positive! Sometimes things might not go according to plan, but remember things don’t always go the way we want them to at home either. Just try to move on and continue to enjoy your time while you are there, because you’re going to miss it once you’re home.