Arcadia Australia

We had the pleasure of having Jennifer Mitchell, from Arcadia University take part in our Semester study abroad program in Sydney studying at Macquarie University this past Spring. Jen had a fabulous semester and was very involved with the Arcadia co-curricular program. Jen has kindly shared her experience with us and provides great advice for students studying in Australia.

Student Interview: Jennifer Mitchell

PROGRAM: MacQuarie University Study abroad semester

HOME SCHOOL: ARCADIA UNIVERSITY

Why did you choose MQU?

I chose Macquarie university because I liked its location and the class selections. The location is perfect for me because it's 5 minutes from the city and also in the bush. I enjoyed having the opportunity to be able to go for a walk in the woods and being able to go into the city just for a couple of hours if I wanted. The class selection was also very diverse and I was able to take the biology classes I needed back home.

What was the most challenging aspect of your transition from American college life to Australian Uni life? (how did you overcome them?)

The hardest part about the transition from an American college life and the Australian life was getting to know the locals. I enjoyed spending time with my mates that I met through Arcadia, but I really wanted to get to meet people who lived in Australia. I thought it would be very easy to meet locals however there are a lot of international students that are on campus as well. I found the easiest way to meet new friends was simply putting myself out there and talking to everyone. I would talk to people who were in line with me at a local coffee shop or the people in my lectures. I made a lot of friends this way whether it was just people I would say hello to or people I would grab coffee with.

What did a normal day or week look like for you?

To start the day, I almost always went to the gym first thing in the morning. I had classes on Monday and Wednesday, so I would wake up early on those days to go. After the gym I would come home, make breakfast, shower and get ready for the day. Most days I would do uni work/study until around 3 or 4. Where I studied usually varied but you most likely would find me in a coffee shop or at my desk in my room. I usually tried to make myself dinner to save money, but sometimes I would go out to eat in the city. My mates and I usually went to the Strike bowling bar on Tuesday for some cheap drinks, laser tag, bowling and some other fun activities. On Thursday we usually went out as well because no one had classes on Friday. We almost always went out in the city. On early nights (before midnight) we would catch the train home and late nights we would either call an uber or catch the bus. On the weekends I usually traveled. I was fortunate enough to travel a lot of weekends that I was here. I would usually be away from Thursday to Sunday.

What was your favorite excursion with Arcadia?

My favorite excursion was the Broken Bay trip. I loved the idea that we did not have phone service and everyone wasn’t attached to their phone. It was nice that we could really just sit back and enjoy nature without interruption from the outside world. I also really enjoyed the hike and learning how to throw a boomerang. I am not very artistic, but I also enjoyed being able to paint my own boomerang.

What was your favorite experience in the classroom?

I really like being my sessions in practical for biology. In evolution we learned a lot about Darwin’s finches and we also got to do hands on work with the finches as well. In my organismal biology class, I was really into one session in particular where we got to study the species of Australian birds. I found it so interesting because they are so different from what we see back home.

What is one thing that every student studying abroad should do?

Every student needs to find the balance between exploring the country that you’re in but also exploring the city that you are living in. I absolutely loved traveling around Australia and I loved traveling and learning my way around Sydney as well. I think I would not have had such a great experience if I was only in Sydney the whole time, or if I was constantly away from Sydney traveling. Also, it is very important to stay in contact with those back home. However there needs to be a balance. I found that if I talked to people back home too much, I missed home a lot more. However if I didn’t talk to them for a while I got homesick a bit too, The balance is different for everyone, and it is important to find what works best for you.

What will you miss about Australia?

What will I miss about Australia? Absolutely everything. I feel like Australia is my second home. I will miss everything from the lingo to the weird coffee names. What I might miss the most however is how friendly everyone is here. It is all about the little things in life such as everyone saying “thank you” when they get off the bus or meeting people who are completely plastic free. It is so easy here to have a conversation with complete strangers everywhere you go. I am a very outgoing person, so I love to talk to people and meet as many people as possible. Also, I am really going to miss how environmental friendly Australia is. There are ‘fill up’ stations around the city, cigarette butt collection bins, biodegradable cutlery and recycling collection almost everywhere you go. I try to be as environmental friendly as possible and being in Australia has made me more conscious of things I had never thought about. I started using reusable straws, bringing my own coffee cup to cafes and taking quicker showers. I could go on and on about all of the things I will miss about Australia.

What did you wish someone had told you before studying abroad in Australia?

I can’t really think of anything I wish someone would have told me. I was fortunate enough to have friends who had just returned from studying abroad in Australia who gave me a lot or tips. For example, I was told to not get a Vodaphone phone plan, and instead, get "Belong". Belong runs through Telstra, which has the best service in Australia. A lot of the times when my friends didn’t have service, I did. Also, I paid $35 a month and started off with 15 gb of data which rolled over and every month I got an additional 5. This was plenty of data for me. I still have 9 gb of data as I am getting ready to leave Australia. This was so convenient because I was also the mate who would have enough data that I could use google maps to help navigate around the city. Also, I had unlimited international and domestic calls and text which a lot of my friends did not have. Some of my friends even used my phone to call home. Also, a big tip that I was told by my mates before I left was to pack all my toiletries. I was told by Arcadia not to do this as it was a waste of space. I would disagree because upon arrival a lot of my mates had to go out shopping for all of their basic supplies and spent $100-$200. I had everything I needed and had extra room for stuff on the way home! It was also very helpful to know that towards the end of the semester it would be quite cold and that jeans and long sleeves would be good to have. Once again, my friends had to go out and buy coats and jeans.

How did Arcadia have an impact on your experience?

Arcadia was incredible helpful with everything. I loved the Arcadia excursions that I went on. Also, Holly and Mazz made everything so much easier. I felt like I could come to them about everything. I always got quick answers and useful information from them. I asked a wide range of questions from craft stores to doctors appointments and insurance. Holly was especially helpful when it came to doctors and insurance. When she knew I was at the doctor or that I wasn’t feeling well she would also check up on me. It made me feel a lot more comfortable being thousands of miles away from home knowing I had people I could talk to.

WHAT IS ONE THING THAT EVERY STUDENT STUDYING ABROAD SHOULD DO?

One piece of advice I would like to give to anyone traveling abroad would be to take pictures, but don’t get stuck trying to get the perfect picture. I personally love taking pictures, but after I get a couple pictures its always important to put the camera down and just enjoy the moment. If I like the couple pictures I took that’s great, but I have never regretted not taking the extra time to take the perfect picture. I find that whenever I go to a popular tourist attraction you have to wait in lines as people pose, look at the picture, and when they aren’t satisfied they take a lot more pictures. It shouldn’t be about the perfect pose or the perfect lighting, it should be about to capturing the memory. Instead of scrambling for my camera or phone when something cool happens and missing the moment, I have found it’s more important to just enjoy it while you can.