Arcadia Australia

Student Interview: Mary Murray

PROGRAM: Bond UNIVERSITY, Communications

HOME SCHOOL: Arcadia UNIVERSITY

Why did you choose Bond?

I chose Bond because of its academic reputation and the resources that were available there for my major. My major requires that I study abroad, and Bond was one of the suggested locations in Australia. The location of Bond was definitely influential to my decision of where to go in Australia, and when I looked up pictures of the surrounding area, I knew that I wanted to go there. The size of Bond was similar to Arcadia, and the courses that were offered there really appealed to me.

What was the most challenging aspect of your transition from American college life to Australian Uni life?

The biggest challenge for me transitioning from American college life to Australian Uni life was definitely the academic differences. The grading scale in Australia was very different - having a 75 as a Distinction, or an A, really threw me off. At Bond, my professors encouraged us to call them by their first names, which was very different from American college life, where that would be considered disrespectful. There were less assessments or assignments that were worth more weight in Australia, where in the States, I had more assignments that were worth less weight. I also struggled with homesickness and being so far from home. Arcadia is an hour from my house, and I was able to go home when I wanted to. Before this semester, I was very much a home body and loved being home and around things that I knew and was comfortable with, so being 10,000 miles away from home across the world was a pretty big challenge for me. It was hard at first once everything sunk in, but having people who were going through the same thing in our program and having new friends to lean on made it a lot easier.

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

I had 2 classes a day Monday through Wednesday, and I had one class on Thursday and one on Friday. I’d normally head to the mall at Robina at least once a week to get my Max Brenner’s chocolate fix (once I figured out it was there), and I’d try to head to the beach at least once a week. One weekend I took a trip to Sydney, but most weekends I’d stay on the Gold Coast and explore around with my friends (both exchange students who wanted to find cool places around, and Australians who knew some of the hidden gems around the Coast).

What was your favourite excursion with Arcadia?

My favourite excursion with Arcadia was when we snorkelled at Cook Island and explored Fingal Head. I had never been snorkelling before, and I was really nervous at first, but once I started doing it and saw the sea turtles and some of the sharks underwater, it made it so worth it. Possibly the coolest part of the whole trip was when we were headed back to the dock from Cook Island, and we saw the multiple humpback whales that were really close to our boat and playing around with us. That was a once in a lifetime experience that I’ll never forget.

What was your favourite experience in the classroom?

In my class Writing for News Media, we wrote 6 stories about Bond and the Gold Coast, and it helped me get to be involved in the community and learn more about the Gold Coast.

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

The biggest thing I’d say is to get out of your comfort zone. It may seem hard at first, and all of the change at once can be really overwhelming, but getting out of your comfort zone and indulging yourself in the culture and the experiences that you can have is something that changed my perspective on life. I didn’t realise how fast my semester would go by, and there was so much more I wish I could have done, but doing what you can to get out of your comfort zone and expand your horizons is a must.

What will you miss about the Australia?

I’m definitely going to miss the people in Australia, and the atmosphere and the experiences there. It was such a relaxed atmosphere since it was a beach suburb, and the change of pace was really different for me since I’m used to living right outside the city. Australians are so nice and are willing to help anyone, and the friends that I made in Australia are some of the most amazing people I’ve ever met. They helped me get through some of the ups and downs of my study abroad experience, and some of those friendships that I formed are ones that I know will last a long time. The culture in Australia is something that I’ll definitely miss, because a shift in culture really opened up my horizons and made me more tolerant toward other values, worldviews, and beliefs.

What are your plans after you graduate?

After I graduate, I plan to go to graduate school and pursue a master’s degree in Communications and hopefully use my degree in Global Media to travel around the world more. Once I graduate, I’ll have studied abroad for two semesters, and I’m sure that I’ll want to travel abroad more. I want to work either on late night television shows as a writer or work somewhere in the realm of sports journalism.

Why would you recommend Bond to other students/what kind of student would you recommend for Bond?

I would recommend Bond to other students because it’s a great atmosphere and the professors are so willing to help students succeed as long as they show that they’re trying. I’d recommend students for Bond who are driven, who are good at time management, and who like the kind of rural, beach town vibe that the university has. It’s a very new university and it has amazing resources that students can use, and I think that Bond is best for students who are driven and can get the job done in the classroom, but who also want to experience and explore Australia and the surrounding countries if they can.

How did Arcadia have an impact on your experience?

Without Arcadia, I wouldn’t have been able to study abroad. Being a student athlete, I was under the impression that studying abroad wasn’t an option for me. The fact that Arcadia encourages studying abroad and that the College of Global Studies is pretty helpful and easy to navigate creating a study abroad experience helps a lot. Being in a Majors Abroad Program where I have to study abroad for an entire academic year is something really special that I wanted to take advantage of, and being able to still participate in athletics at a collegiate level and experience studying abroad was a huge deal for me, and Arcadia was able to give that to me.