Study Abroad Blog
Wandering in Wollongong
Amber Dalgleish
Lake Stevens, WA, United States
August 1st, 2018
​
Here are a couple of things that I learned while studying abroad. They aren’t only just for being abroad, or studying abroad, but are things I plan to apply to my day to day life in the States. They’re important things that I think are valuable reminders about life.
-
People are important – Without a doubt, the people I met on my trip were the most amazing part of studying abroad. The friendships I have made are the things that I will cherish forever and am extremely grateful for. It’s so important to make friends with people who are from the host country because they will show you the most authentic version of the country because they live the everyday life of that country. But also make friends from around the world and other places from where you are from. That way you get a taste of different cultures and learn about other places where you may want to travel in the future. But you may even learn new things about the country where you are from by meeting people from your own country. Meet as many people as you can and as many different people as you can. But the friendships I made are the most important memory I have from studying abroad and I even have some lifelong friendships now.
-
Make the most of your time, anywhere you are – I saw as much of Australia and let me tell you it is impossible to fit in an entire country in 6 months. I did make it to all 6 states/territories but there are places in Wollongong I didn’t even see. I wish I would have taken more advantage of some of my days and gone and saw more things just around the town. I think I definitely made the most of all of my days, but no matter how much you see, there are still going to be things you miss. So, try to make the most of your time and see the things that you really want to see. Make it a priority.
-
Research and learn about anything you can – Before you go anywhere, research the important parts. Find a good hostel, find out how to get to/from the airport/bus station, find out what you actually want to see where you are traveling. It is so much better to have a list of five things you want to see than to be wandering around the city looking for cool things to do. Research and do homework because it will help you make the most of your time and budget. Plus while doing this you learn a lot about the history of a place and that’s
-
Budget, Budget, Budget – Traveling is soooooo expensive. But if you budget it out and find ways to cut costs, you can get more bang for your buck. Make coffee at hostels, cook meals yourself, or find cheap alternatives. If there are activities that you want to do, figure out how bad you want to do them, and then do a cost break down. If I do this, then I can’t do this, and really put a value on everything that you want to do. It helps priorities what you actually want to do and in all honestly, it’s okay to splurge on things that you really want to do, because at the end of the day, you don’t know when you’ll be back so it’s better to bite the cost now and make sure that you do the things you want to.
-
Journal and write everything down – Write down everything because no matter how much you tell yourself that you’re going to remember it all, you won’t. You’re going to forget things, so write them down and write about how they made you feel. You will never feel the same way as the first time you stepped foot into a country. So, write about it because you’ll want to remember things later on, plus it helps you remember what stories you should tell people when they ask about your time abroad.
-
Call your friends and family – getting homesick is totally normal. But what helped me was talking to them regularly because then I didn’t feel like I was that far from them. My family didn’t come to visit me while I was abroad (my sister traveled with me two weeks before I started school, so I consider that different) and I think that was good because I didn’t get as homesick as some of my friends who had family come. But I talked to my family often, so I didn’t feel as lonely or far from them.
-
School is important – I know that it may seem hard to believe but doing homework or studying is actually really important to do while abroad because those grades DO transfer back. I’m already putting myself behind by studying abroad (my own fault, I have two majors and 2 minors) so I didn’t want to put myself more behind. Plus, part of the experience is trying to figure out the Australian school system, and by taking the time to really immerse myself in the school work, I learned a lot about Australia, my own study habits, and where I could improve in my own work habits. I know it’s super hard to think about that paper you need to write when you would rather be traveling (trust me, I agree) but it’s so important.
-
Join a club – One thing I wish I would have done was to join a club because of all the people you will meet with similar interests. I did go to a couple of club events and met people that way but I think that it’s a great way to meet people with similar interests as you because it’s already hard to make friends in another country. Make it easier for yourself, join the juggling club.
-
Apply for scholarships – Seriously! I have said this a million times but seriously the only way I could afford to go abroad was scholarships. They don’t even have to be study abroad scholarships. A lot of the scholarships I have applied to my tuition for the semester I was gone. And apply for scholarships while you’re abroad to help pay for things and expensive when you get back because let me tell you, you will be wiped out financially when you come back. Apply, apply, apply!
-
It’s okay to be sad – I hate crying. Like I hold stuff in for as long as I can because I hate crying, but I don’t think I’ve ever cried as much as I did my last week in Australia. It was mainly about having to leave a place, people, and the time of my life that I loved with my whole heart. But it was a reminder of how lucky I was to have had an experience like this that I would miss it so much. It’s okay to recognize that I would be sad for a long time because it meant that I had something in my life that brought me so much. The studying abroad part of my life may be over, but my time with the friends I made and Australia is far from over.
Cheers,
Wandering in Wollongong
Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney, NSW
Adelaide Oval Cricket Scoreboard, Adelaide, SA
Australia War Memorial, Canberra, ACT
Brighton Bathing Boxes, Brighton, VIC
Elizabeth Quay, Perth, WA
Kangaroo Point, Brisbane, QLD
Tasman Bridge, Hobart, Tasmania
Uluru, Northern Territory
Food/Drinks
What am I eating/drinking?
Tips
What do I wish I knew?