Alumni Spotlight: Johanna Koster

I chose CIS Abroad for a handful of reasons. To start, there is a large variety of opportunities all over the world to choose from whether it's in the United States or in a foreign country. In addition, they have a partnership with my Alma Mater which allowed the process to be very easy regarding paperwork. However, the most important reason I chose CIS Abroad is the timing of their programs. When I was looking for a program to apply to a majority of them started late December, early January. CIS Abroad had those programs available but they had another program that started mid-February. Having the later program available allowed me to partake in an event on my Alma Mater's campus that was very important to me while also taking the semester away to travel.

During the application process my college, in the states, helped me with a variety of responsibilities. First of all, they helped me choose a program to apply to since there are a handful of programs that are partnered up with the school. Although, probably the most important thing my school helped me with was the paperwork that the school needed. Some of the paperwork included: classes I would be taking abroad, finances, residence life, my visa, etc. Essentially they were the middleman between CIS Abroad and the various offices around campus.

On the other hand, CIS Abroad helped me with the transition of living in the United States to living in Australia. They helped with what to pack and what to expect. A few weeks before all of the students in my program flew out we have a webinar with the program directors in Australia and the United States. This allowed us all to be introduced to one another and to have a solid idea of what to expect while we traveled to Australia and when we arrived.

A lot of the time people believe that they will miss out on a lot of activities and memories back in the United States, I certainly did! But, traveling abroad is such a unique experience and you will be creating memories and friendships that will last a lifetime. I know I missed out on some memories with my college friends, however, they often tell me how they wish they had the opportunity to study abroad in college. I strongly believe that the best time to travel is when you are young. You only need to be concerned about yourself while you are traveling which is SO refreshing.

I strongly believe that if an opportunity comes up to travel you should do whatever to can to make it a reality. Traveling allows you to learn so much about yourself, different cultures, and different people. By following this advice myself I have been able to travel around the United States for various jobs and internships which have given me amazing stories that so few are able to tell.

While abroad my life was pretty normal. Throughout the week I would go grocery shopping, attend class, and hang out with friends. When I first moved on campus my friends and I made it a priority to attend club fairs and events that the University would host. By going to these events were able to sign up for different clubs that hosted weekend trips such as camping and surfing. In addition, we kept an eye out for different events around the city and different cities to travel to. We often went to night markets and festivals around the city as well as sporting events (Australian football and the Cricket World Cup!).

Looking back, my biggest fear was probably the unknown. It was my first time traveling by myself on an international flight. I wasn't sure what to expect especially with how tight security is in airports these days. What helped me was understanding that people travel in airports all the time and that it is okay to ask questions.

I found myself asking airport workers and other travelers variety questions and if I didn't I probably would have missed all of my flights. I learned that with whatever adventures life throws at you there will always be some gray area but, it's important to ask questions and to be in the know. It's better to do something right the first time by asking questions than having to go back and redo it because you didn't ask how it needed to be done!