Taking Risks and Finding Confidence

It sounds cliche, but study abroad, specifically my time at the University of Wollongong, completely changed my life. One of my favorite parts of my time abroad was a trip organized by CIEE where the group went abseiling. I am extremely scared of heights but going into the experience I promised myself I would seize every opportunity in my limited time abroad. This program, in particular, encourages and supports every student to get outside their comfort zone and try things you never even imagined were possibilities. The freedom to discover and create your own experience is a benefit of this program. You are given the freedom to explore while knowing there are staff around supporting any questions or concerns that may arise. The people were the best part of my study abroad experience and I now have life-long friends because of it. Overall, I have found that I am now a more confident person because I studied abroad. I barely recognize the person I was before my experience abroad and I know my time in Australia will be with me the rest of my life.