Study Abroad in Perth, Australia

I studied abroad in Perth Australia during my spring semester junior year, and I can confidently say that it was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. Before I left I was beyond excited, but I was also extremely nervous because I wasn’t going with anyone I knew, and I had some fears about not being able to make new friends. I shouldn’t have spent a second worrying, however, because TEAN set up our program in a way where there were multiple opportunities to meet people. All the TEAN students studying abroad in Australia for our semester had orientation in Cairns together. So as soon as I stepped off the plane I was greeted by our advisors and introduced to the other students who had been on my flight. I ended up chatting with a girl on the bus on the way to the hotel and we became good friends during our orientation. Everyone in our program was welcoming and kind, and we all kinda became a big family for a week. I remember being in a bit of disbelief that we’d all clicked so fast, and it made me realize that a lot of students had come alone, and I certainly wasn’t the only one nervous about meeting new people.

Orientation in Cairns was fantastic. There were included excursions as well as extra excursions, which I took advantage of because who knows if I’ll ever get back to Australia again in my lifetime. Within a few days I had scuba dived in the Great Barrier Reef, skydived, saw a crocodile farm, met with Aboriginal leaders, and swam beneath natural waterfalls. And I had it all with the amazing people I’d only just met. It was a bit hard to say goodbye, but I was able to see some of them again on the additional TEAN trips, like the one I took to New Zealand.

During orientation I hadn’t spent much time with the students who were also studying in Perth with me, but again, that wasn’t a problem because as soon as we landed in Perth TEAN provided so many activities to help us get to know each other. There were 12 total students studying in Perth, but 6 went to University of Western Australia and the other 6 (including me) went to Murdoch University. The two universities were only a quick train ride away, so we were able to all see each other quite frequently during the semester. In the apartments at Murdoch, TEAN split us up so that there were two TEAN students in each apartment. At first I was a little bummed because I had wanted all 6 of us to live together but splitting us up was actually a good thing because we were able to get close to the other Australian and Japanese students that were living with us in our apartments. I became best friends with my Australian roommate, who I likely wouldn’t have met if we hadn’t lived together, and we still talk everyday despite being on opposite sides of the world. TEAN also made arrival easy because they gave us transportation from the airport, arranged our apartments, including apartment necessities such as kitchenware and bedding, and helped us move in. Not to mention they provided endless support for us after our arrival.

We arrived in Perth two weeks before our classes started, so we were all able to explore the city and the little beach town close to us (Fremantle), and just get adjusted to Australia. During that time our TEAN advisor took us to see the Fremantle prison, the Fremantle markets, downtown Perth, King’s Park, and we even took surf lessons. Thanks to TEAN I felt like I had a built-in friend group despite only having been in Perth a few weeks. And once classes started it turned out that we were in a lot of them together, so I always had someone to walk to class with and work on assignments with. There were 4 of us in Marine Biology and we ended up making a documentary together, and we had a lot of fun filming that. The structure of classes were a bit different in Australia compared to the US. In Australia there is more of an expectation that you are responsible for mastering the material on your own, so there are only a few assignments for each course that you’re actually graded on. At first I was a bit intimidated by this because one assignment could be 25% of your grade, but I found that I actually preferred it this way because I wasn’t tied down with busy work and had more freetime. Because work outside of class was less demanding my friends and I went out to dinner exploring different restaurants a few times a week. We also went to trivia every wednesday at a bar in Fremantle, which became one of our favorite things to do. Also because the class load was later, I was able to travel and easily make up the work I’d missed. While I was there I went to Bali, Sydney, Melbourne, New Zealand, and even did an outback camping trip up North.

I could go on and on about how amazing my TEAN study abroad experience was in Australia, but I’d have to write a novel to include everything. All in all, I made life-long friends while studying abroad, both from the US and from Australia, continued my education at an incredible university, and was able to see parts of the world that I’d never thought I’d see. I would do this program again in a heartbeat, and I hope everyone gets to have an opportunity like this. I miss it everyday.

I have had the pleasure of studying and interning abroad in Perth, at the University of Western Australia with TEAN and ISA. I have had the most fantastic time exploring Australia and meeting new people. TEAN and ISA has made coming over here so easy with all of the help they provided me by helping me find my internship, student accommodation, and support 24/7 while abroad. I have met some of the most amazing people not only through my student accommodation and University but also other students that are here through TEAN and ISA. I have made lifelong friendships with those students and will cherish that forever. Some of the amazing opportunities and excursions that I have been able to do through TEAN and ISA was going to Cairns in Queensland and seeing the Great Barrier Reef, I have been able to go surfing, and also watch a professional AFL game. This is just a few of the many extra excursions and activities TEAN provides for their students abroad.

Studying abroad has been one of the best decisions I have made. My time in Australia was truly life changing due to the seemingly endless opportunities that prevailed allowing me to continue to push myself out of my comfort zone while gaining new perspectives from individuals of all walks of life. I chose The Education Abroad Network (TEAN) as my program provider due to their focus on Oceania where they helped me narrow down the options until I found Murdoch University in Perth, WA which ended up being an exceptional fit. I received help every step of the way and felt in good hands due to the responsiveness of the program coordinators. The extensive Welcome Week in Cairns, QLD allowed me to check several things off my bucket list such as sky diving and scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef. The traditional Welcome to Country from the local Indigenous people was a very unique experience and even included boomerang throwing and a smudging ceremony followed by song and traditional foods. Sharing these experiences with peers in the program allowed me to connect with them instantly and many ended up becoming close friends throughout the entire semester. I gained more knowledge on Australia’s history, political system, and cultural differences during our meetings and felt better prepared before departing for my host city and uni.

Once in my host city of Perth, WA I immediately realized the way of life was much more relaxed than what I was used to, especially due to the laid back atmosphere of Fremantle Harbor and the relatively less crowded city of Perth. All the people I met and spoke to from WA were extremely laid back and welcoming and friends were easy to make. I was extremely fortunate to see so much of beautiful Western Australia due to two road trips when combined covered nearly all of the Western coastline. Giant Tingle Trees, cave lakes, rolling vineyards, and endless rock formations define the Southwest region of WA for myself and my friends. Later in the semester, a second road trip offered by Murdoch University for study abroad students would be referred to as “the Northwest Trip” by everyone who attended which encompassed a massive proportion of northwest Western Australia with highlights of snorkeling in Turquoise Bay, a traditional Aussie BBQ in the outback of Karijini National Park while dingos howled at the full moon, and serene coastal views that occasionally included a whale’s caudal fin.

If you are thinking about studying abroad, I recommend taking whatever steps necessary and just do it. You will not regret the experience and wherever you end up will be an enjoyable experience as long as you keep an open mind, step outside of your comfort zone, push yourself when the coursework is stressful, and be a good friend to others. The experience will unfold itself and before you know it you will be established with a new life just as it is time to pack your bags and return home. You will get homesick and you will experience tough situations when adjusting to the new country, school, and friendships but the connections you gain and the memories you will make outweigh the negatives. Nothing will have changed when you return home so you might as well take the chance.

When I first signed up to study at UWA, I was originally with another provider, but when they canceled my program at the last minute my advisor found that TEAN offered one that was almost identical. I was then partnered with someone from TEAN who was able to get me caught up on my application and walk me through some of the complicated paperwork that came with getting my visa and get it submitted on time even though I had to start late. Once we got to Australia, they held an orientation in Cairns where we got to meet tons of other American students, and get acclimated to the new country. Halfway through the semester, I went on a culture based trip to Thailand for a week during a study break. The itinerary was well planned, involved many different types of experiences, and really showed us several different sides to the country. It was amazing.

I had such an amazing experience in Australia. It opened my eyes to the world and even my own life. I really changed my life and guided me to living a healthier lifestyle. I learned so much from traveling on my own and meeting people from all over the world. I would tell anyone going abroad to really keep an open mind to everything. Time flies really fast, you really need to do everything you can to see as much as possible and to really enjoy it. Push your boundaries and do stuff you're kind of uncomfortable with. It WILL pay off at the end.

I was at Notre Dame Australia Spring of 2011 in Fremantle. I felt I got a true Australian experience being in Western Australia. The atmophere was very laid back and everyone was very friendly. Due to the west coast of Australia not being as popular, you get the chance to meet more of the locals. Fremantle is a small port city outside of Perth with a lot of charm. Campus and the dorms are very close to the beach ( about a two minute walk from the Indian Ocean, which was awesome!). There are an abundance of restaurants, shops and markets nearby as well.

Classes were small and welcoming. The classes I took were interesting and allowed you to be involved and meet other students( I especially enjoyed my archaeology and digital photography classes.)

The education abroad network was very helpful every step of the way before, during and after the program was over. I felt it was a great value for my money including the support and the 5-day orientation in Sydney was awesome. I took advantage of all of their help in attaining my visa, passport, booking my flight, getting a cellphone, etc.

I feel I took back a better understanding of different cultures and people and why people are the way they are. I think UNDA-Fremantle is a great place for someone who is laid back, but loves an adventure. I seriously recommend this program to anyone interested in going to Australia! I wish I was still there!