Life in the Land Down Under

My experience of studying in Australia had a huge impact on me. I will surely enjoy the memories from my time abroad for the rest of my life. The laid back, 'no worries' attitude I was surrounded with helped me to breathe easy for a while and discover what kind of career I want to pursue in such a pivotal time in life. I liked it so much that I have returned and am writing this review from Australia!

Southern Cross University (SCU) in Lismore, Australia is an incredible place to plant yourself for a semester. The campus is built on a rain forest remnant, so if you are looking forward to seeing a lot of wildlife, you will not be disappointed. Koalas are seen daily as there are close to 30 of them on campus. You can also see kangaroos and wallabies early in the morning. Small parrots called lorikeets are always flying overhead and water dragons hang out in the streams around campus.

SCU is located near some of the best surfing beaches in the world, including the beautiful Byron Bay, where I spent most of my time. The area around the campus is surrounded by green rolling hills and it doesn't take long to drive out of town to go swimming near waterfalls.

The courses in Australia are a bit different. You have lectures and tutorials (applying the lessons learned from lecture) for each class. This makes for more in class learning and less work to take home with you. All of my professors were good at engaging the students and making the lecture interesting and fun. Outdoor Education is a must take if you go to SCU. This course is comprised of two camping trips in the Australian Bush and lessons in outdoor living and survival in the classroom.

I highly recommend this program.. Even for those of you who are afraid of snakes and spiders ;) (although you won't see many at all unless you go looking). You will be amazed at the generosity of Australians and the open arms you will be welcomed with at SCU. Don't think about it, just do it!