Oh Yeah, We Came Here For School

When I was selected to go on this program I knew it was a very big deal. I researched Australia for months, looking up everything I could possibly do in my free time. There is just so much to see in so little time, and I had to prioritize. The six months before we departed were filled with constant Google searches and AUD to USD price conversions. I wanted to make sure I could do as much as I could. It wasn't until a few weeks before we left that I kind of stopped and remembered that I was going to have school to worry about too. That put a damper on things.

How was I supposed to traverse the globe with classes weighing me down? Answer: wait until my internship. I had spent so much time focusing on all the other experiences that I had somewhat ignored Sydney. Here I am, typing away at one of the biggest cities in the world, and I was trying to treat it like it was Detroit or Oklahoma City. Silly me.

I am happy to say that so far I have not ignored Sydney and have made it my goal to do something new here every single day. Even more than that, today I finished my studies at The University of Sydney. I think I was being a bit under appreciative as to how rare of an opportunity it was for me to take courses from one of the most prestigious universities in Australia. Shame on me. It is literally considered an Ivy League equivalent school. Take that, Harvard. I didn't want to go to you anyway.

The classes at USyd have been challenging, informative, and promoted a degree of analytical thinking that could only be brought about from a certain Dr. Anne Rees. What a time to be alive. But seriously, she taught us the history of Australia in its entirety in just eleven classes. That's a pretty major feat to accomplish, and I learned a lot that I can share with friends and family for years to come.

Our global communications class taught by Dr. Laura Miller could not have come at a better time. Whoever made the call to teach that while abroad is a very smart person. I have learned so many skills regarding communicating in a global context that it's not even funny. I now know how to evaluate the meta message, how to differentiate between high context and low context cultures, and that we all live in a global village. A big shoutout to Dr. Miller for helping us assimilate through this crazy first month in Australia. I know I speak for everyone when I say, we couldn't have done it without you.

Now that classes are over and final assignments are being submitted, I think I might miss SydneyUni a bit. Sure it has beautiful architecture that makes me think I'm at Hogwarts or the Smithsonian or Biltmore, but I think I will miss the people most. The Australians in our first class have all been extremely helpful in answering our questions and showing us around, even if our accents do make them think of racism, but it's our little group that I will miss the most. We are all heading our different ways after break. Instead of just rolling out of bed and seeing everyone, we will have to each make a point of coming to the other apartments for The Bachelor or all participating in family dinners. Luckily we all have Cairns to look forward to in March! I know everyone will still see each other too. We are a pretty cool group like that.

Classes down and one month under our belts here in the lovely Sydney, Australia...internships and two more months to go!

PSA: The Internet is a very public place. Be wary of what you post, friends. You never know who is creeping through your Twitter timeline, waiting for the right moment to strike your "like" button.