My Experience
Upon receiving my acceptance to study abroad in Australia, I was, understandably, extremely excited. While Canberra was not my first choice for my exchange, living there far exceeded my expectations. Despite the fact that it does not offer the stereotypical Australian lifestyle, Canberra quickly became a home away from home, and a pleasant place to return to after weekends of traveling.
When I first arrived in Australia’s capital city, I cannot say that I was completely prepared. As excited as I was for my new adventure, I had a sudden realization that I had literally just moved to the other side of the world… alone. But, luckily, I did not feel lonely for too long.
I chose to live “on campus”, in a student residence called Burton and Garran Hall, as I figured it would be the easiest way to meet people; and I was right. Within the first week, I had formed a core group of friends; some were from Australia, and some like me, were on exchange. Since then, these girls have become some of the most important and influential people in my life, and I would never have met them had I not gone on exchange.
In Canberra, I attended the Australian National University (ANU), which is ranked as one of the top universities in Australia. Compared to McGill, however, the course load was immensely lighter. That being said, I found I was able to learn so much more, as I was less concerned about grades, and actually more focused on learning and experiencing as much as I could.
When I first arrived in Australia’s capital city, I cannot say that I was completely prepared. As excited as I was for my new adventure, I had a sudden realization that I had literally just moved to the other side of the world… alone. But, luckily, I did not feel lonely for too long.
I chose to live “on campus”, in a student residence called Burton and Garran Hall, as I figured it would be the easiest way to meet people; and I was right. Within the first week, I had formed a core group of friends; some were from Australia, and some like me, were on exchange. Since then, these girls have become some of the most important and influential people in my life, and I would never have met them had I not gone on exchange.
In Canberra, I attended the Australian National University (ANU), which is ranked as one of the top universities in Australia. Compared to McGill, however, the course load was immensely lighter. That being said, I found I was able to learn so much more, as I was less concerned about grades, and actually more focused on learning and experiencing as much as I could.