Story Location: Australia
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Learning to Walk on the Left Side of the Road
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Studying abroad as a first generation college student comes with many obstacles, as well as many feats. As a first generation college student, there always seems to be pressure to do well at all times; pressure to study hard, make good grades and, most importantly, make your family proud. The finish line is always in…
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Re-entry and Re-definition
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Here’s something we all should talk about: re-entry. Something that seems so casual, so normal; going back to the way you were before you went abroad as if nothing had changed… Except, everything has changed. I remember sarcastically discussing the re-entry slide on a presentation at my abroad organization’s farewell dinner. Why would we talk…
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Surviving Sydney: A Guide to IFSA-Butler Orientation
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Arriving in Sydney They say nothing can prepare you for your flight to Sydney and trust me they’re right! Unfortunately I was one of the rare cases that was caught in the bad weather hitting the Northeast when I was making my way to Sydney. After 49 hours of lounging in airports, experiencing flight delays…
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A Day of Play in Melbourne: A Digital Story
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“Your never far from entertain in downtown Melbourne!” Danielle shows us around a typical day in Melbourne, Australia. But if there’s one thing she learned, it’s that there’s no such thing as typical in Australia’s culture capital—from the museums to its music-filled streets to the city’s famous street art! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-oKjbKzUXU&feature=youtu.be
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Understanding Reverse Culture Shock: When Home Feels Foreign
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Having to look the opposite way before crossing the street. Referring to ketchup as “tomato sauce” and to fries as “chips.” Realizing that “going to the chemist” does not, in fact, mean that you’re paying a visit to a scientist’s lab. Instead, it’s the same as going to a drugstore in the US. All of these cultural…
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Panic Attacks and How to Stay on Track
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Picture this: you’re hanging out with a group of your friends when suddenly you feel as though you can’t breathe. A minute ago you were perfectly fine, but something small set you off and now your chest is being crushed by the weight of your anxiety. You don’t want to draw attention to yourself, but you…
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Science: It’s Even Cooler Abroad – A Digital Story
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I never imagined collecting spiders or digging for insects could make me so excited about not only an environment but also the basic ecology that was going on inside it. Rather than spend her whole semester studying in a classroom, Hannah’s biology class studied on Fraser Island, the only place in the world where rainforest…
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Embracing My Sexuality in Melbourne
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Before I left home to study abroad in Melbourne, my friends who had previously studied in other countries told me about how their experiences—particularly those outside the classroom—changed them. Going abroad altered their perspectives, boosted their self-esteem, and helped them unearth deeper parts of themselves. “You’ll be a brand new you when you come home,” one said. “Well, not brand…
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Take a Solo Trip, I Dare You
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Being in a new country brings along new food, friends and adventures. While it is exciting, it can be scary too, and it’s easy to try to slip back into your comfort zone. This is exactly what I found myself doing, and I realized that something needed to be done about it. So, I decided…
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(En)roll with the Punches: A Guide to Australian Academia
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I’m a worrier. If you haven’t noticed based on my previous posts, “stress” is practically my middle name. In the weeks before leaving for the University of Melbourne I freaked out—as I usually do—about almost everything. Funnily enough, though, the one thing that didn’t worry me was the actual “study” part of studying abroad. All my life I’ve been the kid who enjoys…
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