Everywhere is a Classroom: Learning Through Internships Abroad
Before I moved to Melbourne, I thought of my semester abroad like a hands-on research experience. As an Urban Studies major, I had spent years studying and discussing all aspects of urban life — city governance, urban planning, social inequity, affordability, transportation, design, and so on. Over and over again, critical discourse on how to improve cities referenced Melbourne. Australia’s second-largest metropolis had undergone an ambitious transformation over the previous thirty years, from forgettable backwater to the most livable city in the world (seven years in a row, according to The Economist). Reading about Melbourne’s laneway activation, intricate tram network, and boulevard pedestrianization, I knew I had to see the city for myself. And what better way to do that than to live there?
Because in situ experience is the most effective way to study a city, I knew I would have to learn about Melbourne’s built environment in spaces beyond the classroom. I decided, to that end, that I would pursue an internship.