Venture to many new places
And just like that it’s over in a flash! Melbourne has been a lot of fun but I can confirm exam season to be universally stressful. Australian universities tend to have a short exam period after each semester, semester one and two, which I enjoyed as there are no long gap between teaching and the exam – less time to forget material taught earlier on in the year. At Reading I had special consideration for my exams because of a disability and I am really happy to say these were carried across to Monash pretty effortlessly. It’s good to know that these sort of things are possible while studying abroad and can comparative arrangements can easily be made.
The end of semester also tends to correlate with a greater consumption of coffee. As in most of Australia the coffee culture in Melbourne is huge and a great excuse to take a break from studying. My absolute favourite coffee shops on Clayton campus have to be the Church of Secular Coffee and Saporo, and the little coffee shop inside the library at Caulfield – Flipboard is a cool place to refuel. There are countless options, but these three offer good coffee and have delicious snacks too.
Aside from studying I have had chance to spend the weekend away visiting Tasmania with my boyfriend. This has to be a highlight of my study abroad experience. The national parks and beaches in Tasmania are truly spectacular! One of the hikes I did involved climbing to the summit of Mount Cradle, we had an awesome day for it and the views from the top were amazing! The return trip took about 8 hours in total. The walk down to Wineglass Bay is also unmissable! The most perfect beach I have ever seen and when we arrived we were the only people there, a truly magical experience!
Studying abroad has allowed me to venture to many new places I won’t have the chance to otherwise, and I feel all the richer for it. It has literally changed my view of the world, allowing me to grow personally, as well as challenged me to meet new academic goals independently. Of course you miss friends and family, nothing will change this but it isn’t permanent, before you know it you’re writing your last blog post and heading home. I am really lucky to have had this opportunity and would recommend studying abroad to anyone wanting to develop themselves personally or academically.
