Studying abroad in Australia has been arguably one of the best experiences in my life! Now that I am back home in the United States, I can reflect on some of the details of the culture in Australia. The largest difference I have noticed between Australia and America is the active nightlife. The prevalence of a very social party scene was something I definitely had to get used to. While exploring my new ability to legally go out to bars and clubs, I was not expecting to be going out every week, this includes weekdays. While not everyone on campus thinks this way, it appeared as if the day of the week really didn’t matter, if people wanted to go out, then they were going out. This is a widespread thing in Australian culture. When I am at Rollins, it is more common to see people go out on the weekends, maybe a Thursday, but definitely not Monday.
One big focus in Australia that I observed is strengthening relationships within the community. Even though going out and drinking all the time is not my favorite activity, especially because it’s expensive, it was a great way to meet people. I learned how to be more social and outgoing when I’m in a new unfamiliar place. It was something I had to adapt to very quickly because orientation week is essentially party week and there is always something fun and exciting going on. If I hadn’t gone out during that first week, I don’t think I would have made the friends I have now. Someone from Australia would probably think I am overreacting and that going out to bars isn’t as big of a deal as I make it out to be. However, it was all very new to me and I was very overwhelmed. I did have some friends who went through the journey with me step by step to make sure I was comfortable in the bigger social settings. I learned to be comfortable walking out to the kitchen and having it full of people. This helps me with future misunderstandings and conflicts because it taught me how to be patient and more open-minded. Many conflicts, especially about culture, start because one culture is not willing to hear out the other and immediately go to fighting instead of having a conversation.
Studying abroad has been the best academic and life decision I have made so far. I have learned the importance of cultural awareness and how to talk about differences between cultures in a respectful manner. I got to see cultures from the completely opposite side of the world. I have grown as a person in maturity increasing my awareness of myself and the people around me. Studying abroad in Australia is the best thing I can recommend to any student.