Alexander Deedy

I studied on exchange in Tasmania for one semester in Fall 2012. My five months abroad were some of the best of my life! I met an extraordinary array of different people from all around the world and made what I am sure will become life-long friendships. While Australia is definitely a 1st world country with western culture, it is in many ways different from the United States and a fascinating place to meet people and hear their ideas. Every college student should take the opportunity to study abroad, you won’t regret it! alexander.deedy@umontana.edu

Cassandra Langstraat

My name is Cassie Langstraat and I spent my fall 2012 semester in the beautiful country of Australia. I lived in a pretty small town called Wagga Wagga in NSW. The size was perfect for me because it allowed me to really get to know so many incredible and inspiring people. Honestly, it is difficult to even try to describe what an amazing experience this has been for me. Everyone says it is going to be so wonderful but you never really understand what they are talking about until you are full-blown in the adventure and everything is happening around you and you suddenly realize how lucky you are. Being halfway around the world in a different country truly gives you a new perspective on things, from your self-image to views about your own country. It gave me so much confidence to know that I could just pick up and move to a different country by myself and be okay with that. I had SO much fun learning about their culture and while Australia and America do have many similarities, I was often astounded by the crazy differences. I mean, it’s not like you just see kangaroos hopping around while walking to class in Montana. I study English Literature so I was able to take Australian Lit, Australian Children’s Lit, and a few other classes. But it was so interesting to compare the two types of writing and that is obviously a type of literature I would not have gotten to study if I did not go. There is so much more I could say about it but really when it all comes down to it, in a nutshell, it was 5 of the best months of my life and I could not be more thankful for the opportunity. I cannot encourage it enough and if anyone wants to chat about anything regarding my trip I would be more than happy to do so. clangstraat92@gmail.com

Corinne Zylstra

I spent the spring semester of my junior year studying abroad in the beautiful city of Melbourne, Australia. I attended La Trobe University and took four classes - two of which transferred back to Montana as upper-division credits in my Psychology major! I got to live on campus in a co-ed international dorm with students from all over the world. My floor included one boy from China, three Australians, a Canadian, one girl from San Diego, and one Brazilian! Living with and getting to know the students from all over the world was one of the greatest experiences I had abroad! I went to Australia without knowing anyone, and the friendships I made will last a lifetime. The most surprising thing I came across was how expensive everything was!! The American dollar and the Australian dollar were about even in value, but everything cost at least 50% more than it would in the States because Australia imports almost everything. The good news is an Australian Student Visa does allow you to work part-time! The education system is entirely different and difficult to adjust to. By the end of the semester, I learned to appreciate my home University and education system so much more than before. Overall, my experience was very positive. I learned so much about myself and had my eyes opened to see the world from an entirely different perspective. At times it was difficult to understand the Australian culture and way of life, but the experience made me grow in knowledge of, respect, and love for America. I would love to talk with anyone considering Australia for study abroad, and I am more than happy to help answer any questions! Corinnezylstra@gmail.com