After completing my exchange semester in Brisbane, I can say for certain that this was by far the most rewarding and transformative experience I have had as a university student so far!
While Australia is certainly a similar country to the United States in many ways, all the unique differences about the country made me more conscious of how other students pursue knowledge and grow in educational contexts. The most valuable part of my abroad experience was without a doubt meeting all my new friends and classmates not only from Australia, but all over the world. Several of my classes consisted of majority international students from countries such as Taiwan, Norway, and Germany. I got to understand more about their own unique cultures while simultaneously getting accustomed to life in Brisbane alongside them.
My very positive initial impressions about Brisbane proved to be mostly correct, as I continued to enjoy exploring around the city meeting friendly Aussies and enjoying Brisbane’s awesome sunny and tropical weather. As my classes progressed at QUT, I found myself extremely challenged with the end of term final projects and essays, as they made me think in a more research-oriented manner than I have previously experienced in Mays classes, and my professors explained that these assignments were in order to introduce experiences similar to graduate research to undergrad students. While these assignments were very challenging, they were deeply rewarding and I can confidently say that they helped me fully understand all of the international management and supply chain topics I learned about in these courses.
I was very sad to finally leave Australia, and I hope to return soon some day, maybe even to work in the city as a young professional after I graduate from Mays!
*Photos attached include pictures of both QUT campuses, the Brisbane CBD, the Australia Zoo, and a group picture of the QUT Speedcubing club at a competition we organized!
