Tonight is my last night here in Wollongong. It decided to be a rainy gloomy day. I guess that makes it easier to leave tomorrow. In approximately 11hours, I’ll be on my way back to the USA. YIPPEE!!

Overall, I am pleased that I chose to come to Australia for the semester, however I definitely experienced many ups and downs. It has been my dream to study abroad in Australia since before I even knew where I would attend college. If I had it to do over, I would probably choose to do a summer study abroad program. Leaving Penn State for a semester was so much harder than I could have ever expected. Studying abroad felt like first semester freshman year all over again, attempting to make new friends, get involved (there really aren’t any opportunities to get involved here at University of Wollongong), and adjust to a new schooling system. I wish my program had had other Penn State students in it, a factor I thought would not bother me. (If you’re reading this and coming to Wollongong in July, there are 2 of you!) I think a program that included more travel in a shorter period of time would really be the best option for study abroad (for instance the RPTM embedded summer courses in Australia). Of all the places to study in Australia, I think Wollongong was the perfect choice, as the closeness to the beach kept me relaxed and the city has what you need to get by, but not the overwhelming atmosphere of a big city. Sydney is a train ride away and has an airport that will get you anywhere you need to go. It does get cold in Australia and the beach weather doesn’t last forever, something I expected by still hate. A semester abroad depends 100% on what you make of it, and I believe I did my best to make this semester as amazing as I possibly could, yet nothing can compare to Penn State and I have been missing my home at PSU since the moment I left.

Here are some things to consider if you’re thinking about studying abroad in Wollongong, or Australia in general.

·      Australia is EXPENSIVE. The conversion rate isn’t bad, but things cost more in Australia, especially toiletries. A tube of mascara or nail polish that may cost $7 at home costs about $18 here. A bottle of Gatorade or Coke costs $4. Fajitas at a Mexican restaurant run about $30 a plate. Eating out is not in any college students’ price range. Even McDonalds is more expensive!

o   Pack all the toiletries you may need (shampoo, lotion, medicines, makeup…) so you don’t have to buy them here. You’ll then have space in your suitcase for souvenirs on the way home.

o   The cheapest souvenirs you’ll find are at Patty’s Market in Sydney. Go here before you buy anything else!

o   Donuts are at least $2.50 each… still can’t figure this one out.

·      You can find affordable flights to other cities, but once you’re there expect to spend lots of money… even if you eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches every day. Remember though that even if you don’t want to shell out $50 for a tour, this is most likely your only opporuntity to see that something awesome or do that something cool so just do it!

·      The train from Wollongong to the Sydney airport is $20 one way. The train to Sydney Central is $17 return (round trip).

·      Hostels are gross, loud, and uncomfortable. For $40 a night, you are stuck sharing a room with 4 to 20 other people and have to walk to the bathroom. This is frustrating considering that in the US you could stay at a motel with three other people for less than $75 a night.

o   Make sure you pack your shower shoes while staying at a hostel. And call about towels… some give them to you, some don’t, and some charge you.

·      If you’re coming to Wollongong, I recommend staying at Campus East. It’s the closest to the beach, you have your own room, and you don’t have to worry about cooking meals as you have a meal plan. Also, most Americans are here so there are tons of people wanting to make friends.

o   Weerona is like living in PSU East Halls. Great for first years, but frustrating when you’re not in the mood for loud music and dirty bathrooms all the time. The food is horrible, but better than cooking for yourself I suppose. It’s a 20 minute walk to downtown, the beach, or campus which is a very nice feature. The buses are frustrating but can get you were you want to go…. only until about 6pm and only Mon-Fri. They don’t run at night and are a nightmare on the weekends.

o   Marketview is great if you want your own room with a TV and bathroom (it used to be a hotel) and you want to be right downtown. It’s 10 minutes from the beach. You have to make your own food in a shared kitchen that got disgusting according to my friend there. It’s not as social as Campus East or Weerona and they are very strict about having visitors.

o   I don’t know of anyone that liked Koollabong, it’s run-down and only walking distance to campus. International House is also close to campus and more of a dorm style like Weerona, though much quieter.

·      The internet costs $30 a month for 15GB.  It’s not wireless so pack an ethernet cord. The University gives you 2GB free for the semester. That won’t last you the semester. It’s the equivalent of about 4 hours of Skype.

·      Many people open a bank account at National Australia Bank (NAB), which is what I did. It costs to transfer money, but it also costs to use most credit cards in a foreign country.

o   My recommendation is get a credit card in the US that doesn’t charge you fees to use it internationally.

o   American Express isn’t widely accepted in Australia.

·      You’ve made it all the way to Australia so travel. It’s expensive but it’s worth it. Pick a few places you really want to visit before you come and start planning your trips within the first couple weeks of your arrival. People start to run out of money fast so if you wait to plan and budget til later, it may be harder to find people to go with you.

o   Reach out to the other people in your program or the other people in your dorm (Facebook groups work great for this) because chances are someone else wants to make that same trip too.

o   At Wollongong, there is a week study period before the two week exam period and lots of people travel during this time, though you won’t know you’re exam schedule until mid-semester.

o   Some of the most popular places people go are Melbourne, Byron Bay, Cairns, New Zealand, and Fiji. Cairns and New Zealand are popular for semester break and Fiji is where many people are going during exam period. Some other places to consider are Uluru (I’d highly recommend it!) and Tasmania. You can go to Sydney for the day and there are day trips from there like Hunter Valley.

·      The grading system is much harder in Australia than at Penn State, but your grades will be adjusted when they are transferred back.

·      I was told before coming here and upon arrival that Australian students are independent learners and work much harder than Americans, but this is not true. They procrastinate too. It’s also common practice for Aussies to give a presentation while sitting down and reading straight off their paper or PowerPoint, something I would never dream of doing back at PSU.

·      Some friends who were abroad before I left to come to Australia told me to pack light. I have to say I’m glad I over packed. My roommate got tired of her small wardrobe after about one week and seriously regretted not having sweat pants to lounge around in.

o   Laundry is $2 a load for the washer and $2 for the dryer, so the more clothes you bring, the less you have to do wash.

o   Pack a jacket (like the black North Face that seemingly everyone at Penn State owns) because it does get cold, especially if you travel in May or June and if you go to New Zealand, Melbourne, Uluru, or Tasmania. Gloves will come in handy too if you visit these places.

o   A nice dress/outfit is good to have as the residence halls have formal banquets once a semester.

o   Australians generally don’t go to class in sweatpants and hoodies, but leggings are common and most people go for the beachy/surfer look.

o   You’ll want clothes for the beach and comfy clothes for wearing around your dorm. I wore pajamas and sweats to dinner all the time since it was only a 30 second walk down the hall.

·      Skype is a great way to call home. For $7 a month you can have unlimited minutes. There are cheaper plans if you’re not into communication, but I talked to my parents about 20 minutes a day (I do this when I’m at PSU too).

o   Using Skype to call (without video) doesn’t use up much of your internet quota.

·      Getting a phone plan here is annoying and confusing, but just do what everyone else does and know that you’ll probably be adjusting your plan at some point.

o   If you have an unlocked phone that takes a sim card that you can bring with you, do. A super crappy phone here is $30.

·      The campus gym (URAC) is expensive, but all gyms are. Ask some Aussies who live in your residence what they think is best and what’s closest.

o   A lot of the gyms (including URAC) have 3 month memberships, so don’t wait until your last month to start your membership.

·      Beets actually don’t taste that bad… even though they turn everything else on your plate hot pink.

·      If you have to go to the bathroom, you just ask for the “toilet.” That’s a hard phrase to adjust to saying.

For whatever preconceived notions you have in Australia, there is somewhere that can fulfill these notions. It really is a huge country with so much to explore. In my three and a half months in Australia, I…

·      I learned to surfing (and by learned I mean I had a lesson and then fell off a surf board repeatedly)

·      Went looking for crocodiles,

·      Played with kangaroos

·      Held a koala

·      Spent a lot of time sun baking on the beach

·      Went bushwalking (hiking)

·      Ate fish and chips

·      Went to the Outback (and even ate at an Outback Steakhouse)

·      Road a camel

·      Drank a Fosters (though that’s not actually a common beer here)

·      Drove on the wrong side of the road

·      Ate vegemite

·      Snorkeled the Great Barrier Reef

·      Saw the Sydney Opera House

·      Walked around Uluru

Thank you Wollongong for being a wonderful host this semester. In the words of my RA who just came to say goodbye…. “Have a nice life.”

Location: Wollongong, Australia