Taryn's Exchange to University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill | USA
I have always wanted to travel overseas and study so when I got the opportunity to go to The United States through the study abroad program at Murdoch university, I jumped at the chance. The study abroad advisors were amazing and answered all the questions that I had and after some research the process went ahead. The day I found out I was accepted to go to the university of North Carolina was such an exciting day and I couldn’t wait to get my bags packed and head off for an amazing experience.
The visa process wasn’t difficult and by January I was on my way. After a long gruelling flight I landed in New York where I spent a few days sightseeing and then jumped on a train and headed to North Carolina. The night before I left there was a massive snowstorm and by the time I got to North Carolina the whole place was blanketed in snow and everything shut down. It was the first time I had experienced snow like this and I was so awed by the beauty of the snow and shocked at how difficult it was to go about daily routines because the roads were covered in ice and became giant ice skating rinks. I am not very good at ice skating so the image of me slipping and sliding down the road towards my dorm room with a large suitcase must have been a sight to behold.
I finally got to my destination and unpacked in my room and my adventure began. I had a week on my own in my room before I met my room mate, who was a senior from North Carolina. We lived in very close quarters so I soon learnt that to survive we would both have to compromise and adapt. Living in a dorm room was challenging but I soon adapted and learnt the best times to use the bathroom so that I would get hot water and the best ways to get some sleep when the party next door goes until four in the morning. I met some wonderful students in the dorm and went on a few outings that were arranged by the Resident Advisors. They would often put on movie nights and offer free coffee and doughnuts in the morning. They had cookouts and basketball viewings when the UNC team played Duke (who is their biggest rival).
The UNC campus was the most amazing school I have ever seen. It was as big as a small town and had everything you could possibly want on a campus. Right next door to my dorm was the Playmakers Repertory Company and the Paul Green Theatre. I took a few drama courses here taught by theatre professionals. Students were able to attend plays at a discount price and because I was in a drama course I got to meet and talk to the staff of the plays about the performance which I found so beneficial to the courses that I was taking. There was a full size basketball court where the UNC men’s basketball team would play their home games and this was a big event for Chapel Hill. I met people from all over America who would travel to the North Carolina just to see the team play as they were national champions. Basketball was the pride of the school and students could enter a lottery to get tickets to the game for free. I was lucky to win the lottery twice while I was there and. Enjoyed the games so much. The atmosphere was electric and the audience participation was something I had never seen before. The year I was there the basketball team managed to win the national championship and I witnessed the event that takes place in the town near the school after they won. It is called ‘Rushing Franklin Street’. Once the game ends all of the students from the school run to the street outside the school gates where all the shops are to party and go wild. I was there for a brief time and decided to head back to the college when I saw students start to create bonfires and climb up street lamps and on top of cars.
The school had many gyms dotted around the campus that were free to use by the students, two swimming pools, baseball stadium, soccer field, more basketball courts, tennis courts, you name it UNC had it. There was a planetarium, an art gallery and two large cafeterias with any type of food you could imagine.
The classes were amazing and I learnt so much from the experienced professors. I took a Southern women writers course taught by an author from the south who was very accomplished in her field and learnt so much from her. She was such an amazing academic and really inspired me to pursue academics further. She was a feminist who rallied for change and was involved at speaking at the Women’s March in Washington DC. She helped me find some people that I was able to go with to attend the rally that drew millions of people to march to the White House and demand change from the president. What an amazing experience this was. I was a little nervous at first and worried about the potential for violence or even the potential of getting arrested, but the girls I went with took care of me and I realised when I got there that this was a peaceful protest.
I took an African American literature class and was introduced to texts that I would never have read had I not travelled to the US but that I realise now are so important for everyone to read. The classes were structured very differently from Murdoch as they did not have lectures but instead had three classes where students could interact with the professor in a more intimate space. I didn’t find the assessments or mid term and full term exams as challenging as Murdoch and I found that they marked a lot easer than Murdoch.
There was always something going on at the school and many different groups that you could join and there were a lot of extra curricula seminars and conferences that you could attend. This was a great way to meet friends and to broaden my understandings of social issues that is going on in the south, especially during the Trump administration.
Studying abroad was such a great experience and I learnt so much from my time there. I learnt how to adapt to different situations and how to navigate around a strange place. I gained knowledge and experience from professionals and was so inspired by the professors who I was fortunate enough to have teach me. I established friends and learnt how to get along with people from all different social backgrounds and I learnt that sometimes you just have to take a chance regardless of your fears. I can not recommend this experience enough and would urge students to take this opportunity and to broaden their horizons. You will have the time of your life.
- Taryn studied abroad at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the USA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Murdoch University Study Abroad & Exchange - Outbound
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
CONTACT US!
EMAIL: studyabroad@murdoch.edu.au
PHONE: +61 8 93607836
VISIT: Murdoch University, Student Centre, 90 South Street, Murdoch, WA, 6150
FIND US!
WEBSITE: http://our.murdoch.edu.au/Student-life/Join-in/Overseas-study-opportunities/
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/murdochoutbound
INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/murdochoutbound