Nick's Exchange to Northern Arizona University | USA - Murdoch University Study Abroad and Exchange

My name is Nick Marie and I went on Exchange in Semester 2, 2018 at Northern Arizona University (NAU). At Murdoch, I am currently studying finance.

The key factors for myself choosing to study at NAU were:

Close to places I wanted to visit, like the Grand Canyon and LA
Reputable education
Nice scenery

A little about NAU, classes, the teaching system and contact hours...

NAU is a beautiful university located on a mountain 2kms high. I studied finance, marketing, computer science and business law as my classes. The teaching was different as all lectures were compulsory. I had about 10 hours worth of classes per week.

A little about the city I lived in, Flagstaff...

The city of Flagstaff is a quiet little college town with a population just under 72,000. The city had many country style bars and breweries. One of my favourite bars was Cornish Pasty, where you could get a 32 oz beer!

The best parts of my experience...

The best part of my exchange experience was the friends I made during my time there. We have kept in strong contact since I left.

Some challenges I faced and how I dealt with them...

In the first couple of weeks I had some adjusting from being away from home which caused some anxiety. Also, my lungs struggled to cope with the 2km altitude as it meant less oxygen per breath. I got an inhaler which helped my breathing and also my anxiety. These things all past and the city came to feel like home.

A little about my student accommodation...

I lived in a 2 bedroom apartment with another college student whom I had met on a Facebook group for student accommodation. I had sought this option as I wasn’t too keen on having a shared room, which was the alternative had I allowed the university to arrange my accommodation. The rent was also considerably cheaper, by about $275. It did mean I lived off campus, however, it only took 15 minutes to get there by bus.

A little about how I funded my Exchange experience...

OS Help Loan was the majority of my funds for exchange. Being able to receive centrelink while abroad also helped cover my rent. I took about $2k of my own personal savings with me. I saved a lot of money by cooking at home!