Charlotte's Exchange to University of Wisconsin, Whitewater | USA
My name is Charlotte and I studied abroad at the University of Wisconsin- Whitewater in the USA, in Semester 2, 2018. At Murdoch University, I am studying a Double Major in Psychology and Criminology.
The key factors for myself choosing to study at the University of Wisconsin- Whitewater were:
- The university offered a variety of units that overlapped with the ones I needed to do for the semester and had a good system for psychology and criminology
- The university was in a university town which added to the experience
- The university had on house living, where majority of students stay so you get to meet new people all the time
- The university had a lot of activities for you to join and do on campus during winter i.e. indoor pool, indoor track and courts, fitness area and clubs to join
A little about the University of Wisconsin- Whitewater, classes, the teaching system and contact hours...
I took Anthropology, Sociology of Violent Crime, Sociology of police and courts and Social Psychology. The classes were different to the ones at Murdoch as both your lecture and tutes are molded into one class and you have this class twice a week. The classes are also smaller and consist of around 20-30 people. I found in the classes it allowed for more discussion amongst everyone and the academics were always willing to answer questions and help where possible. The teaching system also differed where most classes I took had several exams over the semester and one or two major assignments or essays. Overall I had around 8 contact hours so 2 hours of each unit per week.
A little about the city I lived in Whitewater, Wisconsin...
I lived in
Whitewater, Wisconsin which is a small town consisting of around 14,000 people
and majority of those people are university students. Everyone in Whitewater
were very welcoming, friendly and always willing to help. When UWW Warhawks had
their football matches everyone came together to watch the games and the
atmosphere was always great fun, and especially on the holidays too! Every
Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday those who were 21+ would head into town and go
to the same bars called Ground Zero and Pumpers for student prices. Ground Zero
was also a great hangout which had a couple pool tables and dart boards to use
for a small cost. During the day Sweet Spot is a lovely little café in the
center of downtown or there is also one on the opposite side of town. Another
place called Cozumel Mexican restaurant was also a hit and we went there a
couple times for good drinks and food. On campus they had their own movies for
the price of $1 if you were a UWW student and always had up to date movies
which was always fun. One thing that was harder was public transport. As
Whitewater is a small town it is pretty easy to walk everywhere with the
furthest thing being the local cinema being a 30minute walk, which is
manageable. You do make friends rather easy and most American students have
cars and they are always willing to give you ride somewhere. On the weekends if
you are wanting to leave Whitewater and travel there are buses that wait
straight out the front of the dining halls and take you to places such as the
airport, Chicago, Milwaukee and Madison. UWW has also started a new free of
charge bus that takes you to the closest town, Janesville, where you can catch
other buses from there to other places which is handy.
The best parts of my experience...
The best part was being able to try new
things in a completely different environment with new people from all around
the world. It was great fun having a big group of friends all semester and
being given activities that we could participate in to try something new. This
included a hike in the national park, trip to a dairy farm, Halloween maze,
trip to Milwaukee, trip to watch the ice hockey and many more. Also the trips that we chose to do ourselves
and to be a part of the traditional holidays that American’s celebrate such as
Halloween, Thanksgiving and Homecoming. I loved that there was time for us to
travel in between our studies and before and after with the visa. The best part
all together was the new friends that I have made from all around the world
such as Sweden, Netherlands, Switzerland, Finland, Canada, Spain, England,
Germany and of course America.
Some challenges I faced and how I dealt with them...
No, I didn’t get homesick or culture shock
as America is very similar to Australia and it is also an English-speaking
country. Some traditions and holidays they celebrated where different, but it
was great to learn and be a part of something different.
A little about my student accommodation...
I lived on campus in a building called
Wells East, which is where most of the international students live. In this
building there were 500 people and it consisted of 10 floors, where I was
located on the 9th flor which is called the global floor. I also had
a roommate and they allow you to select a roommate if you wish otherwise you
will be put with someone similar age to yourself and based on the questionnaire
you answer. In the building it had a gym in the basement where the laundry was
also located. There was a common room which had a computer room with computers
and a printer you can use, pool tables and lounge chairs to sit at and watch
television. In each of the buildings there was also a kitchen where you could
hire cooking equipment to use but everything such as oil, butter, cooking paper
and bowls and forks to eat, you would have to get yourself. For someone who is
wanting to attend UWW I would definitely choose to stay in one of the Wells
buildings.
A little about how I funded my Exchange experience...
Personal savings and OS Help Loan.
Some places I visited included...
Yes, I travelled to Chicago, Milwaukee and Madison a couple times. I also visited Minnesota to go to the Mall of America, Texas; Dallas and Houston, New Orleans and Miami.
My advice to you would be...
It’s an opportunity to say YES to everything and you won’t regret it. Don’t overthink what you are doing and just give everything a go. Get out of your comfort zone and remember that most people are also in the same boat as you and don’t know much about the area they are in too so ask questions!! Don’t over pack as you can buy everything over there and that’s also a part of the experience.
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