Bree's Exchange to Northern Arizona University | USA
I wanted somewhere in the USA for sure, but I knew I wanted to be somewhere that was going to be a different experience from that in Aus/Perth. I also wanted to make sure that the university had some involvement in sports (which really isn’t hard to find in the US).
A little about NAU...
I took a PE Teaching unit, a Health unit, an athletic training unit and a queer studies unit. All were awesome classes and it was super interesting to see the differences between Aus and the US. For example, I had never really heard of a queer studies class and it ended up being one of my favourite classes ever. I would definitely recommend saving a breadth unit and taking a class outside of your discipline because it’s an awesome, eye opening experience. Some of my classes were large while others were very small. The teaching was very different as assignments were small and worth less overall but they tended to be at least once a week, while in Aus we tend to have 3-4 bigger assignments that we work toward. I honestly liked the US model much better. I spent 3 full days on campus for classes and was super lucky to be able to have 4 days off to complete work but also explore. They are a little stricter on missing classes there tho, as some professors don’t take sick notes which it good to be aware of before planning trips throughout the semester.
A little about the city I lived in, Flagstaff…
NAU
is located in Flagstaff, AZ. It is an absolutely beautiful town with a view of
the mountains from pretty much everywhere. It’s an older town but I loved it so
much. The vibe is very chill and with a huge majority of the people living
there being students which is very nice! Public transport was super easy to
use, with a lot of buses running through the whole town and university. I found
it super easy to get around. I loved hitting up The Museum club/Dimes on a
Wednesday night (country night) and Ghole on a Saturday! My favourite places to
eat were Rilibertos (Mexican that’s open 24/7!) as well as a breaky place
called Over Easy which is super yummy!
The locals were absolutely awesome, everyone is so lovely there and as I said earlier, a lot of the population there are students, so everyone is in the same boat.
The best parts of my experience…
I
made some amazing friends while I was away. I was so lucky to meet the people
that I did, as they helped me explore AZ and also helped me to experience
things I didn’t think I’d be able to do alone! Throughout the semester I got
out of Flagstaff and got to see Phoenix, LA/Simi Valley for Thanksgiving as
well as Vegas! It was amazing to have people to go and do these things with and
I absolutely love seeing the differences between Aus and the US when travelling
around. I also got to experience a white Christmas in Canada which was
absolutely beautiful. I got to go on a sleigh ride to a cabin with real
reindeer.
I also tried snowboarding for the first time at Flagstaff’s own Snowbowl! Such a fun experience (with lots of falls) and I can’t wait to one day get back on the board.
Some of the challenges about studying
abroad…
I
was so ready for culture shock once I got to the US. I thought I’d eventually
get very homesick and ready to come home but that didn’t happen at all. I was
having so much fun that I didn’t even think of what I was missing at home.
There were so many new people to meet and places to see that I was just excited
to be there. But if I ever did feel home sick, it was so easy to just facetime
someone from home (well, depending on time zones) and that always made me feel
so much better. You also come to realize how much you are not missing while
you’re away.
A little about my accommodation whilst studying abroad…
My
situation was a little different to most on exchange. I managed to find an
apartment off campus with 3 Americans. I found this through a Facebook page for
those looking for housing at NAU. It was actually super easy because I found an
American student going on exchange for the same amount of time as me, and so
therefore wanted their apartment when they came back. I was also very lucky the
apartment complex was super close to campus so I could walk everywhere.
If you get the option to do this I would for sure, as it can be much cheaper and you don’t have to worry about sharing dorm rooms with anyone.
Funding my exchange experience…
I did a lot of personal savings to fund my trip, as I knew I didn’t want to have to work over there. I did also get the OS Help Loan, and was lucky enough to receive a exchange scholarship from NAU themselves which helped with a lot!
My volunteer experience) whilst on exchange…
As
part of one of my classes, I was required to volunteer within the community of
Flagstaff. It was only 3 hours required and you could really go anywhere. Due
to my interests I found a animal shelter where I could volunteer. It was
definitely an experience, but so much fun to see all the animals, and to know I
was doing my part for their community!
Whilst on exchange, I travelled to…
Due
to being on the West coast, I didn’t get to see much from there, but I did get
to see Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Lake Havasu and then at the end of the
semester I flew to Canada for Christmas with my cousin (which was perfect
timing). I got to see quite a lot due to the friends that I made and their
hospitality, for example, inviting me to Simi Valley in California to join
their families for Thanksgiving. Which was an amazing opportunity. We had a
girl’s trip in Vegas which was an amazing adventure, and I would definitely
recommend as it’s only a few hours’ drive from Flagstaff.
I
also got to see Sedona which is only about an hour from Flag but so different
and beautiful! Definitely worth a trip there.
Advice I would give to someone
considering studying abroad…
My advice would be that if you ever get
the chance to go on exchange, ABSOLUTELY DO IT. You will never forget the
experience and the memories you make. It has absolutely changed my life for the
better. Its given me a more open mind and I am so grateful to have had the
experience. I have made so many friends that live on the other side of the
world, but it makes me so happy to know if I go back, I have people I can go
and see. And now people to show around Australia!
I
had the best food time while in the US! If you love food, you’re going to have
a good time. Good Mexican, best sushi (Sugarfish in LA) and foods I still dream
about now I’m not there!
- Bree studied abroad at Northern Arizona University in the USA.
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