I studied abroad at the University of Sydney in Sydney, Australia. Being the first person in my immediate and extended family to visit Australia, I was excited to live in a new culture but nervous as no one was able to give me any advice.

During my first week in Sydney, I navigated the grocery stores, the University of Sydney campus for orientation, and public transportation while meeting other international students. Wanting to make tacos as a comfort food, I learned that many of the foods are the same in the United States, but they are called by different names. For example, bell peppers are called Capsicum, and Cilantro is called Coriander. This made making tacos quite the challenge.

The University of Sydney campus is beautiful with its old buildings in a large city. Since many of the local students commute, they have plenty of cafes, microwaves, and study spots compared to MSU, where the majority of students live nearby or on campus.

One of the things I enjoyed most about my time in Sydney was the easy, reliable public transportation. While tricky to navigate initially, you're able to take the buses, light rail, and subway to any part of the city, and they come every 15 minutes! They were very convenient for shopping trips, beach days, and other travel within New South Wales.

My biggest takeaway was meeting other international students. While I met and befriended a lot of people from the States, I made some close friends from the UK, Norway, China, and South Korea. On a class trip with my Outdoor Education class to the Blue Mountains, we compared ways of living and foods from home, and I taught some American slang being the only native English speaker.

My time in Australia was a truly enriching experience. I expanded my worldly views living in a new culture and meeting people from all over. I got to experience once-in-a-lifetime things like touring the Sydney Opera House, camping in Tasmania, and snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef. I will take these new ways of thinking and new friendships with me in my future endeavors.

Name: Annika Jaros
Status: Junior
Major: Psychology
Hometown: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Program: University of Sydney in Australia