Kendall Williams is a WEC undergrad. She studied abroad at La Trobe University, Australia, last summer. We asked her some questions about her experiences and how she found out about this opportunity.

What made you want to study abroad?

I lived in Weaver Hall, the international dorm here at UF, and was inspired by all the international students on their study abroad journeys. I also always wanted to travel and being able to earn college credit while doing that was a great way to experience another country.

How did you find out about La Trobe University and studying in Australia?

My first year at UF, and in Weaver, I met and became very close to a girl who attended La Trobe University. She was doing her study abroad experience here at UF. It was great to see her again when I was in Australia.

How long were you there?

About five months.

What did you do?

I took classes that pertained to wildlife and conservation but in an Australian context. It was very interesting learning about conservation and how it fits into Australian culture. I also traveled a lot.

I visited some of the major cities like Sydney, Brisbane, and Cairns and camped in the Outback.

I also spent four days road tripping around Tasmania.

What did you learn?

I learned a lot about Australian culture and how different it is to American culture.

Australians are a lot more laid back and don’t worry much about things they cannot control. I feel like I have adapted that attitude and it has helped me get through this stressful semester.

I also learned a lot about myself like how I handle being alone and how to deal with homesickness in a healthy way.

How has this impacted you?

I feel like I am a lot more laid back about my life in general after being immersed in the Australian culture.

I focus on the positives in my life and only focus on changing things I have control over. I also met many amazing people, both Australian and American, who I still have contact with.

~

This interview by Rhett Barker, and lightly edited for clarity.

Thanks to Kendall Williams for sharing her experiences.

For information on wildlife ecology study abroads, click here!

For more information about studying abroad in general, click here!

Finally, to learn more about La Trobe University, click here.

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