While studying in Sydney, I am taking a variety of classes ranging from Australian, Asian, and Pacific Literatures to Sports Marketing. I was a bit nervous going into the program about the courses and differences between school in Australia versus in the United States. I was pleasantly surprised with the overwhelming welcome and support from the university staff here. Everyone was very understanding with the transition that all of us are going through and are trying to be as supportive as possible. My professors are being sure to respect our culture and identity while educating us on their own as well. Now onto classes; while they aren’t as difficult or grueling as I was expecting them to be, they definitely are not a walk in the park either. I have each class once a week ranging between two to three hours. While this part hasn’t be too bad, I am having a hard time with keeping on top of my work. The workload here in Australia is not light, with many readings and discussion posts assigned a week. I have been known to be a procrastinator at times, so I have been teaching myself different tactics in order to keep up with my studies, while also enjoying everything Australia has to offer. Another huge different that I have experienced in my classes in Sydney that I don’t really see in Pittsburgh are small classes. The first day of classes, I had a literature course. I walked into the room and was very surprised by how little seats there were. I thought I, along with the 5 other people in the room, had wandered into the wrong classroom. I was mistaken when my professor walked in and said “this is all of us”. My classes back at home can range anywhere from 50-300 people. I have never been in a class with this few people, and at first I was nervous. I am not usually the type to speak up much during lectures; I just tend to keep to myself. Being in a classroom environment that is more engaging and hands on has helped me to gain the confidence and voice that I have been missing in school. Lastly, a favorable difference that I see in the education system here in Australia is the use of breaks during class time. With all of my courses being so long here, me and my fellow classmates tend to get into a bit of a slump by mid class. Here in Sydney, they give breaks at the middle of your class time to grab a coffee or tea, or one of the snacks that they always have displayed in the main room. I have a noticed a huge difference with taking breaks mid-class. I come back into the room ready to keep learning and with a sense of energy that I didn’t have before. I believe this 10-15 minute rest that allows for students to grab a drink or a bite to eat and stretch their legs really helps with resetting the brain and waking us all up a bit. I feel as though I am becoming very used to the class setting here in Australia and I sometimes even look forward to going to school. The staff and students at CAPA are so supportive and hands on, something that we maybe don’t see as much at home.