Overall, assimilating to Sydney has been relatively easy. Since it is an English-speaking country, there is less of a barrier when trying to connect with people here. However, if I had to pick one thing that is the hardest to adapt to here is the slang that Aussies use. They have a different word or a shortened version for a lot of things. For example, McDonald’s is called Maccas here, gas stations are servos, and it is super common to hear the phrases “no worries” and “she’ll be alright” in day-to-day conversations. It took me a little while to figure out what all of their words and phrases mean, but now I am to the point where I find myself using some of them in my own vocabulary as well.

Everything is very straightforward through CEA CAPA. They do a great job of keeping us informed of events that we can attend and reminding us of other things going on in the city. They send out a weekly memo every Monday to update us on things happening throughout the week. Some of the professors, however, aren’t as diligent, and they will make assignments or discussion posts without due dates or talk about a semester-long project in the first week and then not touch on it again. I’ve found that I have to take more responsibility for my education and make sure I go through my canvas pages thoroughly every week to ensure I do not miss something due. I also think that it is important to have peers and friends in your classes who you can ask if you are not sure about a deadline for a task. Sometimes they will remember something that you don’t. Opposingly with my internship, it is very direct, and I am given one assignment at a time to work on for whatever time I need, and my supervisor is always open to answering any questions that I have.

I have learned so much from the people here not only in Sydney but also in my program. It is so nice to be surrounded by people with similar interests to you, and who all want to experience as much as they can while they are here. It is definitely really motivating to be around like-minded individuals. Another change I have noticed is that people in Australia as a whole seem to be more motivated; they are early risers, and a lot of people will go to the beach or walk their dogs before work. This is a trait that I hope to bring home with me when I return.