Abroad in Australia

A great part of the Fordham experience is studying abroad. I recently returned from Sydney, Australia where I spent the semester exploring a new culture and city on the other side of the world. Deciding to study abroad wasn’t an easy decision. The process began my sophomore year when I met with an International & Study Abroad Program (ISAP) advisor. The ISAP office has programs all over the world available for fall, spring, and summer semesters. Students travel to Europe, Central America, South Africa, and many more unbelievable places. I didn’t know much about Australia but after researching a few programs and cities I decided to apply to the IFSA-Butler program in Sydney, Australia. Fordham’s ISAP office connected my information to the program that directly enrolled me into the Australian university system. IFSA-Butler was a great program that sponsored many events throughout the semester including a rugby game, hiking in the Blue Mountains, and a weekend with a host family in the country.

I flew out of BWI airport on July 15^th and was soon enrolled at the University of Sydney in the heart of Australia’s largest city. My experience at Sydney Uni was completely different than Fordham. I attended class with Aussies and the university was home to 50,000 students. I took courses in Australian history, international politics, and Australian media. Outside of the classroom I explored the city and incredible beaches that are some of the most famous in the world.

Whitsunday Islands

For Spring Break I traveled the coast of Queensland from Brisbane to Cairns. During this 10-day adventure I white-water rafted in crocodile filled waters, bungee jumped in the Daintree rainforest, and went scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef. On weekends I visited various other places around the country including Melbourne, Darwin, and the Outback. I explored islands in Fiji and mountains in New Zealand. During the 5 months I lived in Sydney I was completely immersed in the Australian lifestyle. It was an experience I will never forget and am so thankful for. Through Fordham’s ISAP office there are so many opportunities to explore the world and studying abroad was one of the best decisions I have made during my time at Fordham.

Ben Lomond Hike in Queenstown, NZ

For more information on Fordham International & Study Abroad Programs visit: 

http://www.fordham.edu/info/20917/study_abroad