G'day from Down Under!
That's right. I'm coming to you from Bond University in Gold Coast, Australia. For those of you who are new to Capital this fall or are new to the Capital website, I'm Marta Diehm. I'm a junior communication major from Pittsburgh, PA. I've blogged on capital.edu for the past 2 years- and I've been asked to give you a little something from my semester abroad here.
I came here through a program called Australearn. They can connect you with practically any school in Australia, New Zealand or even Fiji! My school is on trimesters, so I have a September-December semester. All other schools in the southern hemisphere start school around the end of July. It is spring right now and quickly moving into November's start of summer!
Australia has been great to me so far. I've walked through rainforests, held a koala, pet a kangaroo, thrown boomerangs with Aborignal tribesmen, surfed and scuba dived- and I haven't even been here a month! I am currently taking 2 classes at Bond University as well as having an internship on campus. I work 10 hours a week in the marketing office of the Business school. My mix of class and work have been a great way to witness a few different angles of the Australian higher education experience. I've met some great people so far and am looking forward to the next couple of months as I become more settled and accustomed to my new home. Believe it or not, Australia is more different than the States as some may think. Hints of culture shock come in and out- mainly when missing the comforts of home. If anyone wants to send me Reeses, I would love it, and so would many many Australians who would pay me for those amazing cups. Seriously. I'll give you my mailing address. Let me know. :) I would say you could also send me Frostys and fries- but that might be a difficult shipment.
I will be here until the 16th of December and then I'm home for Christmas. It'll be nice to be home on Capital's campus in January. I miss you all a lot. I miss socializing in the MDR, UP and Wicked Wednesday, my friends in admissions, church on Sunday on the Kerns, Pi Phi E, lovely fall days and of course, those lovely 9ams on a Monday morning.
If you have any questions about Studying Abroad, particularly studying abroad through Capital's International Education Office, I'd be glad to answer them! Drop me a line- mdiehm@capital.edu
Have a great fall, Capital!
Best wishes,
Marta Diehm