Hey, my name is Anna, I am studying a Bachelor of Environmental Management, and last semester I was fortunate enough to experience American college life at Moravian University in Pennsylvania, USA.

I lived in the US from August to December meaning I witnessed the end of summer, all of fall, and the beginning of winter. Seeing the seasons change was a major difference to Australia – going from 30-degree heat in the summer, to seeing all the trees turn various hues of orange, and finally seeing snow in the winter in -5 temperatures. What came with this was all the typical American holidays such as Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas - particularly Christmas in New York which was a dream come true for me! My university was located an hour outside of New York City (a major reason that I chose to study at Moravian) and most weekends my friends and I would take a bus to go and explore the city. On other weekends we would visit other major cities including Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, LA, Washington DC, and Miami.

I made the decision to study at a small university in a small town to feel more comfortable, make friends more easily, live on a beautiful campus, and feel part of a community. I am very happy with this decision as Moravian really took care of me throughout the whole process from getting picked up at the airport upon arrival to spending Thanksgiving at a friend’s place with their family. I also became close friends with other international students from France, Spain, Pakistan, Germany, and the Czech Republic and plan to visit Europe next year to see them! Making these friendships and getting to travel together was one of the most rewarding parts of the overseas program.

Overall studying overseas has been the best experience of my life and I would encourage you to do the same. I loved studying at Moravian as it really felt like home; watching American football games and basketball games, eating in the dining hall, visiting frats on the weekend, watching movies in the common room with my friends, studying in the college café, and getting involved in college bingo nights. Furthermore, Americans love Australians, and I can guarantee that if you choose to study at Moravian, you will be constantly asked about kangaroos and to say the words ‘oh naur’!

~ Anna Mills

Bachelor of Environmental Management.