{"id":6920,"date":"2019-06-17T16:46:38","date_gmt":"2019-06-17T06:46:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.qut.edu.au\/qut-exchange-students\/?p=6920"},"modified":"2020-06-18T14:42:03","modified_gmt":"2020-06-18T04:42:03","slug":"truly-life-changing-texas-am-university","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.qut.edu.au\/gone-global\/2019\/06\/17\/truly-life-changing-texas-am-university\/","title":{"rendered":"A truly life-changing experience at Texas A&M University"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cameron – Texas A&M University, United States<\/h3>\n

Semester 2, 2018
\nBachelor of Business \/ Bachelor of Information Technology<\/h4>\n

\u201cTruly life-changing\u201d is often the phrase I use to describe my semester exchange at Texas A&M University. I wanted to go on an exchange somewhere fun, unique, and full of culture. I certainly received all of that when I arrived at College Station and became an Aggie for the semester.<\/p>\n

About the university<\/h4>\n

Texas A&M is a large university that boasts nearly 70,000 students, located in the heart of Texas. I remember constantly being in awe of the magnitude of the campus and the grandeur of the buildings. History and traditions are a big part of student life. One of my favourite traditions to experience was the Aggie Bonfire. A large bonfire is built every autumn around Thanksgiving to signify the Aggie\u2019s desire to beat their long-standing rival, the University of Texas.<\/p>\n

College life in America<\/h4>\n

Experiencing an American college atmosphere was incredible. Football games, passionate people, and Northgate (the nightlife district) are a few of the things I will never forget. I had the joy of getting to witness one of the best college football games of all time. The game was against Louisiana State University and went to 7 overtimes breaking numerous college football records.<\/p>\n

Although arriving in a foreign country is a little daunting at first, the people of Texas make you feel right at home. Texans amaze me with their incredibly welcoming manner and friendliness. I decided to live on campus where I met a bunch of other international students that quickly became my friends. I made most of my friends by joining ISMA, an organisation that pairs internationals with local students.<\/p>\n

ISMA organised road trips around Texas as well as different social events. I would definitely recommend getting involved in organisations while on exchange. The close friends I made through ISMA would often meet up to hang out or go to Northgate. At the end of the semester, we took a long road trip through West Texas and New Mexico to go skiing in Colorado. \u00a0The enjoyment of the trip was occasionally dampened by thoughts of how my exchange is coming to an end.<\/p>\n