It all started on the 31st<\/sup> of July. I left for Italy to meet my friend Clare who was also studying abroad. We planned to travel Europe together for a month before attending our respective Universities. After 31 days of travelling around Italy, Slovenia, Hungary and Germany to name a few, I boarded a plane once again; but this time to the United States. My semester of exchange was to take place at Central Washington University. A small University with a student population of almost 11,000, CWU is in a small town named Ellensburg, just two hours from Seattle.<\/p>\n A few facts about Central Washington:<\/p>\n After a two-hour bus ride from Seattle, I arrived at what would be my home for the next 12 weeks, Wendall Hall. I had purposely chosen to live in a suite during my stay. By living in a suite, I was guaranteed three American roommates while also having my own mini room.<\/p>\n What started as a scary, whirlwind three days during commencement and meeting my roommates quickly turned into one of the best times of my life. \u00a0My roommates and I were all extremely different – but in the best way possible. Often, we would liken ourselves to the Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants; all having our own personalities and interests but able to come together to create amazing memories.<\/p>\n Studying Public Relations overseas allowed for incredible opportunities. One of my teachers (who forced us to create a LinkedIn profile) was former Senior Vice President of A & R Edelman. Edelman is known for handling the communications of top organizations within the U.S, such as Dove. In addition to this, I attended a meeting at WE Communications with CWU\u2019s Public Relations society. WE Communications represents Microsoft.<\/p>\n Leaving exchange was extremely hard. There are many nights where I think back to driving with friends to Seattle just to have a day in the city. I often remember driving through the notorious \u201cpass.\u201d The pass is a long stretch of road through the mountains of Washington. In winter, it is covered with snow and ice and makes for a perfectly nostalgic backdrop for my exchange memories.<\/p>\n Although difficult, I would do it all again in a heartbeat.<\/p>\n I am confident that the friends and connections I have made overseas will last a life time.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n This experience has allowed me to see that meeting people from all over the world and learning others\u2019 cultures cannot be undervalued. I now see myself as capable and ready to enter my final year of University; paired with a gained knowledge and a new outlook on my studies.<\/p>\n Julia – University of Central Washing, United States of America Semester 2, 2017 Bachelor of Business \/ Bachelor of Creative Industries It all started on the 31st of July. I left for Italy to meet my friend Clare who was also studying abroad. We planned to travel Europe together for a month before attending our<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1513,"featured_media":8747,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1242,207,17218,15891,6155,212,213,450],"tags":[1242,207,212,213,450],"class_list":{"0":"post-6983","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-accommodation","8":"category-adjusting-to-uni","9":"category-america","10":"category-short-term-exchange","11":"category-first-impression","12":"category-food","13":"category-friends","14":"category-student-life","15":"tag-accommodation","16":"tag-adjusting-to-uni","17":"tag-food","18":"tag-friends","19":"tag-student-life"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n
Find out more about Central Washington University<\/a><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"