{"id":9054,"date":"2020-12-11T09:58:04","date_gmt":"2020-12-10T23:58:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.qut.edu.au\/gone-global\/?p=9054"},"modified":"2020-12-11T09:59:05","modified_gmt":"2020-12-10T23:59:05","slug":"my-experience-at-the-crossroads-of-america","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.qut.edu.au\/gone-global\/2020\/12\/11\/my-experience-at-the-crossroads-of-america\/","title":{"rendered":"My Experience at the Crossroads of America"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ashleigh \u2013 Purdue University \u2013 USA<\/h3>\n

Semester 1, 2020
\nBachelor of Business (Economics)<\/h3>\n

I was fortunate enough to <\/span><\/span>partake in<\/span><\/span>\u00a0a semester exchange at Purdue<\/span><\/span>\u00a0University<\/span><\/span>\u00a0in\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Indiana<\/span><\/span>, USA<\/span><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Prior to my exchange experience, <\/span><\/span>I had never truly been on my own, so\u00a0<\/span><\/span>this\u00a0<\/span><\/span>was a\u00a0<\/span><\/span>whole\u00a0<\/span><\/span>new and nerve-racking experience for me. However, over the course of the semester, it would prove to be one of the most <\/span><\/span>rewarding<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>experiences<\/span><\/span>\u00a0of my\u00a0<\/span><\/span>life<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>I made unforgettable memories with people\u00a0<\/span><\/span>that<\/span><\/span>\u00a0I now call lifelong friends<\/span><\/span>; f<\/span><\/span>rom 3am board game nights to sledding down\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Slayter<\/span><\/span> Hill, it was these times that really made my exchange so special<\/span><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Travel<\/h4>\n

Before starting my semester at Purdue<\/span><\/span>, I managed\u00a0<\/span><\/span>to visit<\/span><\/span>\u00a0Canada and\u00a0<\/span><\/span>the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Ea<\/span><\/span>st\u00a0<\/span><\/span>C<\/span><\/span>oast<\/span><\/span>\u00a0of the USA<\/span><\/span>\u00a0(New York,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Boston,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0and<\/span><\/span>\u00a0Washington DC<\/span><\/span>)\u00a0<\/span><\/span>with my twin sister.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>If\u00a0<\/span><\/span>you\u2019re<\/span><\/span>\u00a0planning to travel beforehand, I would definitely recommend applying for your visa as soon as possible, s<\/span><\/span>ince<\/span><\/span>\u00a0visa appointments generally need to be booked a month in advance.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Purdue\u00a0<\/span><\/span>is located<\/span><\/span>\u00a0in<\/span><\/span>\u00a0West Lafayette, which is about<\/span><\/span>\u00a0an hour out from Indianapolis and\u00a0<\/span><\/span>two<\/span><\/span>\u00a0hour<\/span><\/span>s south east of C<\/span><\/span>hicago<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span> As we had a long weekend for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a few exchange students decided to <\/span><\/span>travel by\u00a0<\/span><\/span>bus to<\/span><\/span>\u00a0Chicago<\/span><\/span>\u00a0for a short trip<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>We\u00a0<\/span><\/span>visited\u00a0<\/span><\/span>attractions,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>such as the M<\/span><\/span>useum<\/span><\/span>\u00a0of Science and Industry,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u2018<\/span><\/span>T<\/span><\/span>he\u00a0<\/span><\/span>B<\/span><\/span>ean<\/span><\/span>\u2019<\/span><\/span>,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>the Sky<\/span><\/span>d<\/span><\/span>eck<\/span><\/span>, and even\u00a0<\/span><\/span>got to see a<\/span><\/span>\u00a0comedy show at\u00a0<\/span><\/span>T<\/span><\/span>he Laugh Factory.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Accommodation<\/h4>\n

After\u00a0<\/span>careful\u00a0<\/span>deliberation, I decided to opt\u00a0<\/span>for on-campus housing as I felt this would give<\/span>\u00a0me<\/span>\u00a0the most authentic\u00a0<\/span>American\u00a0<\/span>college experience.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>I was assigned a double room in Hawkins Hall<\/span>, which\u00a0<\/span>housed a lot of<\/span>\u00a0exchange students<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>including<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>two of my<\/span>\u00a0closest friends<\/span>. I really\u00a0<\/span>enjoyed living in the dorms<\/span>\u00a0(<\/span>however,<\/span>\u00a0the 3am fire alarms<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>will not be missed<\/span>)<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Alt<\/span>hough<\/span>\u00a0Hawkins Hall was a<\/span>\u00a0bit of a<\/span>\u00a0trek to the dining courts<\/span>\u00a0(15-20 min walk)<\/span>, it was very close to the academic side of campus.\u00a0<\/span>I was only a\u00a0<\/span>two-minute<\/span>\u00a0walk from most of my classes,\u00a0<\/span>which certainly made<\/span> my 8am classes a bit easier.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When\u00a0<\/span>living<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>on-campus<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>you must be on a meal plan, unless you live in Hawkins Hall or Hilltop Apartments<\/span>, in which you can choose a room-only option<\/span>. I was on the 8-track meal plan, which gave me 8 meal swipes per week. As I generally only ate dinner with my friends, due<\/span>\u00a0to<\/span>\u00a0our\u00a0<\/span>conflicting<\/span>\u00a0timetables, this worked out well for me as I would eat dinner in the dining courts and cook breakfast and lunch in my dorm.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>I was able to have\u00a0<\/span>a\u00a0<\/span>fridge, microwave, rice cooker, and kettle in my <\/span>room<\/span>, which I could surprisingly do a lot with. I managed <\/span>to\u00a0<\/span>make sushi and had a cute date night with my friends!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There are five dining courts where you can use your meal swipes and a range of other vendors that accept dining dollars. The dining courts are buffet\u00a0<\/span>style<\/span>\u00a0and all offer a different\u00a0<\/span>menu<\/span>\u00a0every day. The menus could also be viewed on the \u2018Purdue Dining\u2019 mobile application, which made it super convenient when choosing where to eat. My personal favourite was Earhart<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0which offered a \u2018Make Your Own Stir Fry\u2019 option, but the highlight of the dining courts w<\/span>ould<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>undeniably<\/span>\u00a0be<\/span>\u00a0the Wiley cookies!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

NOTE:\u00a0<\/span>When exploring your accommodation options, it is important to consider<\/span>\u00a0w<\/span>hether you would like to cook your own meals, as meal plans are only offered to students who live on-campus<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Study<\/h4>\n

In terms of academics, the American schooling system is vastly different\u00a0<\/span>to<\/span>\u00a0QUT. I took\u00a0<\/span>four courses<\/span>\u00a0while\u00a0<\/span>at<\/span>\u00a0Purdue and my assessment<\/span>s<\/span> composed of<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>weekly\/fortnightly homework<\/span>\u00a0tasks<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>two<\/span> mid-terms, and a final. I found the coursework <\/span>at Purdue\u00a0<\/span>more manageable\u00a0<\/span>than my workload at QUT<\/span>\u00a0as\u00a0<\/span>assessment was more frequent and not as heavily weighted. This\u00a0<\/span>forced me to s<\/span>t<\/span>ay on top of my work, meaning I had to study\u00a0<\/span>less<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>once\u00a0<\/span>finals came around.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

My contact hours<\/span>\u00a0at Purdue<\/span>\u00a0were around the same\u00a0<\/span>as QUT;\u00a0<\/span>however<\/span>, my\u00a0<\/span>hour<\/span>s were\u00a0<\/span>split into\u00a0<\/span>three<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>one-hour<\/span>\u00a0classes throughout the week, as opposed to a\u00a0<\/span>two-hour<\/span>\u00a0lecture and one<\/span>–<\/span>hour tutorial. I found this to be a lot more effective as I was able to stay focused for these shorter time periods.\u00a0<\/span>Additionally, t<\/span>he class sizes\u00a0<\/span>we<\/span>re a lot smaller, so\u00a0<\/span>I found that\u00a0<\/span>professors form <\/span>closer relationships<\/span>\u00a0with their students and provide a more engaging learning environment.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Student Experience<\/h4>\n

Student culture at\u00a0<\/span><\/span>P<\/span><\/span>urdue is incomparable to that of QUT.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0It really is on a whole other level<\/span><\/span>\u00a0and u<\/span><\/span>nparalleled<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>to anything<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>I\u2019ve<\/span><\/span>\u00a0seen\u00a0<\/span><\/span>in Australia<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0The entire experience is a lot more immersive and people are proud to<\/span><\/span>\u00a0be\u00a0<\/span><\/span>a part<\/span><\/span>\u00a0of\u00a0<\/span><\/span>the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Purdue<\/span><\/span>\u00a0community<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Unlike QUT, Purdue\u00a0<\/span><\/span>is located in<\/span><\/span>\u00a0a small college town, so everyone lives either on-campus or 5-10 minutes away. As everyone is in such\u00a0<\/span><\/span>close proximity<\/span><\/span>, I found myself rarely alone and always in good company.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

During my time at Purdue, I attended two<\/span>\u00a0college<\/span>\u00a0basketball games<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0Purdue is one of the\u00a0<\/span>Big Ten<\/span>\u00a0schools,<\/span>\u00a0meaning<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>b<\/span>asketball game<\/span>s are eventful, to say the least<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0Though all the chants and songs take a\u00a0<\/span>while<\/span>\u00a0to get the hang of<\/span>, the atmosphere of the games is a whole lot of fun.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If\u00a0<\/span>you\u2019re<\/span>\u00a0looking\u00a0<\/span>to<\/span>\u00a0attend Purdue, I would definitely recommend joining the PASSPORT student society, as this is where I met a lot of\u00a0<\/span>the<\/span>\u00a0other<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>exchange students and Americans. This program paired inbound exchange students with local Purdue students<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0who had previously been on exchange and provided a great opportunity to meet new people.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Reminiscing on my semester abroad<\/span>\u00a0is<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>truly<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>a\u00a0<\/span>bittersweet<\/span> feeling.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>I<\/span>t<\/span>\u00a0really was<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the best decision\u00a0<\/span>I\u2019ve<\/span>\u00a0made in my university degree and<\/span>\u00a0it<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>will always be<\/span>\u00a0a time<\/span>\u00a0in my life<\/span>\u00a0I\u00a0<\/span>can<\/span>\u00a0look back on and smile<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>So,<\/span>\u00a0if\u00a0<\/span>you\u2019re<\/span>\u00a0even just considering a semester abroad,\u00a0<\/span>I would say<\/span>\u00a0step out of your comfort zone and<\/span>\u00a0go for it<\/span>!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>I can guarantee\u00a0<\/span>that<\/span>\u00a0you\u00a0<\/span>won\u2019t<\/span>\u00a0regret it<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If I could relive this experience, I would do so in a heartbeat.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Learn more about Purdue University<\/a><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ashleigh \u2013 Purdue University \u2013 USA Semester 1, 2020 Bachelor of Business (Economics) I was fortunate enough to partake in\u00a0a semester exchange at Purdue\u00a0University\u00a0in\u00a0Indiana, USA.\u00a0Prior to my exchange experience, I had never truly been on my own, so\u00a0this\u00a0was a\u00a0whole\u00a0new and nerve-racking experience for me. However, over the course of the semester, it would prove to<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1513,"featured_media":9055,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1242,17218,15891,213,450,411,226,5271],"tags":[1242,15411,213,450,5271],"class_list":{"0":"post-9054","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-accommodation","8":"category-america","9":"category-short-term-exchange","10":"category-friends","11":"category-student-life","12":"category-study-2","13":"category-travel","14":"category-united-states","15":"tag-accommodation","16":"tag-featured","17":"tag-friends","18":"tag-student-life","19":"tag-united-states"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMy Experience at the Crossroads of America - QUT Gone Global<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.qut.edu.au\/gone-global\/2020\/12\/11\/my-experience-at-the-crossroads-of-america\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"My Experience at the Crossroads of America - QUT Gone Global\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Ashleigh \u2013 Purdue University \u2013 USA Semester 1, 2020 Bachelor of Business (Economics) I was fortunate enough to partake in\u00a0a semester exchange at Purdue\u00a0University\u00a0in\u00a0Indiana, USA.\u00a0Prior to my exchange experience, I had never truly been on my own, so\u00a0this\u00a0was a\u00a0whole\u00a0new and nerve-racking experience for me. 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