Humann shares experience studying abroad during her senior year
This blog was written by fourth-year Brinkley-Lane Scholar & Honors College student Lauren Humann, an entrepreneurship major. In fall 2024, she studied abroad in Australia.
In high school, I would have told you I will never leave the United States. When I received scholarship money to study abroad, I was terrified. My family was in total shock when I told them I wasn’t just going abroad—I was going to Australia! Their response?
“You’re scared of your own shadow—how do you have the confidence to go abroad and to Australia?!”
As I debated whether to go, I spoke with faculty, professors, and fellow students. I kept hearing one of two things: “Study abroad was the best part of my undergraduate experience” or “My biggest college regret is not studying abroad for a whole semester.”
Honestly, hearing the incredible stories from other Honors College students, along with the support from the Honors and Study Abroad offices, gave me the confidence that I wouldn’t just survive—I would thrive. And now, I’m happy to report that I’m back… and I thrived!
Studying Abroad as a Senior
I spent my senior fall semester in Queensland, Australia, attending Griffith University on the Gold Coast. Many people believe you have to study abroad in your sophomore year, but that’s not the case. While it might be easier to find general education courses early on, many of us come into college with those credits already completed. I want you to know that studying abroad is still possible later in your degree. In fact, most of the students I studied abroad with were juniors or seniors.
I took a finance course and a marketing course for my business minor, as well as a project management class that counted as an elective for my entrepreneurship degree. People often told me I wouldn’t experience culture shock since Australia is an English-speaking country, but I quickly realized how different things were—especially in my finance class. Australians use different finance and accounting vocabulary, and at times, it felt like I was learning a whole new language!
Classes were also more difficult than I expected, and adjusting to a new country’s culture was overwhelming at first. If you study abroad, remember that it’s okay to take a lighter course load or, if you have extra space in your schedule from transfer or dual enrollment credits, take classes that genuinely interest you.
Why Australia?
One of the most common questions I get is: Why Australia?
I had a few destinations in mind, but when I mentioned them to my mentors, I kept hearing, “I wish I could go to Australia, but the flight is too long for just a week.” That helped narrow down my choice.
From there, I looked at universities that had my major. Then, I considered my career aspirations—project management in theme park development and design. The Gold Coast is home to five theme parks, making it the perfect location for me.
People were wrong about the flight being unbearable! The airlines scheduled flights at good times so you could sleep most of the way. I will be flying back down even further to New Zealand as soon as I get the chance!
Working at a Theme Park in Australia
I ended up securing a “part-time” job at Movie World, Australia’s #1 theme park, which also gave me free access to Sea World, Paradise Country, and Wet’n’Wild. If you grew up watching H2O: Just Add Water, you’d be excited to know that many scenes were filmed at Sea World. I even got to meet RJ, the main dolphin who played Ronnie in the TV series—it was awesome!
At Paradise Country, I held a koala, pet a dingo, and fed marmoset monkeys.
Now, about that “part-time” job… I quickly learned that “part-time” in Australia is equivalent to a full-time hourly position in the U.S. What we call part-time work, they call “casual” employment. I was scheduled for 40 hours a week while balancing school, which didn’t leave much time for exploring. That being said, I highly recommend working or interning while abroad. Do not tell my teachers, but I learned way more about business, Australia, and its citizens at my job! In fact, many students I talked to said that learning how their career field operates in another country was their favorite part of studying abroad too.
Exploring Australia
Although I worked a lot during the school trimester (some schools in Australia go by trimesters, while others still use semesters), I made time to travel before and after school.
I started my journey in Sydney, where I spent five days before moving into my apartment and starting university.
For spring break, I traveled up the coast of Western Australia in a camper van with a friend who was studying marine biology. We snorkeled at Ningaloo Reef, which I had heard was better than the Great Barrier Reef for three reasons: fewer tourists, closer to shore, and less dead coral. I saw a sea turtle, swam with giant manta rays, and explored a coral garden—my favorite spot! There was coral everywhere you looked—you couldn’t see the ocean floor. In some places, the coral was as tall as a single-story building. It was like swimming through little coral mountains.
A Spontaneous Trip to Japan
After school ended, a friend jokingly said, “What if we took a trip to Japan while we’re so close?” Somehow, that joke turned into reality.
We explored Osaka (including Universal Studios Japan), Kyoto, Komatsu, and Tokyo—where, of course, I spent a few days at Tokyo Disney!
The highlight of the trip was staying with my friend’s family in Komatsu. We stayed in their family temple! They had a house separate from the temple, but we stayed in the temple office’s second floor, a two-bedroom apartment where her grandparents permanently reside. Her grandpa was the head monk, and now her dad is. The temple was stunning—it celebrated how nature and man can coexist in harmony, and it was right outside our window! This experience of being with locals really allowed us to feel less like tourists and understand how a family lives in Japan.
Final Adventures in Australia
After Japan, I returned to Australia one last time. I visited Cairns again to snorkel (because I loved it so much!) and took a waterfall tour of the Tablelands—highly recommend! My favorite stop was Crater Lake, where the water comes from underground, making it warm and crystal clear.
Looking Ahead
As you can tell, I packed a lot into one semester—I was home by Thanksgiving!
I would return to Australia or Japan in a heartbeat. If I could study abroad for a whole year, I would. I’ve definitely been bitten by the travel bug, and I can’t wait to explore more places, meet new people, and learn about different cultures.
A good motto to have when going abroad—and one I learned firsthand—is: It’s either a good time or a good story. And man, do I have tons of “good times” from Australia and Japan! But I have double the amount of “good stories” from moments that, at the time, were frustrating. Looking back, you learn to laugh at them. Now, I start laughing and problem-solving way sooner when things don’t go as planned. I wouldn’t trade my “good stories” for things to have gone smoothly—I grew the most during those times!
I can’t wait to see where your journey takes you to study abroad! Safe travels!