Global Citizenship & the Purpose of Study Away: Australia (MAS)

1.   Global Citizenship and the Purpose of Study Away

I remember almost three years ago to the day sitting at Allegheny College striking a deal with a friend that if she studied abroad, I would too.  We both planned to go to Australia (in different semesters), enticed by the beaches, sun, and kangaroos.  Though those things may have been the original allure to studying abroad, I knew that the experience would bring me so much more.  In the months awaiting my departure, I could only hope that I would soon meet lifelong friends and gain traveling experience that would give me the confidence to go anywhere (in the world and in life).  My Australian journey thus far has met every expectation and then some.  

I think that study away programs actually have very little to do with studying.  The "study" is just an excuse to travel around the world for a semester while staying enrolled in college.  Now I still attend all of my classes, do my coursework, and love learning about marine biology and geology from a university on the coast next to the Great Barrier Reef but there is so much more to school, than school!  This is one lesson I think Allegheny has failed to emphasis; my experience as a Gator has been one of surviving, not living.  Every day in Meadville is a struggle to find time for two meals and two hours of sleep.  I enjoy the academic rigor there, but students need time to explore their passions and discover who they really are.  I think that is one of the main purposes of studying (living) abroad.  James Cook University was exactly what I needed to help me with those tasks as the school portion of the uni does not consume my entire day.  I take walks and spend extra time at meals because I can.  This has allowed me to focus more on myself and less on my textbooks, which can drive you crazy after a few semesters.

I find a great time to do some reflection and introspection is on early morning or evening hikes.

Being isolated from my family and everything familiar to me was what I needed to find out who I really am, what I really enjoy, what I really want.  Those are questions that only the individual can answer and there's no better time to answer them than when you are all alone in a foreign country where you know nothing and no one.  I would say that studying abroad is a journey of self-discovery.  

I also think that part of that journey is establishing independence.  When you arrive on campus with nothing but some clothes, you are forced to figure out the bus system and make your way to the nearest shopping center ASAP.  And when you end up in an airport an hour away from the hostel you booked, it is up to you to solve the problem.  Parents are technically still just a phone call away, but that's if you have wifi and are hitting the 14 hour time difference at a good time.  Nevertheless, the option to be completely independent is still there, you just have to take advantage of the opportunities.

Usually I try to blend in with the Australians, but I couldn't say no to the extremely touristy activity of visiting the Australia Zoo where Steve Irwin used to work.  (it was so worth being a complete tourist for the day)

Immersing yourself in the culture of the host destination is also an opportunity and goal of studying away.  Study abroad students come from all over the world to spend usually about 5 months in the foreign country.  Though they may leave their physical home behind them, it is still a part of them.  For example, I may pick up the different vocabulary terms here and try to replicate them, but I will never truly sound native.  And driving on the other side of the road doesn't seem wrong anymore, but it definitely isn't my natural instinct.  I agree with Zamach-Bersin that study away students cannot become global citizens.  We have the ability to learn about our temporary home, but we will not be one with our host nation; there will always be parts of home within us.  However, as Zamach-Bersin and Wiedenhoeft point out, studying abroad and even attempting to become a global citizen furthers our education.  Being a study away student provides us with learning curves not possible in any other situation.  It helps us become well-rounded individuals in terms of courses studied and general global knowledge and appreciation.  I only really watched local news back in the States but since being in Australia I have learned so much about the rest of the world.  I will definitely be taking those lessons back to the States and continuing to keep up with global news.  In a couple of months I will be returning to Pennsylvania as a more culturally aware student, but not quite a global citizen.  Afterall, as Byers pondered, what even is a global citizen?