Gahhhleeee! And to think leaving the US I had a Whirlwind of emotions, nope..nothing compares to what I'm feeling now. I flew back from New Zealand yesterday and lemme tell you how I'm going to have attachment issues of all the gorgeous scenery. It was honestly breathtaking, and I plan on going back! Three days is just too short to see and do all that's possible. It reminded me so much of Maine as well as Martha's Vineyard with Queenstown being so small, but filled with so much to do. Horseback riding was incredible being able to see the mountains, rolling hills, and scenery featured in The Lord of the Rings, Narnia, Hobbit, and the Lovely Bones. It's kind of upsetting to have to be back in the Gold Coast and begin cramming for finals. In a way I'm glad that I chose the courses I did because it has definitely given me a different perspective of things. Although I envy the people that only enrolled in electives and classes not geared toward their majors for more opportunities/time to explore Australia; I was fortunate enough to obtain a richer experience both inside and outside the classroom. With being a business major I have been able to interact with individuals from all over, a chance for me to be able to work with communication barriers and different learning styles. In my eyes though, what I've learned outside the classroom, trumps that of inside the classroom.

This Saturday I have my first final exam in Consumer and Buyer Behavior, followed by international marketing on Monday, Market Research and Analysis on Wednesday, and fundamentals of finance on Thursday. Needless to say my nose is going to be smushed in my books for the next week and a half. Thankfully, because of midterms I know how my professors word their exams, but am still nervous. In the US teachers rarely ever do short answer, actually, they never do. This is why the Australian Learning system is so highly looked upon. Students are required to get a further in depth meaning of the subject, forcing them to take more away from the course. In the US you have the easy way out and can go by memory of what was said in class and play the guessing game. Playing the "BSing" game, however, on an exam isn't something you particularly want to try here in Australia. There are pros and cons to either approach, and I have been fortunate enough to experience both.

My international marketing exam is surprisingly only three questions long. Two questions are essay questions that need to be between 2-3 pages long and then a case study question. This case study question is between 3-4 pages long. So basically 9 or 10 pages of writing over a various number of topics in 2 hours..yikes! As far as my other exams they require all short answer and multiple choice is not offered on this one (where as it was on the midterm). Cram sesh begins....NOW!

Looking back on the past three months, I still can't believe how much that I have been able to experience. Reading through my blog posts (the few that I have actually written) my perspective of things have greatly increased. Sadly, I only have less than a month left on this journey, physically that is. Emotionally, I will continue to grow in the real world once I return back to the states; through incorporating all that I have learned about myself while being here into my "normal", daily life. For starters, I originally thought that being away from home for this brief amount of time would be a breeze. Let me tell you, it wasn't. It has been hard and frustrating not being able to be in constant contact with my parents and friends. I'm very family oriented so this has been difficult for me to not have someone to talk me through my struggles. Yes, I have met countless friends here, but let's be real, when you're swamped with studies and just on a roller coaster of emotions, hearing your mom and dad's voices, calms your nerves. Instead of hearing their voice, I've had to listen to my own, making me stronger and capable to overcome these struggles without anyone by my side.

I am now part of Globalinks' Street Team where I assist them in advertising my study abroad experience and them as a company. In the link provided you will find my Top 5 reasons to study abroad that was featured on their website.

http://www.globalinksabroad.org/featured_student_alyssa_shuman/

Trips that I have taken since I last wrote on here have been to Sydney, Alice Springs (the Outback), and now I'm currently in New Zealand for Thanksgiving.

Sydney was...AMAZING! I went with three of my friends that I met here and saw the Opera House as well as the Sydney Harbor Bridge. We had the opportunity to climb the bridge and it was a breathtaking view. While there in Sydney we were able to see a bunch of smoke from the forest fires. Our tour guide informed us that the smoke was so thick in the morning that the tour group in the AM couldn't see the opera house at all. Fortunately enough, it cleared up for us. Any who, my friends and I all dressed up and went on a Halloween cruise. What did I go as, yup you guessed it..a cowgirl..although my outfit I felt was incomplete without my boots :(. Our ending to the trip was definitely an experience in the means of public transportation. We ended up getting on the wrong train and going thirty minutes outside of the city when we were attempting to go to the airport. Needless to say when we made it back I was exhausted, and passed out right away. Three days later I was on a plane again..

Alice Springs was unbelievable. I had missed hiking, camping, collecting fire wood and all the outdoorsy stuff that I grew up doing on my daddy's ranch. I went with my friends Chelsea, Nikki, Andreas, and Grady. We left at 3 in the morning on Thursday and got there around noon. This day was spent walking around and looking at the shops. The next morning we got picked up at 6 AM to start our journey to Ayer's Rock. The car ride there was four hours, but we stopped multiple times along the way, one stop being at a huge farm where I rode a camel. I now have the capability of saying that I have successfully ridden a camel in both Africa and Australia. We were with a group of about 20 and bonded with all of them. There were individuals from all over: Germany, France, Denmark, Spain, Netherlands, etc. We cooked our meals on the fire and slept in "swags" underneath the stars. I learned so much about the Aboriginese culture. They actually use Ayer's rock as a giant chalk board to teach so to speak. There are markings and carvings from dozens upon dozens of years ago. These drawings represent stories and the building of their culture. This culture is like that of the Native Americans with them having a story explaining the things and happenings around them, one being the different formations on the rock. These stories are told in a "child's version" because it can hinder an individuals learning that has not undergone Women's Law or Men's Law within the culture. Since this culture continues to pass their traits along, pictures of markings on the rock are prohibited at some points. This is so no one posts pictures of these drawings/formations on the internet to where a person who has not reached that stage in the teachings can see it and become negatively affected. Also there isn't an actual law put through saying how one can't climb the rock, but within the culture it is looked down upon because it is dangerous. The Aboriginese do not incorporate a law because they want others to follow and respect their culture. It was definitely an unforgettable experience.

After Alice Springs the next two weeks consisted of projects and school work. I had three projects and three presentations all within four days, so when Wednesday rolled around I was relieved to finally be leaving for New Zealand.

Now if you think I'm already on an adventure.. My trip GETTING to NZ was beyond a nightmare. We arrived to the airport too close to boarding time so we had to change our flight, along with locations as well. Chelsea, Nikki, and I originally planned on leaving at 6PM Wednesday and flying into Auckland where we would fly out the next morning to Queenstown. Obviously, that wasn't what occurred. Instead we had to switch to a flight the next morning at 6, so we slept in the airport..on Thanksgiving. The next morning we made our flight (thank gosh!!) and then ended up getting quarantined on the plane for 30 to 45 minutes due to someone needing an ambulance or medical attention of some sorts. What happened next? Yeah, we missed our flight to Queenstown. Virgin Australia was able to get us on another flight, but this one had an additional stop in Christchurch. Once we got to Christchurch we checked the time and realized our flight was leaving in five minutes. Now by this time all of us were laughing and emotionless of new olccrrences. Thankfully we made our flight and got to Queenstown safely. This place is BEAUTIFUL!! It's so weird though because their sunset is at about 9 or 930 where as Australia's is about 6. This morning all of us made sure to call home to wish our families a Happy Thanksgiving. With it being this holiday makes it exceptionally hard in the fact that I'm away from home. This is my first time celebrating a holiday without my family. I wast capable of thanking my parents in person for all that they have done for me, number one being allowing me to go on this trip. This trip has definitely made me realize that the tangible items in life do not measure up to the adventures lived and the moments captured.

So I have been far behind on posting, sorry about that! Lots of stuff has happened since my last post so this post is going to be a lengthy one.

Wow, where to begin! First thing first I'm currently in week 8 of my 13 week trimester. Hence, the title of this post.

Anywho, to catch y'all up I'll break this post into sections from the past couple weeks. For a highlight and overview I had my midterms and first major assignment due, visited Byron Bay, and vacationed to Airlie Beach.

Midterms and School in general:

Bond Uni is definitely a challenging school with their grading scales. Instead of having letter grades, there grades are distinctions. They have high distinction, distinction, credit, pass, and fail. Here is a grade conversion to compare the two. It is very rare for a professor to give a student a high distinction, so when I got a 75 on my Marketing Research and Analysis midterm I was content to just get an "A" in general.

The weekend after my first midterm I went to Byron Bay, which is about an hour and a half south of Bond. Three of my friends and I rented a car and drove down there. It was a nice change of pace to sit in a car versus the bus. The scenery on the drive there was breathtaking, but nothing compared to when we actually arrived. Although it was murky and cloudy, the city's beauty still existed and shined through the hindered filter that would normally obstruct one's view. As a special treat for me doing well on my midterm I decided to treat my self to going hang gliding. That had to be the best 145 dollars I had ever spent. Despite the flight only being a half hour, it felt like ages that I was soaring through the sky. I have a huge fear of heights. I was worried of my stomach experiencing that rising and dropping motion feeling (not a fan AT ALL), but surprisingly It was a smooth ride that I sometimes I even forgot that I was submerged in the air by three clips to the hang glide. If you're sitting there thinking I did this by myself..you are crazy. I did the tandem flight where I rode side by side with a pilot that has been flying for 37 years. Attached below are some photos over the weekend of Byron Bay.

After my trip to Byron Bay it was back to reality of school aka mid term week was approaching. I had three midterms over the course of 14 hours with two of them being back to back. I was relieved that one of my professors handed out his midterm two weeks prior, but the stress was still unreal. I think that was the hardest week since I have been here for me. I was counting down the days till I returned back to the states, talking to my parents every chance I got, and just drowning myself in my books. I literally felt like my brain had been fried. I don't feel like I did all that well on my midterms, but I put in 100% so I can't be upset.

After filling my brain with mass amounts of equations, vocab words, and theories, I was in desperate need of a vacation. I went with one of my best friends from here to Airlie Beach which is in between Brisbane and Cairns by the Heart Reef. This beach was divergent from other beaches because it didn't have the touristy feel to it. It was very rural and off the beaten path in a way. I spent the entire weekend laying out and reading my book, not having a care in the world. It was probably my favorite place that I have visited. We ended up running into some other friends from our Globalinks group and hung out with them for a fun night out on the town.

Basically, I have come to find out that our biggest battle is against the clock. Here I am already half way through an adventure of a lifetime. It makes me think that can a person ever fully enjoy the present? We constantly think ahead of time and imagine/construct what the future holds all while reminiscing on the past. To free ones mind of this is life's biggest challenge. For a person to be able to take off their glasses, and simply be blinded with what lies in the distance, is how to truly live in the moment.

So since I have a midterm on Monday I figured I'd do a study break and ramble on about miscellaneous things about Australia.



In one of my classes a couple people were curious of what Texas was really like and basically asking about my story. Well I started telling them how I'm 22, graduate Decemeber of 2014, and so on. I then asked one of the gals about her background. Well, she won the graduating game..17 and graduates COLLEGE next December. My mouth dropped on that one, especially with me not graduating HIGH SCHOOL until I was 18. I then found out that Bond Uni doesn't require you to do your "core" classes (math, English, history, etc.) unless they are geared towards your major. That being said if a person were to take four subjects each tri semester, they would graduate in six terms (two years).



Another person I talked with lived in Egypt for a couple years then traveled to Germany, and is now here. It is really neat to listen and learn about everyone's background. With it you are given a whole new insight to the world around you. For instance, I met a gal on the bus that was 19 and in her second trimester here at Bond. She told me how she was born in Singapore and moved to Australia when she was six. A random fact I found out was that it's illegal to chew gum there. She also informed me of how safe the country is and how they keep their doors unlocked and people just trust each other.



Something I'm finding out about Americans in general is that we are very reserved when it comes to strangers. Yes I am a bubbly person, however I don't open up right away. With every person I have met here they always made sure to introduce themselves, say hi, and just ask about me. I have realized that America has brought an upbringing of selfishness and no one asks about another, it's just the "me, me, me" concept.(no this is not how I am). However, walking down a street in Texas I am presented with a blur of technology, people running late for meetings, and no eye contact whatsoever. Here in Australia it seems to me that everyone walks at ease, in no rush, and passes me by with a smile. The states are so focused on the school to the work force route that we tend to lose sight of why we are truly here, to live our lives. Personally from this experience, everyone has a story, and everyone wants to know each other's, so why not share.We are all writing our stories in pen, we all have scratch outs and mark ups, and we are all still learning. Let the pages of the book you're writing unfold.

I haven't been keeping up with my posts like I should be, so sorry about that. This post will be a recap of the past two
weeks.


First off I went to Broome last weekend, and was able to see an entire different side of Australia. Yes, I know you're probably
sitting there thinking "it's an island how can a beach be different?". Well, trust me when I say this, it IS different. Here at Bond Uni it's more prim and proper and city like, where as Broome it is a much more relaxed environment. It is very populated with backpackers (why, I don't know). The town was very small and rural, not having a lot to it. I did get a chance to step foot in the Indian Ocean so I'm able to check that off my bucket list. Also, I was able to the staircase to the moon. On our way to Broome we had a layover in Perth where we went to Kings Park and Botanic Gardens In the park is their State War Memorial to honor all the fallen soldiers that have served for Australia. I'm a little bit of a history nerd so I found this
interesting.


The hostel we stayed at was very easy going and almost camp setting like. I'm a country girl so sleeping on a flimsy mattress on an uneven bunk bed with three bunk beds in a room, wasn't a big deal. We met a bunch of people from Canada, different parts of Australia, Korea, Italy, and many other places. Once again I was referred to as "Texas" instead of Alyssa by them all. It's near to have people be just as curious about my culture as I am about theirs. It has made me aware of all the different "visual images" we have for every where in the world. For instance, before I came to Australia I thought kangaroos were gonna be hopping all over the campus, WRONG. Also how a lot of people ask me if I ride a horse to class instead of a car, that's gonna be a negative. All in all, Broome was nice to visit to see a different side of Australia that people don't know of.

 

After getting back from Broome I had to get back in the routine of school, which was a bummer. Week three went by in the blink of an eye, and I have been having my nose in my books. My first mid term is next Monday in my Marketing Research and Analysis class. Normally I don't freak out much over tests but considering the fact that it counts for 35% of my grade AND I don't know how he tests, yeah freak out mode reached. I also have a 2000 word case study due next week as well, where I am then greeted by the rest of my mid terms.



Now when you study abroad you first feel like woah hey this is awesome it's like vacation. No dirt roads, tumbleweeds, parents, just you and the ocean..for the time being. After my second week reality hit that I was actually IN Australia. By the end of the third week, well reality hit that I was IN school as well. People usually don't believe a person when they say studying abroad is very, I guess you could say, "roller coastery". It's definitely a POSITIVE growing experience. This past week I got home sick, which of course is normal, but it's different when you're on the other side of the world. With Lubbock I can just be like oh I will see my parents in two weeks for fall break, but hereI have to wait till after Christmas. This trip is allowing me to see that I can stand on my own and have the strength to do so.



With the case study I am having to write, it allowed me to figure out the industry I want to work in after I graduate. I want to do youth marketing for a study abroad program, and work with schools directly. The world is growing and from my experience, study abroad is a chance of a lifetime, so I want to help provide that to others.

I have never seen so many college hosted parties than I have here in Australia. Bond Uni is very big about bringing everyone together & allowing you to meet everyone. It is also strange to me that there is a bar located on the campus as well where a bunch of students go on the weekends.

On Friday it was club sign up day at the Uni, where there was tons of food and free stuff. I signed up for the Public Speaking Club, Marketing Club, and the Volunteer Group Program. I think these clubs will keep me busy throughout the semester, and enable me to meet people/build my resume. At the sign up place they also had a booth where you could get dunked by your friends, and yup I definitely underestimated my friends' throwing abilities.

Something that I want to do here is talk with the CEO of a big marketing company, and shadow a person. Back in the states it is very difficult to plan office visits; where as here you can pop in with two cups of coffee and have a chat whenever. By interviewing the CEO I will learn first hand of the hardships and success a business goes through. It will also allow me to network and put my name out in the world. As far as shadowing I think it will be quite an experience to see the daily work of a marketer in Australia. The business world may appear to be the same, but in reality every country/city/state is run differently. The Australians are big about having a background to their story, and starting from the roots up.

This next weekend I am going to Broome, WA (Western Australia-not Washington ;)) with a friend that I met through Globalinks. I am excited to see what the other side of Australia has to offer, and just how different the scenery is. I also booked a trip to Alice Springs where a bunch of friends and I will go on a safari and sleep under the stars. Here's to the adventure of a lifetime!

My first day of class was Monday and boy was it hectic. First off I went to the wrong building because I assumed that my business classes would be in the business college (here its called the Faculty of Business), yeah I was wrong. Instead there is a giant building dedicated to lecture classrooms, seminar classrooms, tutorial classrooms, and theatres.

Second off I never figured out how to log onto my email thus I missed the multiple announcements that my 8 AM class was cancelled..WHOOPS! I ended up only having one class for the day which was International Marketing. My professor has been teaching here since 2001, so I think it's safe to say that he knows his stuff. The class so far seems very interesting, and although it is a two hour class, the professor makes it so that you're hooked.

In Australia it is very independent learning, so it is highly recommended that whenever class is, your butt better be there and you have read the assigned chapters. My classes are set up where I have two seminars a week for some of my classes, and then a lecture and tutorial for my others. the tutorial is where you have a few people from your lecture in a class together for a better one on one learning. Bond Uni has the lowest student to teacher ratio in Australia. The course outline is different as well. For instance, back at Texas Tech you would have about four tests and a final, where as here you have a midterm, final, and a presentation. AKA I am going to be studying my butt off.

The courses that I am taking at Bond Uni are Brand and Category Management, Consumer and Buyer Behavior, International Marketing, and Fundamentals of Finance.

Something that I learned from talking with a gal that I met in my IM class was that in Australia they don't hire young people. She was telling me that she is 19 and graduates in December, but is already having a tough time with the job market. It's weird to think that in the States you can get a job anywhere with a degree regardless of a person's age.

So I figured I would split the Bridging Cultures Program and Orientation week into two seperate posts since I am so far behind. We got to Bond Uni Monday September 2nd. I am living in Block A (or building 11) I have my own room but share facilities with others on my floor. I have met a BUNCH of people over the past couple of days with the activities that have gone on.The first day was mainly getting ourselves familiar with the campus. A thing that I learned was carrying two fifty pound bags around this campus is one hell of a workout! Especially since I had to climb up a hill and roll my bags down a steep hill (I'm alive though!!) The campus is centered around a pond with a fountain that lights up at night and is absolutely beautiful. Once I got to my room I literally passed out and slept for 14 hours... needless to say I missed the mandatory international student meeting OOPSIES..The next day was spent meeting new people as everyone prepared for the toga party. In our orientation bag we were given a fabric and had to use our creativity to make our own toga and surprisingly mine turned out decent looking. I noticed that a lot of their music is considered our "oldies" or stuff that was popular five years ago..which isn't a problem for me since I've had mire time to master the lyrics ;) I skipped out on the second day of the orientation and figured is familiarize myself with the bus system to visit my friend over at Griffith Uni. Note to self: don't attempt at night!! I ended up going a half hour in the wrong direction then got stranded at Pacific Fair waiting for my transfer bus. After waiting for an hour I ended up just taking a cab. Here in Australia they actually sit in the front seat of the cab so that was new to me. I also found out that although your destination is 20 minutes by car, that DEFINITLEY does not include the bus. Had I not taken a cab and ridden the bus all the way to Griffith it would have taken about an hour or more.Thursday was the tight and bright party where people dressed up in wacky neon clothes and basically raved. by this night I was exhausted and ended up leaving early to crash. Today was our last orientation event, and we spent it going to Broad Beach. I met up with a lot of people from my Globalinks program and had a chill day of tanning and building sand castles. It's weird to think that school starts Monday, and that summer is just now starting here in Australia!! Back to the books I go

So I've been a bit behind on my posts since 1. I have been non stop for the past two weeks and 2. Had a hate love relationship with the wifi at the hotel. Anywho so the flight was a wee bit exhausting. Tuesday the 27th I flew out of DFW to LAX. In LA I met up with about 30 other people who are also studying at Bond Uni. From LAX we flew to Brisbane then got a connecting flight to Cairns, Australia (pronounced cans). To sum that up for you it was pretty much 24 hours of flying and not having been in an actual bed in 48 hours. At the airport we met our group leaders Ross and Kym who work with Globalinks. We took a bus to a hostel called Gilligans where we stayed for four nights. This stay was called our "Bridging Cultures Program" where we get introduced to the Australian culture. one thing I learned is that Australians are super sweet and nice..and no I'm not saying that just because they didn't charge me for losing three room keys in five days at Gilligans ;)

Day one of BCP:

The first full day was labeled as the rainforestation day where we were able to pet/feed kangaroos, make an aboriginal canvas painting, hold a snake, throw a boomerang, learn the aboriginese dance, ride through the forest/pond, and hold a koala bear. This day was mainly to introduce us to the way the natives (aboriginal or indigenous people) lived their life.

Day two of BCP:

Our day started at 630 AM with breakfast. Today was dedicated to exploring the Great Barrier Reef where we were able to snorkel or scuba dive. I chose to snorkel since it was free (college living for ya). Anywho the scenery and the reef were BREATHTAKING. When swimming in the shallow end (maybe 6ft) the reef would be inches away from you. There were times when I had swim in an awkward way to make sure I didn't touch the reef. The sun is definitely a lot stronger here than it is back in Texas so I am probably going to be coming back to the states ULTRA tan.

Day three of BCP:

This day we had the choice of having a free day to walk about Cairns, skydive, bungee jump, four wheeling through the jungle, or horse back riding. Take a wild guess of what my redneck self chose..yuuup four wheeling :) this was definitely and interesting experience with four out of the six 4 wheelers breaking down and/or stalling out. At one point our tour guides quad went out and he left us in the forest for about 15 minutes to get another four wheeler. All in all though it was a blast.

The next morning or should I say a few hours later at 330 AM we were up and moving and headed to the airport. The thought of getting on a plane at this point was a mood killer considering the fact that we had been on gosh knows how many planes in five days. Needless to say when we landed back in Brisbane everyone was pumped to finally be closer to moving into Bond AND not having to step foot on a plane again for a good amount of time!!

Attached are some photos throughout the BCP

Enjoy :)

So yesterday was a day filled with shopping. Summer sales + Alyssa = one heck of a happy college student. When my grandma and I were at the check out the cashier said that the gal before us was visiting the US from Australia. We ended up running into her when we were walking out of the store. Turns out her hotel shuttle bus had left her so we took her to her hotel for her. Oddly enough we came to find out that she works for Qantas which is the airlines that I am flying through and told me a bunch of tips while over there, even inviting me to stay with her family and visit. It goes to show how kind gestures can pay off.

Nervous. Anxious. Excited. STRESSED. Whirl wind of emotions is an understatement for this girl. Where in the world did the time go? My last day in the US is today and I still have soooo much to do. I am definitely a college student with a major in procrastination ;). I am so ready to be in the Gold Coast already!!