Ali Johnson, the Tigers Abroad marketing intern, writes:
As you begin making your summer plans, fellow students, make sure study abroad is on that list. Studying abroad is one of the best experiences I have ever done. After having done so, one of the questions that I have been asked over and over again is: “Why Australia?” I have probably been asked this question several hundred times now since the program and especially now whilst being an intern for AUIP.
Immediately after my Australia program, I would answer the question by saying, “Why not? It’s beautiful!” But after having a whole semester to reflect on the question, my answer has now expanded from “it’s beautiful” to a million different reasons why I think Australia is the best place to study abroad. Here are a few of my main reasons:
1. Visit World Heritage sites: Australia currently has 19 World Heritage sites and a lot of them are in danger. Australia is also home to the Great Barrier Reef and the world’s oldest rainforest, the Daintree Rainforest. The Great Barrier Reef is home to the world’s largest coral reef system! Australia’s World Heritage sites are also under an act of law to protect them, which in fact has raised tourism in Australia because their sites are now being preserved more than ever and helping them survive longer. Even though the act is preserving World Heritage sites, human impact is also a huge threat that could cause them to disappear in the future.
Ali and friends snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef
2. Snorkel the Great Barrier Reef: One of my main reasons to study abroad in Australia was to see the Great Barrier Reef. I have dreamed of snorkeling and scuba diving in the vast ocean and seeing all of the amazing colors and shapes of the coral reef. But how long will the Great Barrier Reef be like that? I didn’t want to miss my opportunity. The Great Barrier Reef is something I will never forget and will be one of my favorite memories for the rest of my life!
3. See unique species: Another reason why I wanted to go to Australia was because how cool would it be to see kangaroos and koalas? So cool, right? Well, I wanted to be able to say that I have seen them in the wild and not just at the zoo. Australia is home to so many unique species that the Unites States doesn’t have. Besides roos and koalas, there are countless reptiles and other creatures that we have never been exposed to before!
4. Swim beneath waterfalls: Australia has so many waterfalls too! How cool would it be to swim underneath a waterfall and look up and see drops of water fall down on you in slow motion? Well, I have experienced that and it’s way cool. While in Australia I swam under five different waterfalls, and I’ve only seen six in my life!
5. Be a celebrity: If those reasons haven’t sold you yet then how would you like to feel like a celebrity for four weeks? Everywhere we went, people would ask us about being American and where we were from and they would ask our opinions on everything. Australians have amazing accents and can be mesmerizing, but they were also so intrigued with us. No matter where we went, everyone was so nice and wanted to strike up a conversation about anything just to talk to us. This was great and really exposed us to their culture.
Australia has so many wonders and reasons to visit! Those were just some of my favorite reasons to study abroad in Australia and after you go, I’m sure you will have some to add on!
