Elise Johnson, ‘09

Elise Johnson is a senior majoring in Politics and spent Spring 2008 semester studying abroad in at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia.

Studying abroad in Australia taught me how to be independent and take chances. I only had a semester to explore Australia, and I had to be willing to go outside of my “box” and venture out on my own.

Where did you study: At the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia.

When was this: the spring semester of my junior year in 2008.

Why did you choose this specific program and/or country: I had always wanted to go to Australia since I was a child. Because I am not particularly fluent at any foreign languages, I decided to apply to study in countries and programs whose primary language was English. I applied for the Laurel Fellowship and was awarded funding to study at the University of Queensland in Australia.  I was attracted to the University of Queensland because it offers a wide variety of courses and the option of attending tutorial sessions, which gave me the chance to engage in small group discussions based on topics covered in large lectures.  I also wanted to live in a major city.

What language did you speak: All courses were taught in English.

What classes did you take: I took Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Perspectives, Politics and the Media, Introduction to Media Studies, and a course on Contemporary Australia.

Were there any challenges to your study abroad experience:  Australian professors have expectations that are very different from MHC professors , especially in terms of the style of writing they want from their students. For example, we were expected to write papers where we omitted personal experience and opinion, which was a bit difficult to adjust to at first.

What was an unexpected experience:  I had the opportunity to go on a day trip to meet with an Aboriginal elder on North Stradbroke Island. We had a big BBQ lunch and tour of the island.  I was also able to talk in person to the tribal elder about land rights issues.