Statement of Purpose Reflection

During the application process for a Study Abroad trip I was required to write a Statement of Purpose. This post is a reflection of how my trip has been in comparison to what I expected (based off of my Statement of Purpose essay).

In my essay I opened by mentioning how I came across the Study Abroad program. Mandy Nurrenburn (whom I met through the Triathlon Club) was the person who gave me the first push for my trip. She had been to both Australia and New Zealand several times and really encouraged me to check out the program. I wrote, "Whenever I spoke with someone [i.e., Mandy] who had participated in a Study Abroad program, their faces would light up with excitement, and they would launch into a detailed story of where they went, who they met, what they did and how amazing the experience was." I have a sneaky suspicion that I will be doing just that when I get back home. I can't wait to share my trip with my friends and family back in the US! You guys are going to get ear-fulls, I'm sure, haha!

Regarding what I wanted to gain from the experience I wrote that I wanted to gain "a new perspective of life and the world, engagement with an exciting culture [that is] different form my own, to travel, to create new circles of friends, and to be educated in an extraordinary academic atmosphere." Well, I'll be darned, I did every one of those things listed there! My eyes have certainly been opened to the world beyond Indiana; I have jumped feet-first into Australian culture through music, trips, activities, markets, fashion and language; I have traveled all over the place: Sydney, Whitsundays, Fiji, Tasmania, Byron Bay, Fraser Island, Stradbroke Island, Noosa, Surfer's Paradise; I have made several new friends from all over the world! Inga and Tamara have become best friends, and I'm so thankful to have met them! Lastly, I attended Queensland Uni of Technology for a semester and got to see student life through Aussie eyes.

In discussing why I chose the QUT Exchange Program I wrote, "Brisbane seems to be a very exciting area, having a lot to offer." I couldn't have said it more accurately! With South Bank and the Parklands, the Botanical Gardens, the new Cultural Center, the Queen Street Mall and the markets - the place is just booming and so exciting! I've fallen in love with this city!

In my essay I talked about my behavior while abroad. I have put forth my best efforts in representing the US and Purdue; in essence I have been an ambassador for both. I'm proud to say that I have the ability to stand up for myself, my school and my country, that I did not allow myself to become sloppy with the partying and that I promoted what I represented while I've been in Australia.

I mentioned becoming involved with the Women in Technology group at QUT; this was an item I didn't have a chance to explore as the university didn't promote any such group. I did notice, based on the number of women in my IT class, that women were certainly a minority in Australia as well, however.

I'm really glad that I made the decision to study abroad. If I hadn't I'm 100% I would have regretted it. I'm not even able to express in words how much this trip has meant to me: the friends I've made, the trips, the images, the culture - everything! It has been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

-Amanda