Alumni Interview with Bridget Thom

What inspired you to go abroad?

I always knew I wanted to travel and experience a whole new environment. I've lived in a bubble for all my life growing up in Massachusetts and continuing school in Massachusetts. I was between going to Italy and going to Australia and ultimately decided on Australia. Australia seemed like the better opportunity because it's significantly farther than Europe and costs much more than traveling to Europe, so I decided that traveling to Australia for study abroad was the better option because it would be worthwhile over a four month period to pay the traveling costs.

Why did you choose CISabroad Semester on the Gold Coast?

CISabroad offered a Gold Coast program at Bond University that provided a timeline that was best suited for my own schedule. Though it was a bit shorter of a program (4 months), I was able to come back home with plenty of time to work at my summer job or do other things before going back to my home institution. CISabroad also offered a lot of promotions and the excursions they offered which really interested me.

What was your favorite part about Australia?

Australia is absolutely beautiful and they have an incredible variety of different activities and places that you can visit. Obviously, the beaches are a big attraction and they are gorgeous. Rough estimate, 90% of my time was probably spent at the beach. The Gold Coast is also within driving distance of Byron Bay (easily my favorite local destination), Noosa, and Brisbane. Brisbane is so underrated compared to Melbourne and Sydney. Brisbane was one of my favorite places to drive to and walk around. I also LOVED all of the different hiking trails and mountains that are also so close to the Gold Coast. The Gold Coast was just a perfect location and so close to so many different places. Traveling by plane is also pretty easy, but can easily add up. I really loved everything about Australia and couldn't say a bad thing about anywhere.

What made your experience abroad unique?

It may sound cliché, but studying abroad genuinely changed my life. Personally, I became more confident in myself, more aware of the world and global differences, and more comfortable being in an unfamiliar place. Living without my parents and traveling somewhere without really knowing anyone pushed me outside of my comfort zone and forced me to grow. The kind of exposure you get from studying abroad and traveling the world teaches you so much about how big the world is and it really gives you global awareness.

How did local staff support you throughout your program?

I LOVED Jackie Chapman. She's amazing, so much fun, and hilarious. She takes amazing care of you and takes you on fun excursions (hiking, the beach, etc). If you ever need anything, she's the go-to. She makes everything so easy and felt like my Aussie mom. The other CIS staff I met during orientation were also so incredibly nice and really cared about how we were doing and adjusting to being in the country. I can't speak more highly of CIS and their staff.

What's one thing you wish you would have done differently?

I wish that I spent more time trying to plan out trips. Creating a general outline of trips throughout the semester would have prevented me from cramming a lot of trips at the end of the trip. I would suggest creating an outline of trips that you don't necessarily have to strictly adhere to, but it's just helpful to space out your time and give yourself some leeway by taking care of planning ahead of time.

Describe a typical day in the life of your program.

There's definitely a lot of beach time. Also, after talking with friends who went abroad in Europe, foreign university's class schedules tend to be made up of classes that meet maybe once or twice a week for a couple hours which gives you plenty of time to get any homework or anything you need done and also gives you time to travel. At Bond, I only had classes Tuesday through Thursday and even on the days I have class, I was able to finish a majority of my homework on those days and could even sit out by the pool at Varsity Shores (my off-campus housing) and get some work done. The classes weren't necessarily easier, but the way the classes were scheduled definitely gave you more time to complete assignments and still have free time. I rarely ever had to do homework on the weekends (definitely work on time management for this to happen) and I got to spend a lot of time hanging out with friends, going on trips, and exploring.

What did you enjoy doing in your free time?

I loved sitting by the pool and going to the beach. The Gold Coast is known for its beautiful beaches and they are so easy to get to by Uber or by bus. If my friends and I had nothing in particular planned, we would just always go to the beach or meet up at the pool. Being in Australia, you want to take advantage of the beautiful weather.

What was your accommodation like? What did you like best about it?

I lived off-campus in Varsity Shores. It was a bit of a bumpy road at first dealing with management (they weren't in the office when we all arrived to give us our room assignments, keys, bedding, etc.) and I didn't even get a key that actually worked to unlock my room. Varsity Shores isn't the most beautiful, but it's definitely not terrible in any way. I loved the homey feel of Varsity Shores and I personally loved that the "villas" are basically houses/townhouses. It was also so nice to be able to walk around the complex and go next door to hang out with my friends. Everybody in my program that lived in Varsity Shores was so nice and friendly and we all got along so well. Keep in mind that some of the rooms don't have air conditioning so you might need to contact CISabroad and make arrangements for portable AC units to be brought to your unit. I really miss Varsity Shores now and I miss all of my roommates and friends.

What is one thing every participant should know before participating in your program?

Just know that everyone going into the program is most likely in the same boat as you are; not knowing anybody and wanting to make friends. Get comfortable just saying hi and start introducing yourself to people in your program. Orientation provides you with a lot of opportunities to meet people and there are plenty of ice breakers. You never know who you'll end up being best friends with.

Now that you're home, how has your program abroad impacted your life?

I've become much more outgoing than I was before and I'm really comfortable talking to people I don't know. I'm also much more independent and confident in myself and am more willing to get involved and speak my mind.

Would you recommend CISabroad to others? Why?

Absolutely. CISabroad ran orientation so well and made you comfortable from the start, which is especially important for traveling and living in a foreign country. I loved Bond Uni and all of the classes I took were great, whether they were for requirements at my home institution or just classes I took for fun. The CISabroad staff try and do everything they can to make sure you enjoy your time abroad and I can't recommend them enough.