Hello, my name is Chloe Sams, and I am a Junior in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. From mid-May to early July of the summer of 2022, I was blessed to study abroad in Sydney, Australia. While maintaining a few online classes I was able to take a course in Bioethics from the University of Sydney. As an avid adrenaline junkie, with Australia always being on my bucket list, this program was perfect for me and allowed me to explore so many amazing places within Australia.

My class took place twice a week for five hours each session, which allowed me long weekends to travel to the Blue Mountains, Cairns, the Tablelands, and many of Sydney’s famous beaches. Many people know Australia by their wildlife, and I was able to see several interesting animals including kangaroos, koalas, kookaburras, Ibes, echidnas, and emus. I was awestruck by all the gorgeous landscapes and amazing foods. They are especially talented at making coffee, which is an expresso style similar to Italy rather than the American coffee style used in branches like Starbucks. I was also able met so many amazing people and was completely shocked by the amount of slang words they used every day. Some of my favorites were arvo (afternoon), brekkie (breakfast), yakka (hard work), and ta (thank you).

My class in Australia was one of the most interesting courses I have ever taken while in college. We discussed several heavy topics within the medical and research science fields and learning about it with another country’s perspectives in mind added a global perspective I could not have received in the States.

Overall, I visited a diverse set of ancient and popular sites within Australia. I ate some of the most amazing and diverse food. I made lifelong friends from places all over the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Egypt and of course Australia. I learned so much about the culture from my class, organized trips and hanging out with new friends. Australia will always hold a special place in my heart.

Cheers mates!