Application to Study Abroad in Perth, Western Australia, Australia

After taking several Computer Science and Physics courses, I have discovered that my interests match well with a career in the sciences. I enjoy Physics for its challenge to my problem solving abilities, and Computer Science because it allows me to produce a usable product through programming. For these reasons, I am a Computer Science and Physics dual major. After meeting with my advisor, Dr. Jan Tobochnik, and discussing my career and academic goals, we came to the conclusion that Curtin University of Technology would be the best place by far for me to complete my study abroad program. Curtin’s strong selection of classes in Computer Science and Physics will allow me to complete my dual major in four years. Also, I have often thought about going to Australia for its vast wilderness. The practicality of Curtin University of Technology for my dual major program along with the excitement of the Australian outback is what has persuaded me to apply to the study abroad program in Perth, Australia.

After meeting with the director of the program in Perth, Ms. Holly Winguard, I once again confirmed that there is no better program for Computer Science than Curtin. We discussed the programs in Spain to match my foreign language skills, but I was discouraged by the selection of courses available in Spain. We moved on to talking about Australia when I realized that none of the programs in Spain would allow me to take classes in Computer Science or Physics.

No other “K” study abroad program has such a vast selection of classes for Computer Science and is supported so well by our Computer Science department at “K”. Dr. Brady says that the selection of courses at Curtin provides a helpful diversity that will add to my overall experience in Computer Science. She describes our Computer Science department as being limited in some aspects, and she believes that the program in Curtin complements our program well through its many areas of specialty. At Curtin, there is a vast selection of Computer Science courses available in areas that we only briefly touch on here at “K”. If I am accepted, I will more thoroughly research the classes available before I leave for Australia.

Also important with courses in the sciences is the need to keep practicing problem solving abilities in order to keep them fresh. Dr. Bloom in the Physics department helped me become aware of this by describing students who have had trouble adjusting back to academics at “K” after study abroad. By taking classes in the sciences at Curtin, I will be able to keep my problem solving abilities as strong as possible. This will help me in preparing for my SIP as well as more advanced classes that I will be taking when I return to “K”. I’ll also be better prepared to take graduate school entrance exams during my senior year.

Aside from academics, Australia particularly attracts me because even after reading several novels on the country and talking to friends who have been there, I feel that I know very little about the country. I am eager to learn. So far, I have read two non-fiction books on Australia. They have provided me with a greater familiarity of the country geographically, and also culturally. I have also spent a lot of time surfing the Internet for information on Australian cities.

I also want to go to Perth because of the great wealth of natural resources available in Western Australia. To me, Australia seems like the kind of place that a person would be more likely to go for vacation rather than academic reasons. I love warm weather and sunshine because I feel healthier when I can be active outdoors and have fun while exercising. I enjoy many outdoor activities in the summer including water skiing, mountain biking, swimming, rollerblading, and running. I also do better in school when the weather is warm because I am in an overall better mood. Even though Australia could be a great place to vacation, very few ever make it to the country.

In a novel, A Sunburnt Country, it is stated that Perth is the world’s most isolated city. In order to get to any other city of size, one must travel two thousand miles across ocean or outback. I find it ironic that Perth also hosts the best institution for the study of the sciences that the Center for International Programs offers. I’ve always wanted to go somewhere really different and to a place that the average person knows very little about. Most people are only familiar with Sydney because of the 2000 summer Olympics, and the world famous Opera House. Australia is rarely in the news, so often it is just forgotten about. The contrast of Perth being remote and relatively inaccessible even with modern air transportation, yet having an excellent technical university draws me, and has convinced me to apply to Curtin as the best, and only complete solution for my study abroad terms.

Academically, I have very specific goals for study abroad. I want to go to a university that offers a good selection of classes in Computer Science and Physics and also has interesting research projects that I can explore for further direction as I search for a career and possibly a field to study in graduate school. From looking at the University’s web page, I have found that Curtin offers both excellent courses that will help me complete a double major, and interesting research that will lead me in the direction of a career. They have a newly developing center for research in Nanotechnology. This one of my primary interests in Physics, and it also has many applications that branch into the field of Computer Science. Nanotechnology is a newly developing field, so I was really excited to discover this center at Curtin. I wrote to one of the professors at Curtin for more information and received an email describing the development of the center at Curtin. Being at Curtin will help me explore research opportunities as I search for possible graduate schools in Physics.

Although study abroad will help me attain my goals for academics at “K”, I believe that it will be more importantly a life experience that will help me develop as a person. Life experiences cannot be modeled by traditional academic views, but are just as important in a person’s education. The “K-plan” is a model of the other aspects of our education that are not strictly academic. The five dimensions of the “K-plan” are aspects of education that I will develop during my formal education at “K”, and particularly on study abroad.

My primary reason for going on study abroad is that I want to learn outside of the classroom. I believe that since I have not previously lived in a foreign country, there could be no better learning experience for myself than going to a strange, new land. Although I have done extensive traveling in Europe, I have not really gotten to know the details of what it is like to live in various countries in Europe for long periods of time. I believe that this is because I was too dependent on my family, and also because of the language barrier. This will not be the case on study abroad. I will be much more independent in Perth, and language will not be as large of a problem as in Europe. The first of the Five Dimensions is the most general because it consists of learning outside of the classroom. Lately, I have been doing some research on Australia through books and the web. I understand that convicts sent on a boat from England founded the country. When they arrived, the aboriginals in Australia were forced into a similar situation as the natives that populated our country when settlers came. Today, traces of Aboriginals can be found, but their culture is slowly fading similarly to the culture of the Native American. I found this especially interesting because last quarter I took Native American Religions with Dr. Anderson. I’m looking forward to learning about Australian culture and their aboriginals. I know that I will learn much more from being in Australia than I ever could from a book or the Internet.

While studying with Dr. Anderson, I learned that the most important idea that a person can take away from studying foreign cultures is that generalizations of other cultures are harmful. For example, a statement made about all Native Americans is usually a false one because there are many tribes of Native Americans in existence and they all act independently of each other with their own cultural traditions and values. In my final paper for Native American Religions, I described how generalizing can be a subtle form of racism. This is because generalizations indicate an unwillingness to attempt to understand a foreign culture on a deeper level. People who say that they are very accepting of other cultures in general may want to strive for a deeper understanding. My goal while on study abroad is to develop a deeper understanding of the Australian people. I will do this by immersing myself in the Australian culture. Such aspects as history, art, food, and culture interest me greatly.

Aside from the cultural exposure, preparation for a career is the single most important reason why I have chosen the program in Perth. I have browsed the classes available and research being done at Perth. I was looking for a school with a challenging curriculum in the sciences so that I can complete some requirements for my majors while on study abroad. I also believe that there is some interesting research being done at Curtin, specifically in the area of Nanotechnology, that will help me in exploring career options. I believe that this is truly an amazing aspect of the K-plan—I can travel to a foreign country, take classes in the sciences while there, and when I come back to K, I will have had experiences that will benefit me in my search for a career. After returning, I know that I will have some different perspectives on careers in the sciences. Being in Australia could make me consider new research areas that I have not previously thought of. Overall, study abroad will make me a well-rounded person as I search for a career, and the classes I take there will augment the Computer Science and Physics classes I take here at K. As a person becomes ready to enter the workforce, I think that they should be ready to become an active member of our society. The “K-Plan” is rooted deeply in seeing these connections in our lives. A person who is ready to start a career should be an adult who logically thinks about how he can help others as well as himself.

To me, social responsibility is doing what is right for the common good. Although a sense of nation is important, the world is quickly becoming more integrated both economically and culturally. As Americans, and one of the most powerful countries in the world, we need to think about how our actions affect the rest of the world. The best way to do this as a country is to increase awareness of other cultures. Australia is a country that gets very little attention in the U.S. Recently, in December, there were bush fires near Sydney, but besides the Olympics, I can’t remember hearing much previously about Australia in the news. I have asked others about the last thing they remember happening in Australia, and they say the Olympics. My goal for study abroad is to become more aware of events happening in the more remote areas of our world.

The same reasoning that applies to America as a leader of the free world also applies to individuals who act as leaders. Leadership is defined in the K-plan as using personal talents and principles collaboratively. A leader is a facilitator that takes the talents of a group and puts them to the best possible use. Doing this requires the ability to communicate effectively with people of many different backgrounds. In order to relate to people of various backgrounds, I need to understand as much about their cultures as possible. I believe that just being in a foreign country and having to adapt to a new culture will help me accomplish this.

Almost every source that I have utilized to answer this question has pointed to a “no-worries” attitude prevalent in Australia. To me, the “no-worries” attitude means that they often take it easy and keep their priorities of social time and recreation high. There are some aspects of this attitude that will be welcome to me, and others that I will have a tough time getting used to. Even the aspects of Australian culture that seem to make life more relaxed may be difficult for me to adjust to. This is because I always work extremely hard at what I do, and I expect to put a lot of time and effort into things that are important to me, such as academics.

I think that the side effect, growing from the no-worries attitude, of not always being on time for meetings and class will annoy me at first. I am a punctual person, and am extremely annoyed by other’s tardiness. I also have trouble with people being late to class. I have known classmates here who are consistently fifteen minutes late for class. I think that being late shows a lack of interest in the subject and a lack of respect for the professor. Autumn Spalding, a K alumnus who studied in Perth, told me that some Australians are generally very comfortable with coming to class after half of the time period. She also says that there are a large percentage of students at Curtin who do not attend class regularly. I feel that going to class is an important aspect of college because it fosters a community. A group learning collaboratively will be more successful than an individual. Class discussions, and opportunities to ask questions in class are invaluable to a person’s academic development. Just knowing that there are others like myself learning the same material that I am motivates me to put more effort into the learning process.

Also, studying for class tends to be more relaxed. Autumn says, “At K, your life consists of classes, studying, eating, sleeping, and occasionally interacting with other people, usually in combination with classes. At Curtin, it is more like, job, friends, family, partying, eating, sleeping, studying a little, and going to class once in a while.” I think that this change will be hard for me to adjust to. After being at K and learning the advantages of getting assignments done early and studying regularly rather than just before tests, I look forward to seeing a slightly different attitude toward school. Sometimes I feel that being in class and having lots of homework prevents me from exploring some of my own interests. I try to do a fair amount of reading outside of class for my personal interests, but with the workload at K, it is sometimes difficult. While at Curtin, I plan to take advantage of some of the extra time that I may have by exploring different student organizations and research being done at the college. This will help me to meet fellow classmates and gain more exposure to the Australian culture.

I have been careful about which generalizations of Australia I have chosen to include. I think that this particular view of the students at Curtin extends to describe the attitudes of many Australians. From reading several books on Australia (in bibliography), I have learned that Australians tend to place more importance on recreation than we as Americans do. I believe that this is because of the wonderful natural resources given to the citizens. In particular, as advertised in the program description for Perth it states that Perth has more hours of sunshine than any other Australian city. Americans are generally taught that in order to be happy, you have to excel at what you do. In order to excel, a person needs to work hard all of the time. Because of this, many Americans are workaholics. Analyzing our own country from a different perspective is helpful because I realize that I also work too hard at times. I think that a more relaxed pace of life is important because it gives people time to enjoy things that are important to them. This is not to say that Australians are un-ambitious. From talking to Autumn, I have learned that the courses at Curtin can be quite difficult and the students are all very intelligent, so I would be unwise to think that college in Australia will be easier than “K”.

Supporting this point is a quote from Culture Shock: Australia about the skill of the Australian worker, “Australian workers are deceptive. They look and sound extremely slow and casual. But in the majority of cases, they turn out to be meticulous workers, and are nearly all specialists in their field (Sharp, 109).” This also stems from the so-called “Do-It-Yourself” attitude in Australia. I have read that there are fewer minimum wage workers in Australia. In the same book, Sharp describes how this comes from two effects. The first is that few Australians are willing to work for low wages, and the second is that Australians firmly believe in doing things themselves whenever possible rather than hiring extra help. This attitude will be a welcome change to me because that it suggests that more people care about their jobs instead of just seeing them as a source of income. In contrast, many people in America seem to be working just to make a living.

Surprisingly, my reading has also suggested that Australians are less interested in making money. The author of In a Sunburned Country, Bill Bryson claims that during his journey to Australia, businessmen and storeowners were comfortable with referring him to competing businesses and in a few cases, they even told him that he could find what he was looking for cheaper around the corner. A situation that this reminds me of is when I went to buy passport pictures near home. A woman took my picture and charged me for two pictures, and then told me that I could have gone across the street to get a dozen pictures for a fraction of the price that I had just paid for two.

So, it seems that some of Australia’s cultural values will be welcome to me, and others may take some getting used to. In either case, I it will be interesting just to see a country with different attitudes and perspectives than I have experienced here in America. While in Australia, I expect to learn a great deal about the country through daily interactions with people around me.

Bibliography

Bryson, Bill. In a Sunburned Country. New York: Broadway Books, 2001.

Sharp, Ilsa. Culture Shock: Australia: A Guide to Customs and Etiquette. Singapore: Times Media Private Limited Times Centre, 1992.