While abroad, Roy took a mix of business classes and courses about Australian history. Her course in organizational behavior consisted of a semester-long group project. Each group formed a small company that had to either sell a product or service or hold an event. Roy’s group decided to organize a beach volleyball tournament for Bond students. Though Roy noted that she took one class less than a traditional full load while at Bond University, she knew that she wanted to spend a lot of time traveling.

And travel she did! Roy spent nearly every weekend traveling to various cities all over Australia. She visited Sydney, Melbourne, Nimbin, Byron Bay, and Brisbane. She visited a number of islands as well, including the Whitsunday Islands, Fraser Island, Great Keppel Island, North Stradbrook Island, and Morton Island. She also explored the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest coral reef system, and the Great Ocean Road, a beautiful drive along the southeastern coast of Australia. Some of Roy’s favorite memories include scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef, viewing the Sydney Opera House, and spending a weekend at Great Keppel Island.

Roy noted that the educational system at Bond University differed slightly from what she was accustomed to at RPI. “The professors I had at Bond were a little more laid back and liked to have a good time with the class. They still worked the students hard but always seemed to have fun while doing it,” Roy said.

Studying abroad in Australia offered Roy an alternative view to the American lifestyle. She was able to experience a culture that is generally more laid back than the traditional American culture. “Australians are friendly and easygoing and love to have a good time. They don’t feel like they need to be on the go all the time,” Roy said. Experiencing this change of pace caused Roy to look at American culture differently. “Many of us live the fast pace life and don’t stop to enjoy life enough,” Roy commented.

Instead of living on the Bond University campus, Roy opted to rent an apartment nearby. As a result, she lived next door to Australian students and families as opposed to other students studying abroad. This enabled Roy to gain a better view of the Australian culture through her everyday interactions with her neighbors, a view that she may not have gotten if she had lived on campus.

Roy’s memories of Australia are some of the best of her life so far. “Studying abroad in Australia was something I had wanted to do for so long. Finally having the chance to actually do it was great,” Roy said. Living in Australia has strengthened her desire to look for work internationally. “I hope to have the opportunity to go back to Australia to work in the future,” Roy said.

In preparation for her time abroad, Roy spoke with other students who had studied abroad, some at the same location, and some not. She also did research on Bond University and Gold Coast. “If you have the opportunity to study abroad, you should. There may not be an opportunity outside of college to be able to participate in something like it,” Roy said.