I found myself at Deakin University because I wanted to explore not only another country but another style of university. As much as I have loved GW and living in a big city, I really wanted to push myself and ended up choosing one of Deakin's smaller, tight-knit campuses in Waurn Ponds, roughly an hour (by train) outside of Melbourne. In order to really get the full Deakin experience I also chose to live on campus, which honestly has been one of the best decisions I've made here. Living on res at Deakin not only allowed me to make friends with the people I share a house with but has also provided an unreal amount of activities. I've been able to try out boxing, learn to surf, zipline the Australian rainforest, go on waterfall tours, and there are still so many more activities to come this trimester.
Along with our activities, they do an amazing job of helping international students understand the culture and history here as well as the significance of nature, which has been informative and helped me get acquainted with Australia! Everyone has also been super friendly, which has made it really feel like I've found a community here and like I have a place to go whenever I feel alone or have any needs or questions.
Sara Ragsdale
GW Exchange - Deakin University
Fall 2023
Columbian College of Arts and Sciences
Philosophy and Peace Studies Major