My year at the University of Virginia (known in the States as UVa) was hands-down the best year of my life. The University itself is absolutely beautiful and being able to watch the seasons change around that landscape is something that I will never forget. Going on exchange definitely made me worldlier, more independent and allowed me to become more tolerant of different points of view.

Academically, UVa allowed me to take courses that would not have been available at UQ, with professors who are highly renowned throughout the world. As the second best public university in the United States, UVa was an academic village in which ideas were constantly shared and challenged. Tutorial discussions were active and energetic, and I found that being around people who really want to learn and are passionate about their studies gave me more motivation to do well.

It was also a great opportunity for me to be able to share Australian culture with them, and the professors were always very keen to have exchange students in their classes for this reason. Due to the community nature of universities in the US, professors were accessible to students and would interact with them not only on an academic, but also on a social level.

The opportunity to be fully emerged in University life, including the spirited football and basketball games is something that I will always treasure, and the experience of living on campus and having a room-mate taught me a lot about relationships. Not only that, but the friendships I made, not only with Americans but also with other exchange students from all over the world, have allowed me to understand other cultures and inspired me to continue to travel.

Being based out of another country also provided an opportunity to travel to countries less immediately accessible to Australia, and so I was able to make trips throughout the States and also to Mexico, Europe and China during my year abroad. I would go again in a heartbeat, and would definitely recommend it to anyone who is looking for an adventure and a way to make a year of your degree fly by!