Tasmania

Martina Alvarez, Graduated: May 2004, Architectural Engineering
I went to Tasmania in the Fall of 2003. Tasmania is an island south of the coast of Australia, so the people there are definitely Aussie, but seem to have more of the laid-back, country-style living. There are only 1/2 million people on the island, so much of the island is untouched. Tassie is full of mountains, waterfalls, rivers, beaches, and cliffs. There is so much to explore if you love the outdoors--which is why I went there. I bought a bike while I was there and was able to go have adventures by myself or go camping with friends.

One of my favorite memories was a solo trip I took.  I biked to an island, Bruny Island, (taking a ferry, of course) and then camped out on a deserted beach where penguins came up from the ocean every night. I spent three awesome days there, hiking, biking and relaxing, enchanted with my surroundings.

As far as housing and school go, I arrived in Tassie not yet having housing but soon found a house where other students lived. It was big, beautiful, cheap, and two blocks from campus. I took three classes: surveying, machines, and an aborigine class which was interesting.  Also to get involved in the Aussie culture while there I trained and competed with an Ultimate Frisbee team and got involved in an awesome church. Life was very simple as well as very enjoyable.

Are you an Engineering student who has studied abroad?  Would you like to share your experiences here?  Let us know!  Contact Audra Sneed or Elizabeth Vondran in the Office of Student Affairs, ECJ 2.200, (512) 471-4321.