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I have been fortunate enough to study abroad in Australia, the United Kingdom, and Spain-- so hopefully I can be of some particular help to you.
All were amazing experiences, and you really can't go wrong with any of them. However, I would have to recommend that if you are only to study abroad one semester that you go with Spain or another continental European country for the best overall life-changing experience.
Australia: I went to Australia under with a graduate program, after having done my time abroad in Europe, so I was not really bothered by the fact that it seemed like California/Florida with an accent. Sure there are little quirky things about Australians that make them different from America, but not enough to make anything a life-changing experience! I think that there would be more culture shock for a Californian coming to the South than to Australia. There were a ton of American study abroad students there, mainly there for the beach, and usually the type who could care less about the "foreign" experience and only wanted a cool semester to drink and go to the beach.
I got to see most of the country-- the Great Barrier Reef, the Outback, Sydney-- and tour through New Zealand, but this cost a LOT of money since I had to fly everywhere and the locations were so dispersed. I was, again, lucky to be going as a graduate student and not an undergrad, when I had access to many times more cash than in undergrad. Also note that most of the attractions in this corner of the world are natural attractions-- which I am really in to, but if you haven't had the cultural experience yet, I think Australia offers even less culture than the US (and less natural beauty than the US, but its still of a unique variety).
Don't get me wrong, I loved my time in Australia and its a wonderful country, but I would have felt cheated if I hadn't already had the European experience.
Spain: In complete contrast to Australia, this was a true cultural and "study abroad" experience. I can't emphasize enough how valuable going to a place with a different language is in making your experience life-changing and unforgettable and making you an all around more well-rounded person. In a place like Spain/Italy/anywhere in Europe, the language will be a challenge, but not to the point where it will prevent you from having an AWESOME time. And the type of people that will be with you on these study abroad experiences are also the type of students who REALLY want to immerse themselves in another culture and step outside their comfort zone. So, they will be more likely to want to try new things and travel to interesting places than if you go to Australia (where most American students continued eating burgers, playing beer pong, and listening to Top 40 American pop/movies/tv).
Also, if you are a relatively poor student like I was, studying abroad in Europe gives you the opportunity to see SO many places for relatively cheap by taking trains, staying in hostels, and by the sheer fact that it is such a dense, compact continent. Heck, all of Europe could fit in to Queensland, where I was, and 95% of Queensland is just barren wasteland.
It is also highly invaluable to learn a foreign language-- particularly Spanish. Note, being 6 years out of college myself, I can tell you that employers do highly value the time you spend in another country learning a new language, but they have absolutely ZERO concern or care that you partied in London or Sydney for a semester-- such study abroad takes little effort and it shows in the masses of "I could care less about cultural immersion, just don't make me leave my comfort zone" students who come to Australia and the UK to party for a semester every year.
United Kingdom: That said, if you are REALLY torn between the pluses of a place like Spain and those of Australia, the UK might be a good compromise (especially London). You can still visit so many places in Europe on the cheap during your semester, but will be in a world-class city and will experience a "global" culture without language hurdles. This is particularly true if you are from outside the Northeast US (if you are from New York, forget about London, you might as well "study abroad" in Texas for a true cultural experience.
Overall: I highly, highly, highly recommend Spain if you want the best overall study abroad experience. From what I've heard from other friends, I'd also highly recommend: France, Italy, Germany, Argentina, Ecuador, and China.
Don't waste this opportunity to go to Australia! You can get the same experience there in a 3-week vacation once you have some money.
I'm really jealous that you're going to be studying abroad in the near future. I studied abroad in the UK in Spring 2008 and it was one of the best experiences of my life. I am now interning in Shanghai and although I'm loving the culture, food, nightlife, and picking up the language a little I will say that studying abroad is much more fun! I went to my classes in London hung-over or after 3 hrs sleep all the time as it was a relaxed atmosphere. Here I have to bring my 100%-not that that's a bad thing!
If you like large cities where you can experience many cultures while staying in the relative comfort zone of your own language then you should consider London. It's a happening, albeit expensive city, with easy access to other parts of Southern England for day trips (think Stonehenge, Salisbury, Dover cliffs) or a few hours train ride up North to Scotland. It also has very frequent direct trains running to Bruxelles, Belgium and Paris so continental Europe is never that far away. Also cheap airlines such as Ryan Air serve London very well for longer distance travel. After my semester I got a Eurail pass and backpacked through Europe.
This is really the key advantage the UK has over Australia I think-its integration with Europe. Australia might offer much on its own but you're really limited to visiting NZ. Also, depending on if you stay in a Southern city like Melbourne, the end of your semester would be way too cold to hit up those Australian beaches. If it was purely the UK vs Aus I'd probably pick Australia but UK should be considered as a package deal with Europe if you're like me a travel junkie.
decafdave, that was interesting. I would vote for Europe too.
After graduation, a work experience in Australia will be rewarding. I heard they have long annual vacation starting from 30 days upwards.
So i'm sure there have been a bunch of posts about this, but I am about to spend my Spring 2011 term abroad and simply can't decide between somewhere in Australia and Europe. Can anyone help lead me in any kind of direction? I'm easily persuaded haha.
If your from the US, go to Europe. Australia and the UK are like our siblings in terms of similarity and the Scandinavian countries are like our cousins.
Overall: I highly, highly, highly recommend Spain if you want the best overall study abroad experience. From what I've heard from other friends, I'd also highly recommend: France, Italy, Germany, Argentina, Ecuador, and China.
I specifically recommend France. Lots of good universities at very, very low costs. You'll never pay much more than 200-800 EUR in tuition. Living expenses will be the main concern but for students you can get your accommodation, transport, and other things subsidised. Not to mention you're in a great reference point to explore the rest of Europe.
CampusFrance - Education en France - Study in France - Estudiar en Francia - Etudier en France - Study abroad in France (http://www.campusfrance.org/en/index.htm - broken link)
decafdave, that was interesting. I would vote for Europe too.
After graduation, a work experience in Australia will be rewarding. I heard they have long annual vacation starting from 30 days upwards.
Yeah I'd love to get a job in Aus for a year or two...Have you done this?
4 weeks vacation is typical in many European countries as well, U.S. employers are much less generous with the vacation time they offer.
And why is that? Because we speak the same language? Have you ever lived in another country that spoke the same language for more than a year? If not, I'm not sure you have the experience to say that ... if you have, you are the first I've known! lol ...
I have lived in a dozen countries on three continents from the eastern shores of the south Pacific to the Sea of Marmara, including three English-speaking countries in between.
I have lived in a dozen countries on three continents from the eastern shores of the south Pacific to the Sea of Marmara, including three English-speaking countries in between.
See posts #12 and #14.
Well, like I say, not everyone feels the same way. I find England extremely different to the US and I know I'm not alone in that. Maybe it depends on more specific regions which have more or less American influence or stronger, thicker accents, etc. But for example, I've met people in England who struggle to understand MY accent, let alone vice versa. I have a pretty standard American accent and I would have thought most people in the UK, having a lot of American TV shows and movies over here, would be used to understanding an American accent. But I've learned there are people here who don't really watch American TV shows and movies so they're not actually used to an American accent at all. If that's not a culture shock, I don't know what is! lol
Well, like I say, not everyone feels the same way. I find England extremely different to the US and I know I'm not alone in that. Maybe it depends on ...
I appreciate that, but I think it depends on relative differences based on personal experiences.
If one's only experience is two states in the US, the differences between those two states will be evident in one's mind: I have friends who have lived in NY half their lives and California the other half, and all they talk about is the difference between the two; if the only international experience is the US and the UK, then the same goes, and so on.
On the scale of so-called western civilization, the US-UK, other English-speaking countries and some northwestern European countries, as one poster alluded to, may form a cultural unit, while Mediterranean Europe may form another, with special ties to Latin America, generally speaking (we could complicate the discourse with any number of nuances, French Canada, for example).
On a global scale, of course, Spain, for example, would have a lot more in common with the US than the two of them would have with, for example, Indonesia or Oman or Tanzania.
In any case, I think the OP has read some good arguments in favor of any of the choices that he/she may make during this exciting stage of life.
I have no doubt that there is a greater cultural difference between the US and a non English speaking country than between the US and the UK. I'm just saying there IS still a cultural difference and I personally think it's worth the experience.
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