Local Student And Friends Take A Trip Down Under

By Laurie Borst

Austin Bowes is a Newtown native who graduated from Newtown High School with the Class of 2003. This fall, he begins his senior year at the University of Rhode Island where he studies business.

Last winter, Austin and two friends from college joined approximately 400 other US students to participate in AustraLearn, a program offered by Bond University in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. Austin likened Gold Coast to a city the size of Danbury.

The three young men sifted through a mountain of information URI had on a variety of study abroad programs. Their criteria: it had to be an English-speaking country but still offered great diversity. Australia fit the bill.

Austin took four courses, worth four credits each, during the semester. He studied management, marketing, sports management, and a communications/philosophy course on love. Classes were just as demanding as ones he has taken in the states.

There were no firm deadlines, but when work was turned in, the quality was expected to be top notch. Austin reported that the professors were easy to talk to. “They want you to do good. They help you as much as they can,” Austin said.

Bond University has roughly 2,500 students; half are local Australians and half are from overseas. Bond is one of the few private universities in Australia. It has a reputation for both an excellent law school and an excellent business school. Austin likened Bond to Harvard or Yale here in the states.

Almost every other weekend, the group traveled somewhere. Austin had the opportunity to visit New Zealand. He traveled to Melbourne, Sydney, and Cairns. Cairns was where orientation took place and was the jumping off point for the Great Barrier Reef. Austin got to scuba dive at the reef.

There were boat trips to some of the islands dotting the eastern coast of Australia. One had mini-golf, batting cages, wave runners, and the like that would entertain tourists.

Bond organized weekend trips for 300 to 400 students at a time. Some of the trips were for fun, some were sightseeing junkets, and some had educational significance. One spot that intrigued Austin was the Sydney Opera House. He did get to see it.

Austin enjoyed his visit to Melbourne. “It’s a very old city, not built up like Sydney. It’s got pretty sightseeing and is surrounded by wilderness. But it’s a different atmosphere, everything’s more relaxed.”

The orientation session upon arrival was rather lengthy. Topics covered included how Australians view America, local expressions — what’s friendly and what isn’t, etc.

“We were told, don’t talk politics,” Austin said. “Australians know more about American politics than most Americans do. But they don’t really know what America is. They think we’re all arrogant. But most people are open to talking and getting to know you. I made a lot of friends on campus.”

There were lots of opportunities to mingle with the locals and get a feel for the mood of the people. Austin reported a few students had some minor run-ins with the locals.

Driving in Australia was different than here. Like the British, they drive on the left side of the road. They do not have traffic lights, instead using roundabouts, similar to a traffic circle here, but with more spokes navigated at high speeds.

“You have to watch yourself. An American student got hit by a car, nothing serious, but he looked the wrong way preparing to cross the street,” Austin said.

Computers, Internet, and cable are all readily available down under. Television was similar to here, six o’clock news, early morning programs, late night. There were two American channels that aired shows from last season. Sports were different on TV. Instead of football and baseball, Australians play rugby and cricket. Austin and many of the students tried playing the games on campus.

Shopping in Gold Coast felt a lot like California, Austin reported. “There are lots of surfers in Gold Coast, so shops cater to them.”

Austin did not do a lot of shopping, but said the female students were thrilled with their options. Prices were a little lower than here. There were many malls, sports stores, and two large grocery chains. Austin said there was less commercialism and billboard advertising.

Study abroad is something Austin would definitely recommend. “It was nerve-racking at first. A 22-hour plane ride. I felt like I was leaving everything behind. But this is the only time I’ll be able to take off for four months and do something like this,” he said.

Back for almost six months, Austin says he is “scratching to get out.” He is looking forward to his senior year. Plans after that are up in the air. He got back too late from Australia to work at an internship this summer. He hopes to get one next summer and maybe go right into a job with the company for which he interns.

And he is thinking about more school. “Go for the MBA, maybe once I start working and they’ll help pay for it. I’d like to work in a city. Maybe NYC or where I am in Rhode Island. I like it out there.”