Senior studies abroad in Australia
Jessica Krefman learned a bit about Australian English while rooting for a contestant on “Australian Idol.”
Unfortunately, the Paw Paw senior learned “rooting” in Australia is slang for having sex. And she learned it by saying the word to her friend’s family.
The pronunciation and meaning of some words proved to be some of the biggest cultural differences she found during her semester-long study abroad at the University of Wollongong in Australia.
“It was enough different,” she said of the culture, though American fast food restaurants, like McDonald’s and Burger King, which is called Hungry Jack’s, were common.
Krefman had always wanted to go to Australia, though the farthest she had been from home before she left for Australia last July was California.
“The whole time I was there I had a smile on my face,” she said.
When she left for Australia in July, Krefman was planning on working with animals when she graduated, but now she wants to work with people.
“I became more of a people person,” she said.
Ashley Jordan, a student at Roger Williams University in Rhode Island, saw Krefman change during their time in Australia.
“When we first met, she was shy, while still being very friendly,” she said. “As time went on, she came out of that shell more and more.”
One of their favorite memories of the trip was their spring break trip to Cairns where they scuba dived at the Great Barrier Reef and held koala bears.
Jordan and another friend also took Krefman out for her 21st birthday, though the legal drinking age in Australia is 18.
Krefman’s friends back home took her out again to re-celebrate the milestone once she returned to the states.
While the experience was more expensive for Krefman than a semester at CMU, she said the money shouldn’t discourage other students.
“It’s worth it,” she said, adding there are scholarships available to help students cover the costs.
For more information on study abroad programs and scholarships, visit the Office of International Education in the Bovee University Center’s Room 106 or call 774-4308.
