Coming back from Australia made me realize what an amazing time I had there for just being there for a little under five months. Being able to experience a completely different lifestyle in comparison to that at MSU and even my hometown of Hoffman Estates is something that I will never forget and also cherish. Fully going into a new environment, I didn’t know what to expect in terms of the people I would meet, the way the education system worked in Australia, everything was a fresh start for me and that is why I think it was one of the best experiences ever.

Moving from one state to another was a new steppingstone in my life but moving nearly to the complete other side of the world, now that is something. Starting with being able to learn about a completely different perspective on the criminal justice system in a new country was eye opening because the culture there is so different that you can compare how the different systems operate along with the different types of enforcement and regulations, they place to help keep their country under control as they have their own issues. In addition, I started to open my eyes a bit more to different possibilities of job opportunities with possibly finding a spot to work abroad and the different types of careers I could go into while working abroad such as international affairs, and possibly some other governmental careers I could pursue.

Going into the study abroad program, I was a bit nervous of whether or not a completely different country would be welcoming and take me in and with being so far away from home it seemed like I would feel like an outsider, but it wasn’t the case at all. A lot of citizens of the country were interested in learning more about why I came to Australia along with the differences between the two countries. So instead of feeling like I would have to try and fit in, they kind of took me in and wanted to learn more about the “outside” world as most of them have never really traveled to the United States, let alone out of the country. I feel like my story relates to most students who study abroad in a sense, but everyone always has their own experiences so no single abroad will be the same as someone else's, and not in a bad way.

Making the most of your program is the most important thing you can do while you are abroad because you never know when you’ll have the chance to do something like that again, and if you’ll ever be back. So always be prepared to say yes and try new things because you want to be able to look back and have a story to tell.

Name: Daniel Grochal
Status: Senior
Majors: Criminal Justice and Psychology
Hometown: Hoffman Estates, Illinois
Program: University of Sydney in Australia