Featured Student: Josh Fader’s Study Abroad Experience
When and where did you study abroad?
I studied abroad during the Spring 2018 semester in Byron Bay, Australia. Although a good portion of my studies were conducted in and around the Byron Bay area, my study abroad group and I traveled up and down the whole east coast of Australia which included Melbourne, Sydney, Cairns, and Tasmania.
Why did you choose to study there/through the program you chose?
I chose the SIT Australia: Sustainability and Environmental Action program because I have always dreamt of going to Australia and exploring the vast wilderness environments and visiting its major cities. Also, this program had a large focus on environmental sustainability which tied directly into my Environmental Studies major at CU.
What were your initial expectations? Were any of these confirmed or changed once you were actually there?
I wanted to go into the study abroad experience as open minded as possible in order to fully immerse myself in the experience once I arrived in Australia. I felt that if I had expectations going into the program, I would be looking to fulfill these rather than taking each day as it came. This strategy paid off in major ways and now looking back on my experience, I am blown away by everything I did.
What was your biggest takeaway?
My biggest take away from my study abroad experience was to not shy away from opportunities that may make you feel uncomfortable. By constantly trying new things and exploring new places, you are forced out of your comfort zone, which helps you learn more about yourself and grow as an individual. For instance, one of my fellow students conducted a five-week research project during our independent study period where she researched and analyzed the freegan culture in Melbourne, Australia (see link to learn more about Freeganism https://freegan.info). She invited me to take part in some of her research trips where she attended food rescue activities. One thing led to another and I was quickly helping other “freegans” dumpster dive for perfectly good fresh produce that was thrown out from the farmers market. If you told me before I left on my trip that I would be scavenging through waste bins for food, I would tell you that you were crazy and there was no chance I would do that.
What was your favorite memory while abroad?
It is hard to pick my favorite memory while I was abroad so I will name some of the highlights.
- Tent camping in the “bush” with aboriginal elders for four days without any access to electronic devices
- Climbing one of Tasmania’s tallest mountains
- Snorkeling on the great barrier reef
- Learning how to surf on Australia’s most famous wave breaks
- Playing a baseball game with an Australian baseball team
- Bungy jumping 415 feet off a suspended cable car in the middle of a deep canyon
- Seeing wild Kangaroos, Koalas, echidna’s, and Wombats
- Living with an Australian Family in their suburban home for 2 weeks
- Interning for a sustainably focused architectural design and development company in Melbourne, Australia
- Climbing the Sydney Harbor Bridge
Do you have any advice? Anything you wish you knew before?
My advice for anyone who is thinking about studying abroad is to stop thinking about it and just do it. My experience studying abroad filled in the gaps that my education at CU left out. The field-based learning aspect of my program allowed me to apply what I was learning in the classroom and gain real world experience in my field of interest. I was also able to learn a lot about myself and grow as an individual. Studying in a different country also gave me a new global mindset and reshaped how I look at problems. I have yet to hear a single person tell me they hated their study abroad experience and wished they just stayed home.
*The featured photo is Josh in front of the 12 Apostles, a collection of limestone stacks off the southern coast of mainland Australia.
I am a Senior, Environmental Studies Major with minors in Business, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, and Sociology. Outside of school work I am the head Sustainability Coordinator for Green Greeks, a CU Boulder Environmental Center program, which aims to promote environmental sustainability within Greek houses. I am also an undergraduate research assistant in the Re(3)ach Lab here at CU and an Eco-Visits Energy Assessment Technician. In my free time, you will likely find me somewhere in the mountains either hiking, biking, or skiing.
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