Written by: Ellie Brill | Spring 2024
BU Exchange: Macquarie University (Sydney)
As a Biology Major, I hadn’t thought that studying abroad was a viable option for me – I didn’t think that I would be able to find a program, or that credits were transferable. Turns out, that’s not true at all! With the help of the CGE, finding a program was super easy. I ended up signing up to go to Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia.
I chose Australia for a few reasons. First, the only other language I speak is Spanish – and I certainly don’t speak it well enough to take an upper-level Biology course in. The second reason is that I figured Australia is far enough from the U.S. to feel different, but similar enough for me to adjust in only five months. Having now lived here for five months, I’m glad I chose it. Australia is such a beautiful country! Sydney is unlike any other city, there is so much greenery everywhere, the air is fresh, and the public transportation is wonderful (and cheap). The beaches are worth all the hype they get, but I prefer the Blue Mountains and the many museums. Being here, I’ve gotten incredibly comfortable using public transportation like the bus, metro, train, and even the ferry sometimes.
Macquarie University is also 
wonderful. It was built on land traditionally owned by the Wallumattagal Clan of the Dharug Nation. I chose to take a class here on Indigenous Australia to learn more about the traditional custodians of the land, and I’m so thankful I did so. I actually think the education in different GHS classes I’ve taken at Butler has prepared me for learning and discussing topics like this in different cultures. The university campus is beautiful and in a great part of the city. Macquarie sits right on the edge of what I consider ‘downtown’ – although Australians don’t use that term. I was also able to join one of the upper voices a cappella groups on campus – the Macabellas. I made many friends and got to practice one of my hobbies through that group.
What has made the most 
difference to me, and I’m sure all study abroad and exchange students would agree, is the people I’ve met. The best friend I have here I met in my residential college (MRC). Her name is Mar, she’s 26, from Mexico City, and getting her Master’s in Environmental Science at Macquarie. Mar has really been a role model for me and has shown me how to come out of my shell. I thought that I had grown a lot as a person in my 3 years at Butler, but these past few months with Mar have really made me flourish. From Mar I have met three other friends from Mexico – Guillermo (Memo), Adela (Adelita), and Juan Pedro (Jepe). I have also met two Argentinians through Mar -Trinidad (Trini) and Gaston (Gasti). They refer to themselves as ‘Los Latinos’, and they have welcomed me into their group with open arms. I mentioned upon meeting Mar that I am getting my Minor in Spanish, and since then, they have made it their mission to make sure I leave Australia speaking better Spanish than when I arrived. The irony is not lost on me that I traveled to the other side of the world and made a friend group consisting almost entirely of people from the same continent that I came from. Apart from the language and cultural education I’ve gained from Los Latinos, I’ve found a group of friends unlike anything I’ve ever known. The truth about studying abroad is that for as fun and exciting as it is, it’s also really hard and scary at times! Personally, I had never been this far away from my family and certainly not for this long. Especially being in Australia, the time difference makes it incredibly difficult to communicate with people back home. But, the friends I made here made all the difficult times bearable. Memo taught me a lot about the balance between being responsible and taking care of yourself. Trini and Adelita taught me how to dance (which I desperately needed a lesson in). Gasti and Jepe were always there to bring me up in the times I was down. The friendships that I’ve made over the past five months will be ones that I carry with me forever. We’ve already got plans to meet up over Butler’s fall break!
I would recommend that everyone study abroad if they’re given the opportunity to do so. The things you will experience and the people you will meet will genuinely change your life. I’m so excited to come back to Butler with this new perspective on life, and I hope to return to Sydney in the future <3