Australia remains a top place to study

A year ago, senior Mersine Bryan thought of Australia as unfamiliar territory. \n"When you think of Australia, you think 'Crocodile Dundee,'" Bryan said. "It's an adventure to go 'down under.'" \nLast semester, Bryan had her own adventure down under, studying at the University of Adelaide. \nLike Bryan, many students are choosing to study abroad in Australia. Paige Weting, assistant director at the IU Office of Overseas Study, ranked Australia as the fourth most popular destination for traveling IU students. According to IDP Education Australia, the number of American students traveling to Australia to study has increased substantially over the last six years for a number of reasons. \nFor Bryan, the lack of a language barrier strongly influenced her decision to study in Australia. \n"The U.K. and Australia are popular, in part, because they are English-speaking countries," Weting said. \nWeting said the United Kingdom consistently tops the list of most popular study abroad locations. But, Weting emphasized the English language is not the only factor students consider in their decision.\nFor example, the second most popular study abroad destination for IU students is Spain, said Weting, who cited the large number of Spanish majors as well as the growing social relevance of the language.\n"I think a lot of students take Spanish at IU because there is a push to be bilingual," said senior Allie Parker, who returned from Madrid last year and now works with the Office of Overseas Study. "You can study a language for a long time but you really need to be immersed in it."\nIn addition to a quality academic environment and cultural experience, students also want to study in a friendly environment. This semester, Italy seems to be a hot spot for students seeking a fun environment, coming in as the third most popular location.\n"Italy is the new sexy destination," Weting said. "Five years ago, it was not very popular, and my gut feeling is that a few years from now it will be replaced by someplace else."\nAustralia has similarly grown in popularity due to its easy-going, friendly environment. \n"Going from a busy city like Chicago to the relaxed culture down under was a huge shock," said senior Kim Weiss, who studied in Australia last semester. "At first, it was really annoying when food took a long time and cars weren't racing around trying to get somewhere a few seconds sooner. But after awhile, I sunk into it … I left with a very lasting impression of relaxation."\nTiming was another important factor for Bryan in choosing where to study abroad. \n"The seasons are reversed," Bryan said. "My semester started in winter and turned to summer in November, which was one of the advantages, but Bloomington was so cold when I got back." Coming home meant adjusting to more than just the climate. Despite her familiarity with the language and the academic subjects, Bryan found Australia was still a radically different place socially and academically.\n"At the same time, it still has cities and other things that I'm used to," Bryan said.\n-- Contact staff writer Greg Ingram at rgingram@indiana.edu.