By Tommy Steele

During my semester abroad at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, I have had many highlights. From the first week to not knowing anyone or anywhere on campus and then surviving a tornado warning on campus, I have met so many awesome people here. I have made lifelong friends with American and other international friends and we will have to catch up again one day or when they get a chance to travel to New Zealand. One memory was when I went to see my first ever College Basketball Game with my friends which was an amazing experience where I witnessed the true American culture and passion in the stands. Another highlight was when I attended one of the university’s church ministry summer conferences in Florida. I went and attended many seminars which helped me in my faith and we got to know the people better who were in our university church group.

In general, I enjoyed meeting American people and learning about the University, culture and life perspective of living in the USA.

The biggest challenge I faced was the fear of the unknown and having to fit into a new environment, new culture and a new university where I had to learn about everything including buildings, online university platforms, etc. Also not having a car and not being able to drive around was a challenge to me, as I couldn’t explore as much of the city or surrounding places as I would have liked to. I was also a little bit homesick at times so I called my family and friends, however, I reminded myself how lucky I was to be here and to be having these experiences.

I have learnt a lot from studying abroad. I have learnt to be more open-minded, to be flexible, to embrace change and to enjoy the unfamiliar aspects involved in living away from home in a new country. I have learnt American history and the several different cultures that I would not have had the chance to learn about, as well as how the people here are different and are proudly patriotic to their country. This American patriotism especially within the University helps bring a sense of unity and community with the students and staff.

In my future career, I am likely to encounter people from different countries, who have different cultures and I am now confident I’m able to understand these cultural differences and work better with people. In addition to this, having to be more open-minded will help me be flexible and adaptable to changes that I could encounter with any future job/career path.