By Christiaan Cumming

My semester abroad has come to an end, and I’m extremely grateful for such a thrilling experience. Some highlights from my exchange at the University of Montana include exploring the amazing outdoors, making lifelong friends, enjoying spring break, and playing a new sport. Alongside these incredible experiences, I learned a lot about myself, discovered new cultures, and developed professional relationships.

Highlights

I was lucky enough to be in beautiful Missoula, Montana, and had access to an abundance of stunning scenery to explore. As an avid runner, having access to amazing trails right behind my house was a great way for me to explore the area and maintain my training. Along with the trails, snowboarding was a fun change from the landscape of NZ. I got an affordable season pass and snowboarded through trees and deep powder, something I can’t experience in NZ. I also got to experience the Aurora Borealis during the geomagnetic storm, which was beautiful to witness. Additionally, I got to try a new sport, an Irish field sport called hurling, which was a great fast-paced challenge to improve at every week. Through hurling, classes, and meeting other international students, I developed strong connections and lifelong friends. Some of these friends accompanied me during spring break, where we immersed ourselves in the culture of New Orleans and had a great time. Lastly, just experiencing US university

life was fun on its own; I loved attending various sports games and walking through the campus during spring.

Challenges

The biggest challenge I faced during my exchange was adjusting to a new teaching style. Going into the semester, I was quite daunted about studying at a graduate level in a new country. Luckily, the professors were easygoing, making the transition smoother. However, I had to adjust to professors wanting hard copies of everything, despite the existence of Moodle pages for each class, and the importance placed on attendance. Handing in hard copies was unexpected, but I adapted well and immersed myself in my new classes.

What I Learned

This semester exposed me to new cultures that I wouldn’t have encountered in NZ. Through my international friends, I learned about Italy, the Czech Republic, Kurdistan, and Ireland. I deepened my understanding of Irish culture by participating in one of their national games, hurling. I also experienced American culture in various settings, which broke any stereotypes I held about America before the exchange. The people in both Montana and Louisiana were incredibly friendly and welcoming.

Additionally, I experienced significant personal growth. I grew in confidence and independence throughout the semester. Being alone in a foreign country required me to be confident in everything I did and to seek help whenever necessary, which helped me make many friends and navigate new challenges. Living alone so far from home also developed my sense of independence. By the end of the trip, I felt confident that I could move to another country or back to the US and build a career.

This experience brought me into contact with some extremely intelligent, academic, and career-focused individuals. Through my classes, I met like-minded people established in the field of sports science. I’m confident I can utilize these connections for academic or career purposes. Additionally, lifelong friends will provide me with connections worldwide. Throughout my life, I plan on travelling the world, either for fun or career purposes. Thanks to this exchange, I now have good friends and connections in Europe, the Middle East, and the US, and I can’t wait to make the most of these opportunities!