By Madeleine Malone
My name is Madeleine Malone, and I am currently in my sixth year of a Bachelor of Law (Honours) and Business degree, majoring in Human Resources. I chose to participate in an overseas exchange because it is the perfect opportunity for me to go travelling, and actually experience what it is like to live overseas. I think that an overseas exchange will help me grow both personally and professionally, and allow me to make friends and connections from all over the world.
I have chosen to do my exchange in Belgium at Ghent University, which is located in between Brussels and Bruges. Academically, I think that immersing myself in European culture and studying European law will greatly enrich my learning experience and broaden my understanding of international legal systems. I have never been to Belgium before, but when I was 12 years old, I travelled to France and Italy with my family, and I fell in love with Europe. Belgium is quite central to Europe, which will make it easy for me to travel to different countries in my spare time. Both the Netherlands and France are about a 2-hour drive away from my host University, so I am excited to explore these places during my weekends. Belgium has a few national languages, including Dutch/Flemish and French, so although my papers will be taught in English, I am hoping to learn some of these languages.
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