“I grew so much in Australia, both in my personal and professional life. The relationships and memories I made down under will last a lifetime.”
My name is Justin Weatherly and I am a senior at USC majoring in Music Industry. In my Spring 2020 semester, I had the opportunity to study abroad at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia through the USC Annenberg International Program.
Justin Weatherly and baby joey
I had made my mind up to study abroad pretty early on in my college experience. As a USC student who was also born and raised in Los Angeles, I haven't traveled internationally very much, so I was looking for an opportunity to get out of my bubble. Through doing my own research and speaking with students who had gone before, I decided that I wanted to study in Sydney, Australia since I had never traveled to that side of the world before. I knew that it was going to be unlike anything I had ever experienced before. I was also thankful that the Annenberg program was open to all majors and was flexible working with me to create a course plan so that I could undertake this endeavor.
My first week in Sydney was nothing short of spectacular. I was rooming with my friend Angelo who was another USC student in the program. We spent the first few days setting up our apartment and getting familiar with the city. Our apartment was in the heart of downtown Sydney and was only a short distance from the Opera house and famous beaches. During my first week, I got to see Vampire Weekend live at the Enmore Theatre as well as attending the FOMO Music Festival in Sydney. Being a Music Industry major, it was extremely cool to be able to attend a concert in the city I was studying abroad in. Angelo and I along with another USC student named Jessica decided to go to a wildlife park in Sydney called Featherdale on our first full weekend. Here, I got to see the full extent of Australia’s diverse animals. I witnessed a pack of dingos getting fed by their trainer. I also saw the famed Tasmanian devil for the first time ever and was surprised by how small yet fierce it was. Angelo and I even had the opportunity to hand feed kangaroos. The highlight of the day was the photo opportunities I had. First I got to hold a baby kangaroo, which I learned is called a joey, for the first time. I also got to meet a fully grown adult koala and take a picture with her as well. Meeting these two animals was close to the top of my Australian bucket list so I was so happy I got to do this in my first week. The three of us took the train back to Sydney’s central business district. We ate dinner in Chinatown and ended our day walking around Darling Harbour, one of Sydney’s numerous harbors.
Justin and Lawson the Koala at Featherdale Wildlife Park
Tasmanian Devil
Studying abroad is no doubt one of the best decisions I have made during my college career at USC. The experience of leaving my hometown and spending time in another country is almost indescribable. It really opened my mind to exploring the world and not getting too comfortable in where you currently are. Even though I had to come home early due to Coronavirus, I am still so grateful for my time in Sydney. I am also grateful to USC Annenberg for providing such an amazing program for students like myself to study abroad. If you are thinking about studying abroad, I can confidently say go for it. Our time in college is so valuable and transformative. I would say being abroad is one of the greatest things you can do. I grew so much in Australia, both in my personal and professional life. The relationships and memories I made down under will last a lifetime.