Category: Personal Growth

In this blog post, I provide some hand-picked insights into my semester abroad in Melbourne, Australia — and how it has changed my perspective on life. As I write this, it has been half a year since I returned to my home country, Germany. It took me some time to process my experiences down under, as well as to reflect on them here, back home.

Now, when I think of the past year, a warm feeling of contentment flows through my inner being and a hearty grin appears on my face. And there is one sentence that goes through my head over and over again: “What a wild trip it’s been…” During my exchange, so many exciting, stirring, and mind-blowing things happened that it took me a while to process everything and reflect on my thought processes. Some of my fundamental beliefs began to reshape.

I would love to pour out everything about my semester abroad, straight from the stream of my consciousness, but unfortunately, that would not be possible. Instead, I will try to give a very rough overview of the biggest challenges and most beautiful memories.

Taking the Plunge

When my family members, friends, and fellow students ask me about my stay in Australia, I often struggle to accurately express my thoughts and feelings about it. Sometimes, I feel a strong urge to advocate for doing a semester abroad, provided the opportunity arises. However, most of the time, I worry that I might express it the wrong way and unintentionally achieve the opposite effect — especially because I recognize this kind of defensive reaction in myself when someone tries to convince me of something. I must admit that I was one of the last people in my close circle of friends to spend a semester abroad, and I always felt a little uncomfortable with their enthusiastic experience reports.

As a result, I initially rationalized why a semester abroad was unnecessary: it is too expensive, too uncomfortable, and too harmful to the climate; my English is not good enough; I could not learn a new language; wanderlust is just a manifestation of inner dissatisfaction; I can experience other cultures and countries through the internet; I have obligations within my well-established social circle; I have too many other struggles to manage (such as my master’s thesis); and so on — just to name a few of these (ir)rationalizations. I felt anger when my friends told me about their experiences in Canada, France, Spain, Norway, or the US. But at some point, I realized that I actually envied them — thanks in no small part to the group therapy I had started about a year before my stay abroad. I swallowed my pride and took a big step out of my comfort zone. I began planning my semester abroad in Australia — and today, I can proudly say: I went through with it!

As journaling has helped me for almost two years to tame those ephemeral soap bubbles of thought and cultivate them through language before they burst or disappear on the horizon, I believe that writing about all of it could support me in overcoming the struggle of expressing my thoughts and feelings I mentioned earlier. From my point of view, this is the perfect way to share my personal experiences. I do not want to give intrusive recommendations or pushy advice — I just want to share what this journey has done for me and how I feel and think about it.

The Semester Abroad

Before diving into my personal experiences down under, let me first put this whole thing into a technical context. If you are already familiar with the concept of studying abroad for a semester, feel free to skip this section and move directly to My Semester Abroad.

A semester abroad is not only a fantastic opportunity to visit another country and engage with its culture but also an enormously valuable personal experience that guarantees growth. Students who decide to undertake such an adventure typically face challenges such as applying for a program at both their home and exchange universities, preparing for the organizational and regulatory requirements of entering and staying in a foreign country, navigating and expressing themselves in a foreign language, building new relationships and routines, being physically separated from friends and family, adapting to another culture, and handling a potentially very different academic teaching style. All of this can be overwhelming, if not downright frightening — and it would be a lie to say that planning and managing such a project is not time-consuming as fuck. But students who have been fortunate enough to have such an experience — including myself — usually say it is worth the effort and time. Most would gladly do it again (and some actually do).

Many universities offer programs that support their students financially and help organize their stay, making such a trip affordable and relatively straightforward. For example, the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (my home university) offers an inter-European exchange program called Erasmus+ and an international one called LMUexchange, among others. Students typically start by applying for such a program at their home university. If accepted, they then apply to the foreign exchange university within the program. Afterward, they hope to be accepted there as well, so they can begin the actual preparations, such as applying for a visa, getting insurance, and so on. Depending on the type of program, the number of applicants and other organizational factors, the entire process — from the initial application to finally entering the host country — can take up to a year. But from what I have seen, most students say it is absolutely worth being patient and showing perseverance.

My Semester Abroad

Now I am going to share the most interesting insights from my semester abroad. Instead of linearly describing all events like in an autobiography, I want to focus on the experiences I found most meaningful and impactful for my personal journey.

For the sake of clarity and context, here is a brief overview of the key events: I was still conducting research for my master’s thesis when I flew to Melbourne. After arriving, I had three weeks for personal and academic orientation before the semester at Monash University (my exchange university) officially started. During this time, I met some interesting people, visited beautiful places, and became somewhat familiar with Australian culture as well as with my roommates. Throughout the semester, I balanced my coursework at Monash University, which I attended in person, with the remote research for my master’s thesis at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. I wrote my last exam at the beginning of June. Since my supervisor and I decided to write a paper, which we submitted to a conference in mid-June, I had six weeks left to travel around Australia before my visa expired. I used this time to explore Tasmania, Cairns, Sydney, and Brisbane before flying back to Munich.

The Other Hemisphere of Planet Earth

It is one thing to understand astronomy and observe the sun’s changing course throughout the seasons from the same position on Earth. But it is an entirely different experience to change that position and perceive all the differences that come with it. The same applies to geography and distance: Imagining traveling to a place more than 16,000 km away is one thing, but grasping it through lived experience is entirely different.

The Flights

On the evening of February 4, 2024, I started my flight from Munich via Dubai to Melbourne. The whole trip took 23 hours, and I saw two beautiful sunrises in 18 hours. Because of the time shift, it was already the morning of February 6, 2024, when I arrived in Melbourne. So, I technically skipped a day by flying in the same direction as the Earth rotates. Moreover, I started in the cold of winter and arrived in the heat of summer. I did not sleep very well on the plane, so the jet lag was horrible, especially since I was a little sick. I had never experienced jet lag before, as my longest flight had been to Tenerife, and I can say that I underestimated it. It took me longer than a week to fully recover and adapt to the new rhythm, season, and climate. In Germany, everything was cold, bare, and grey, but suddenly, from one day to the next in Australia, everything was hot, green, and colorful. That experience was mind-blowing, even though it might sound trite or obvious.

When flying back, I had a very similar yet different experience. On the evening of July 30, 2024, I started in the more northerly and thus warmer Brisbane and flew back in the opposite direction as the Earth rotates. After another stop in Dubai, I arrived back in Munich. This time, I did not technically skip a day, but I kind of surfed on a stretched one, so I landed on the next day, namely July 31, 2024. Neither the jet lag nor the seasonal change was as bad this time.

The Course of the Sun

In the first few weeks, there was something else that confused me, and I just could not figure it out. It also seemed trivial as I did, because I was aware of it in theory, but still, it was something completely different to actually observe and experience. One morning, I was enjoying my breakfast in the backyard of my shared house when I suddenly realized that the sun was moving in the opposite direction than I was used to. Obviously, the sun moves from east over south to west in the northern hemisphere. Therefore, if I point at the sun with my right index finger and follow its course, I move my arm from left to right. However, in the southern hemisphere, the sun moves from east over north to west. Thus, if I point at the sun with my right index finger and follow its course again, I move my arm from right to left. As I said, it is obvious, but still, it was such a cool personal observation, and it actually made me happy and even more curious.

One Intercontinental Flight Away

It was a really weird thought that none of my family members and friends were physically reachable anymore. So far, I had always lived in the same city as my family on my father’s side, and I had lots of friends with whom I could physically spend time. But now, all of a sudden, everyone with whom I had a deep relationship was literally on the other side of the globe. At first, I was scared and worried about feeling lonely, but actually, I did not. My roommates integrated me very well, and I felt a sense of belonging. I also started having regular phone calls with my family members and best friends. Of course, I missed them. Paradoxically, probably because of the necessity for more mindfulness regarding the scheduling of video calls and the design of the conversations, some of my friends and I have become even closer through the physical distance. What a time to be alive.

Living with Different Cultures

Honestly, I had never been that interested in other cultures before, as I was more of a nerd when it came to topics related to natural sciences. However, being exposed to the multitude of cultures down under completely changed my mind.

Living in Australia with People from Kashmir

I lived in Clayton, a suburb of Melbourne – the capital of Victoria – located to the east of its Central Business District (CBD). I decided to live there for two reasons. First, Monash University is also located there. Second, there was a housing crisis in Victoria, and it was rather hard to find accommodation. I had actually planned to live with native Aussies to get closer to their culture, but unfortunately, I could not find such accommodation due to the crisis. Plans always change. After an exhausting search from overseas, I was lucky to find a shared house on Browns Road with two people from Kashmir – one former and one current computer science student at my exchange university.

After my arrival, my two roommates gave me a warm welcome. They drove me to a department store to get some bedding and convenience items. Afterwards, we had a long conversation over tea, and I started to get to know not only the Kashmiri culture but also Australian culture, as they had already lived there for years.

During my stay, we cooked and had barbies (Australian slang for “barbecue”) together, took trips to national parks, a thermal spa as well as the Great Ocean Road, and had long philosophical discussions until the middle of the night. They told me about their very political and emotional perspective on the Kashmir conflict, about life in Kashmir, the beauty of nature there, about being Muslims, and they introduced me to the culinary world of Pakistan, Kashmir, and India. I also joined them for one day of fasting during Ramadan. I am deeply grateful for this exchange.

Another Approach to Work-Life-Balance

What I found particularly interesting was their different approach to work-life balance, which was not strictly based on the week and weekend but actually took place every day, relatively independent of the weekly concept. They alternated between working productively and chatting or chilling out every day. They just lived and went with the flow. As a result, they were very spontaneous, which was a sharp contrast to my German planning behavior. Adapting to this way of life while achieving my personal goals was a significant challenge. However, now that I am back in Germany, I find myself planning less and living more in the moment. I am convinced that overcoming this hurdle has shifted my perspective, showing me that planning does not always lead to happiness. Plans always change. Life cannot be fully planned – it just can be lived. Furthermore, I think that spontaneity is a crucial part of my inner well-being and satisfaction. After reflecting on it and living life back in Germany, I now know that a balanced mixture of sticking to plans and going with the flow is desirable for me.

Another Way of Life

Their relationship to spirituality and religion is another aspect I was curious about, which made me reflect a lot. They are Muslims, so the all-encompassing aspect of their lives is religion, namely Islam. As I am vegan with a weakness for butter chicken, it was easy to get along regarding halal food. And because I stopped drinking alcohol more than two years ago, this was also not an issue. Their belief in God kept them going, and the prayers in the mosque or at home were rituals of gratitude and mindfulness. I was almost shocked by how content and fulfilled they always seemed, even when they had struggles at work or university, and how they always encouraged me when I expressed concerns about my master’s thesis and the paper – “Don’t worry! You’ll be alright.” Never before in my life have I met such frugal and optimistic people who seemed full of fulfillment and hope. It seemed to me that they were using a tool-set from their religion for the psyche and self-care techniques that Westernized and very naturalistic people could also benefit from without having to join Islam or any other religion directly. I hope that, in the future, such healthier alternatives to popular substances (especially alcohol) for managing overthinking and negative emotions will emerge, offering long-term mental health benefits to Western society. After this experience, I am no longer a strict naturalistic atheist but rather an agnostic, and I have developed a new sense of aesthetics and spirituality, which I am still exploring.

Cultural Mixer

I was truly culture-shocked in a completely different way than I had expected when I learned about ethnic enclaves, which are common in metropolitan areas of Australia. In my first week, I drove to the neighboring suburb of Springvale, and suddenly I felt as though I was somewhere in Asia, as the majority of the people there appeared Asian, and there were almost only Asian markets and restaurants. Later, my roommates informed me that seeing a majority of a specific ethnic group is a phenomenon typical of Australian suburbs. In the case of Springvale, many Vietnamese people migrated there during the Vietnam War in the 1970s and 1980s and collectively settled in the area. This phenomenon can also be observed in other suburbs of Melbourne, such as Oakleigh, which has a strong Greek cultural influence, or Carlton, which is also known as “Little Italy.” However, even though not every Aussie would agree, it seemed to me that almost everyone embraced the Australian cultural values of talkativeness, openness, curiosity, and respect. In the CBD, all different cultures merged together, creating a strong, internationalized unity. I did not expect the strong characteristics of the different cultures at all, as I am not used to ethnic enclaves in Munich. Here, it seems to me that there is a predominant German culture, and other cultures do not have the same opportunity to flourish as they do in Australia. I completely understand the arguments for preserving local culture, but I have my doubts that this cannot go hand in hand with allowing other cultures to unfold and shine brightly as well. I had never considered this before my semester abroad, but now I appreciate cultural exchange and integrated cultural curiosity as fundamental values for myself.

International Encounters

Throughout my entire stay in Australia, I also got to know many people from different countries around the world. At Monash University, there were activities and events for international students like me, which helped me socialize and make international connections. I met people from Sweden, Malaysia, China, the US, Great Britain, Canada, India, Pakistan, Kashmir, Poland, Mexico, Argentina, Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands, and, of course, other Germans. I could find Germans literally everywhere, and the same applied to Brits. Sometimes I just had superficial chats, and sometimes I had deeper conversations and connections. Later, when I traveled around Australia, I also met lots of internationals in hostels or at free walking tours. Sometimes we scheduled small trips or activities together. In hindsight, I remember a handful of valuable encounters that I will probably never forget.

One of them was a stimulating conversation with a young Jewish woman from Canada on a bus tour through the Daintree Forest near Cairns. She started by asking me about my greatest fear, and we talked for almost two hours. She confided in me that she is very worried about the safety of Jews worldwide, especially after observing the recent hostility and conspiracy theories surrounding Jews all over the globe, as well as the situation in Gaza and Israel. I was shocked when she pointed out that she would not feel safe in Germany at the moment and would not recommend Jews going there. I was speechless, and I still don’t know what I can do about it other than standing firm in my opposition to the political right.

Another young woman from Canada inspired me with her personal international experiences. We spent a few days together and visited the Three Sisters in the Blue Mountains. She was the same age but had traveled much more than I had. She was born and grew up in Brazil, studied in Switzerland and France, and is now teaching in Canada. It was impressive how her English was almost accent-free and with what ease she told me about commuting internationally to visit her parents in Brazil or her boyfriend in India. I was also impressed by her open mind and psychological resilience, which was likely a result of the many fresh starts in her life. I envied her courage and curiosity, but I am optimistic about integrating these values into my personal life as well.

Speaking and Thinking a Foreign Language

I have never been bad at English in school. Plus, during my studies, I had some opportunities to learn and improve my English. I wrote my bachelor’s thesis in English, attended some lectures held in English, and participated in an English course at my home university to prepare for Australia. I also communicated entirely in English with my master’s thesis supervisor, which was good practice as well. I thought I was well-prepared.

However, when I arrived in Australia, I realized that my English was clustered around formal and technical vocabulary. At times, I felt like a toddler when I spoke. I struggled with basic words needed for daily life, like rash, capsicum, floss, inflammation, and more. I especially lacked vocabulary related to my emotions and feelings, and since expressing those is important to me, I felt frustrated and uncomfortable. For this and other reasons, I went to a free psychological coaching session at the health center at Monash University in the fourth week of my stay, where I had the chance to express my thoughts and feelings and receive professional support. It also helped me prioritize my goals and deal with the initial overwhelm I felt during the semester abroad. Afterward, I started learning important English words related to emotions and feelings and began to talk about them regularly with my roommates or friends at university. By the way, the word “friend” is a false friend for non-Aussies, as most of us think of it as referring to someone with whom we have a deep connection, but a “friend” in Australia can be anyone you just met and spend some time with.

Over time, I learned more and more words, and speaking English became easier. At some point, I even started thinking in English, and it became harder to switch back to German when I spoke with my friends and family on the phone. Besides words, I also learned Aussie slang, which often trivializes many words – for example, arvo for afternoon, brekky for breakfast, avo for avocado, barbie for barbecue, devo for devastated, or defo for definitely. The thing I struggled with the longest, and still hadn’t fully mastered by the time I left, was the countless idioms and the Australian accent. But at least I could hold conversations with natives, which was my biggest progress in terms of English understanding and speaking. I was delighted every time Aussies or Brits praised me for the quality of my English.

Studying in Melbourne

I had to attend three courses at Monash University. The teaching style was quite different compared to that at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. It was very school-like, meaning I had to do homework every week, some of which was even a hurdle and was included in the final grade. This required a lot of learning effort and left little free time during the semester, compared to my experiences in Germany. Moreover, I had to conduct research for my master’s thesis and paper. On top of that, I wanted to enjoy the semester abroad. It was a lot at once, but having clear goals and structure in my daily life helped me deal with it all to my satisfaction. My ambition, combined with the pressure I put on myself, was a borderline challenge in itself, and I think I almost burned out, which I somehow managed to avoid thanks to the great integration by my flatmates and the exciting experiences in and around Melbourne. This aspect of my experience abroad has sustainably strengthened my resilience, perseverance, patience, and trust in myself. Now, I can proudly say that I reached all of my goals: I passed all of my exams well, I passed my Master’s thesis summa cum laude, I co-authored a paper published at EMNLP 2024, I enjoyed my semester abroad, and I had many astonishing experiences.

Traveling Australia

I spent most of my semester abroad in Melbourne due to academic obligations. During this time, I made smaller trips to the beach, the CBD, the rainforest in the Dandenong National Ranges, the Great Ocean Road and more. In the last six weeks of my stay, I traveled to Tasmania, Cairns, Sydney, and Brisbane before flying back home to Munich. I was alone in Tasmania and went on a road trip (driving on the left side). I was worried that I might suffer from loneliness, but I actually enjoyed it and found my mind clearest when watching the sunrise at the Bay of Fires or eating some cookies on top of Mount Amos, with only myself for company. The nature in Tasmania is truly beautiful and often untouched. Afterwards, I met some friends from Monash University in Cairns and started to enjoy the company of other people. For me, sleeping in an 8-bed dorm was a big step out of my comfort zone, but I am glad I did it, as I became more and more comfortable with chatting with people until I finally found joy in it. I managed to get comfortable with my social anxiety. I am going to show some of my favorite impressions in the images inside the toggles below.

The Flora Down Under

The Fauna Down Under

The Cities Down Under

Conclusion

In conclusion, I can say that the semester abroad in Australia was a very valuable experience that I would definitely do again if I had the chance. It really stretched my comfort zone. As a result, I became much braver and more comfortable with my social anxiety. I became incredibly more curious about other cultures and beliefs. Moreover, I found so much inspiration regarding different ways of life that I am actively integrating them into my own life now – or at least trying.

It shifted my perspective on what really matters in life, and I found out that it does not actually make me happy to spend eight or more hours a day in front of a screen solving complicated algorithmic puzzles on my own. It also does not make me happy to blindly chase after any capitalist promises of prosperity or sacrifice myself as a workhorse for some narrow-minded project or research. I did not only learn about the incredible value of social connections, but also about the importance of experience in the real world — traveling, culture, art, religion, history, and politics. There is this world out there, and this curiosity inside me.

"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day."
— Albert Einstein

I had an initially sad realization that has since made me extremely grateful and even happy. I have realized that, over the years, I have chosen a career path that is the ideal avoidance strategy for social contact and allows me to solve introverted algorithmic puzzles every day without having to get out of my comfort zone much. At first, I thought I had to leave computer science in order to be happy at all. However, after a long process of reflection, I realize that less extreme paths will probably suffice. After all, I am now a computer scientist, and even in this field and research, there are opportunities to choose more or less introverted work as well as more or less narrow-minded work. Since returning to Germany, I have been seeking much more social contact as well as purpose and am now integrating this into my work-life organization.