Yazmine's semester exchange story

Semester exchange: Northeastern University in Boston, USA
Swinburne course: Bachelor of Arts (Professional Writing and Editing and Public Relations)
 

Yazmine riding through a park in Boston, USA

I couldn’t have asked for a better study experience at Northeastern- I was able to take mostly elective classes, like a photography course that encouraged me to explore the city, and also joined the campus radio station and a couple of magazines. Not only did I gain valuable skills and experiences through these classes and activities, but I also made friends with American students.

I lived on-campus in an apartment block, a short ride on the T, Boston’s train system from the Northeastern campus. It was filled with other exchange students and I was lucky to make some amazing friends really quickly. I have so many memories of having weekly Nacho Nights together and studying while doing laundry in the basement!

Many of the friends I made were undertaking impressive projects and internships so I definitely learnt the importance of adding extracurricular activities to my resume before graduating. After completing my exchange semester in the US, I spent the summer in Ireland where I managed to secure an internship at a magazine that has definitely helped me in my career so far.

Without having spent a semester studying in Boston, I never would have sought out this opportunity. My semester studying abroad in Boston is easily the best decision I’ve ever made.

On days off, I loved exploring Boston and the surrounds. There was always something super unique to do from watching a baseball game and ice-skating on the Duck Pond, to spending weekends visiting a maple syrup sugar house in Vermont and going to film festivals in New York. 

There were also fantastic opportunities for travel before and after; I visited Mexico and Belize for Spring Break, and spent six weeks after my exchange semester traveling New Orleans, Austin, the Pacific Northwest and the Canadian Rockies.

Meeting students who were interning with really impressive organisations in cities like New York inspired me to gain some more experience myself so I spent a month interning at a magazine in Dublin. After graduating from Swinburne the following semester, I moved to Ireland where I began working in a marketing role.

My employers mentioned they were impressed with my international experience – my semester exchange showed that I was able to take classes and join clubs that added more experiences and skills to my resume.