Brooke DURANT

Student of James Cook University, Australia
Exchange to University of Tsukuba, Japan

To anyone thinking about going on exchange, I highly recommend taking the opportunity. I was fortunate enough to spend a year on exchange in Japan, studying at University of Tsukuba. The experience was everything I had wished for and more.

Some people expect to go on exchange and think that it will all work out just the way you plan it. However, I find that you need to be open to any opportunity that comes your way. It is impossible to have a rigid expectation that you would get up, go to class, go home and study - lather, rinse, repeat. Half of my travel opportunities came from word of mouth, and without them, I would not have seen as much of Ibaraki prefecture as I did.

Whilst on exchange, I undertook intensive language classes which I feel strengthened my language skills. In addition, I believe the best way to learn a language is to fully immerse yourself in the culture. Living in Japan for a year was the most beneficial thing I could have done for myself.

Exchange not only afforded me the opportunity of studying abroad, but the skills I gained from living abroad and being fully independent were lifelong. I had to learn very quickly how to make important decisions, without falling back on my parents or friends, and to live with the consequences. I feel that coming back from exchange has made me a stronger, more capable person.

It has been my dream to live in Japan and study abroad and I am so glad I got to take part in an exchange programme. I hope one day to return to Japan and work in a field that allows me to help strengthen the already strong bonds between our two great nations.

Finally, I would like to thank the Endeavour Australia Cheung Kong Awards without which my dream would never have come true.

© Copyright 2018 CK Group. All rights reserved.