April 20, 2011

SLU AT Study Abroad Opportunity - Australia

A Semester Down Under
by: Libby Deiters, Athletic Training Student
SLU MAT Class of 2013

Oui Mate!! I don’t even know where to begin when I describe the amazing sights that I saw while living in Australia for four months; from the Great Barrier Reef to the Opera House in Sydney. When I first decided to study abroad I was so nervous and never thought that I would be able to last across the world from everyone. I soon proved myself wrong. I loved every minute of it and not a day goes by that I don’t wish I could turn back time and do it all again! While in Australia I went skydiving above the Western most tip of Australia while looking 300 miles down the coast, I went scuba diving at four different spots on the Great Barrier Reef, and I played with over fifty kangaroos. That doesn’t even do justice for all the other beautiful places that I visited.

Libby Deiters and friends scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef.
While I was in Australia I was also asked to participate in the Australian University Games I played basketball for Bond University, my host school. I was one of the three Americans that were asked to play in the whole tournament. Playing basketball in another country has allowed me to see the differences between American and international basketball, for example we played on a  different size court than we have here. This experience gave me the opportunity to see how other countries view sports medicine and also gave me a chance to observe the environment that other athletic trainers worked in. In Australia their major in athletic training is called Physiology and their role is mostly in rehabilitation rather than focusing on preventative measures.

My one piece of advice for every college student who is given the chance to study in another country: DO IT, you will NEVER regret it! Study abroad has allowed me to not only learn about another culture, but also learn a lot about myself and I can say that it has impacted my future as an Athletic Trainer, I now feel more confident when asked to work with other cultures traveling to another country has allowed me to see the wide range of environments that we are able to work in. One day I hope that I return to Australia working as an Athletic Trainer.

This is one of several posts featuring SLU AT Student study abroad experiences.  Because of its 3-2 format, the SLU AT program gives students a unique ability to study abroad.  For more information about study abroad experiences at SLU go to: http://www.slu.edu/x26920.xml .

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