Both my language school and the company in charge of my internship were located in the heart of Sydney, so I used train from the house of my host family. This program consists of two weeks English lesson and two weeks internship.

The language school had many students from various areas of the world such as Asia, Europe and South America, and the students took class that fit their level from morning to noon. There was an English-only policy, so I could talk with other students in English during break time. When I completed the program, the class held a small good-bye party for me.

Work hour of my Internship was from 9 AM to 6 PM including 1 hour break. A Japanese media company kindly accepted me as an intern. I performed some promotion related tasks and was allowed to attend company meetings and business talks in English.

What I experienced through homestay and study at the language school experience is that as long as we try to make communication, the language itself doesn’t really matter. However, I admit that being able to speak the language fluently enables you to foster a better understanding of each other and let you make connections with more people. As it is often said, English is just a tool.

With regards to the internship, I could experience what it is like to work at a company and in Australia. There were days in which I struggled, but I learned that whether you and everything else around you can change is entirely up to you. Although one month wasn’t enough to change me drastically, I made friends not only in Australia but also from other parts of the world, and my surroundings have changed. If you decide to go Study Abroad, it’s worth trying! Imagine yourself after your study abroad experience…It’s not that difficult to make that vision come true.

Australia has many Japanese residents and much information available for the Japanese. It also has a pleasant climate. It is an ideal country for students as their first-time study abroad destination.

(Updated: August 4, 2017)