Skip to content
FIND PEOPLE | LIBRARIES | NEWS | CALENDAR | MYPACK PORTAL | GIVING | CAMPUS MAP 
 » Apply for Housing
University Housing Logo

Big Adventure Down Under: Study Abroad unveils new cultural perspectives for Alexander Resident

send article
Release Date: 2009-10-13
Contact: Scott Braswell

a photo of Timur Ender sitting on the steps of Alexander Residence Hall
Photo: Timur Ender, Alexander Hall Resident

While boarding a plane for Melbourne, Australia last fall, Alexander resident Timur Ender was filled with a combination of excitement and nervousness.

"I knew I was getting ready to embark on a five-month Study Abroad program, the longest I had ever been from home," he said, "and Australia was definitely the farthest from home I had ever been, so that added a bit to the anxiety."

But what unfurled during that five-month pilgrimage was an enriching and personally fulfilling experience that introduced the NC State student to a wide array of cultural experiences and traditions.

"It turned out to be the best time of my life, to be honest," said Timur. "Monash University in Melbourne provided such a welcoming environment, allowing the students to work, study and live together as a real community."

Timur and other students quickly found the kitchen to be a particularly inviting place to bond and spark new kinships.

"We had a cooking group of seven people who would cook together once a week," he said. "It was a great way to meet friends from all over the world. A little food, conversation and laughter always makes for a great recipe to bring people together."

Timur quickly settled in to his life as an adopted Aussie, learning all the local-preferred hubs and hangouts.

"My favorite part of the experience was feeling like a local in a city thousands of miles away from my home in Raleigh," he said. "I knew where the best restaurants, parks and city sights were; which trains to take, which bike routes were best to ride."

Before Timur left, friends from Melbourne repeated a mantra that initially didn't stick with him: "Once you visit Australia, you'll never want to leave Australia."

"I blew it off at first," he said. "But when I packed to leave I realized they were right…I didn't want to leave.

"I am so thankful for the time I was able to spend in Australia through the Study Abroad program; I truly learned a lot about myself – and about the world."

For more information about NC State's Study Abroad program, visit: http://studyabroad.ncsu.edu/.