When I walked into my gym class on the first day of school, I did not expect to make a new international friend. I met Millie Stevens, who is studying at Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School for the first semester of the 2023-2024 school year as a sophomore. Below she recalls her fascinating experiences with being in the United States thus far, including cultural differences between the U.S. and Australia.
Q: Where are you from?
A: Sydney, Australia.
Q: How long are you staying in the U.S. [for]?
A: Six months.
Q: Why did you decide to [study abroad in the U.S.]?
A: To live the American dream…[also] because my sister did [this study abroad program six years ago]. I wanted to travel and experience life while I’m young. And I thought ‘why not?’
Q: What has been your favorite part of staying here so far?
A: Making new friends from across the world…I like being spontaneous.
Q: What are some cultural differences you’ve noticed that exist between Australia and the U.S.?
A: [In Australia], our school is outside. [Another difference is that America has] more cities with cars and we have beaches and surfing. Americans are [also] much shorter than Australians.
Q: What is the most memorable thing you’ve experienced so far here?
A: Going to the football Friday night game. [In Australia] we don’t have Friday night games. We just have the professional league…we don’t do school sports. It’s not competitive in school, you [typically] play outside [of] school. We [also] don’t have clubs [in school].
Q: How do you hope to continue to pursue your love of traveling in the future?
A: I’m just gonna get little jobs, make money and then [I’ll get a] few of my mates and we can just travel the world.
Q: What is one piece of advice you would give to someone who’s looking to study in the U.S.?
A: Do it. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Q: What are some things you’ve learned about the U.S. or just about yourself in general through being here?
A: I’ve learned that there are deer chilling in the backyard. I’ve [also] learned that Americans are actually smarter than Australians.
Q: What do you miss about your home?
A: I miss the laid back atmosphere…very calm [and] chill schooling. It’s much more stressful here. [Americans get] too much homework. I miss my friends [too].
Q: Lastly, do kangaroos actually run around Australia?
A: Kangaroos? [You see them] everywhere you go.
I was excited to have the opportunity to meet a student from Australia and to find out what life is like in another continent, where life is vastly different from what we are familiar with in America.
