UQ Program: Bachelor of Biomedical Science
I am a 3rd year Biomedical Science student that participated in a single semester study abroad with the University of Wisconsin, Madison. I found the University of Wisconsin and the city of Madison to be a beautiful place to study, explore and forge friendships. At first I was overwhelmed by the size of the university as it is not as contained as the University of Queensland, but rather, blends with the surrounding city. 
During my exchange I took courses in Developmental Biology, Host-Parasite Interactions, Immunology, Nutrition and Birds of Southern Wisconsin. All were very good, but if you are by any chance intrigued by the Birds of Southern Wisconsin course be warned that it is a lot of work, predominantly memorization. I found the courses to run in a similar fashion to the University of Queensland and the level of the content was also well matched.
While abroad I stayed in one of the college houses (dorms) positioned on the lakeshore, it was called Kronshage and offered a true American College experience. It was here that I made so many great friends. I did have a roommate which I was apprehensive about at first but it turned out not to be an issue at all. I was centrally located and within walking distance from my classes. There were quite a few perks associated with being a UW student – for example, the public transport was free and so were the 3 on campus gyms. I would like to also warn prospective students that there is a compulsory insurance that must be purchased from the University of Wisconsin, despite having the one offered by the University of Queensland.
If you do get to go to the University of Wisconsin, Madison make sure you go to at least one of the Saturday Farmers Markets, have a tour of the Capitol Building, shop and get a coffee on State Street, walk along lakeshore path and visit picnic point, try the local Babcock Ice-cream and go to at least one of the UW sporting events. Also, if you are going in a Spring Semester you will experience predominantly sub-zero temperatures so packing or buying warm clothes and water-proof shoes is essential.
During my five months away I felt very aware that I was away from home and experiencing a new and exciting adventure but now that I am home it feels like it was a dream. Despite this, I found my U.S. experience to be one that has enriched my higher education and given me memories to treasure for a lifetime. Apart from experiencing studies in another country I also made great, life-long friends and also had the opportunity to travel to cities such as Chicago, New York and Los Angeles. I would strongly recommend studying abroad to any university student!