UQ Program: Bachelor of Journalism
I have become a Longhorn. But not of the bull variety. The Texas Longhorn is the symbol of the University of Texas (UT) and Texas pride. And after living and breathing the UT spirit for a semester over spring, I feel like Austin has become a second home and I’m aching at the thought of having to leave.
Many people ask me, “Why Texas?” For me, studying at UT was a dream come true. Austin is the live music capital of the world and I wanted to intern at Austin City Limits, the longest-running live music television show in the U.S. That’s what I’m doing this summer!
The academic workload required some adjusting because they spread assessment throughout the entire semester. It’s a little similar to high school. There’s always readings and homework to do, whether you’re taking “History of Rock” or “Mass Communication Theories”. My advanced elective, “Intermediate Electronic Music Composition”, was one of the most challenging, creative subjects I have studied and it was a thrill to just sit, listen and absorb in every class.
I also decided to take my internship course at the local television news station, KXAN. It was very different to the program at UQ, and my commitment lasted almost five months. Besides being a great work experience, I also saw a lot of the city, surrounding suburbs and met very interesting Texans. 
You really have to visit Austin and Texas to really discover the people and land here. Cowboys don’t crowd the streets and we don’t ride horses to class.
My advice: It might seem like such a difficult thing at the time when you’re juggling so many balls just to get organised for exchange. Believe me when I say that the reward at the end is more than worth the trouble. I have loved every second discovering this new city and making new life-long friends, and also discovering myself and the person I want to be. It’s such a rare opportunity to get away from your familiar bubble, to grow outside of it, and if you have the means to do it, then you should follow your heart to Texas too!
5 Top Tips
1. Drink a Texas Tea at Cain and Abel’s
2. Swim at Barton Springs
3. Float the river (you have to see it to believe it)
4. Learn Texas Two-Step
5. Eat Texas BBQ at Salt Lick