Kylie Tabor, TEAN Abroad: Perth, Australia Spring 2024
On a normal day I wake up around 7:30 A.M. (Aussies wake up super
early! It’s a part of the culture!), eat some brekkie, and head to whatever
classes I have for that day. Classes are longer in Australia, but you
typically only have them once or twice a week. My campus is rather large
so I have had to look up where my buildings were on maps a good few
times. Never be ashamed to ask either if you are still unsure and google
maps doesn’t give you an answer! After classes I will sometimes go into
the CBD (central business district) to do some shopping. Woolworths is a
magical place! They have just about everything you could ever want.
However, it is important to note that many Australian stores close early, so
you usually see stores closing between 5-8 p.m. on a normal day. Sundays
they close even earlier (if they are open at all!) I use a credit card that I got
in the U.S. that has no international fee, that way I can earn airline miles
on top of my purchases. However, you have to be careful with credit
cards. It is definitely easier to spend your money with them than it is a
debit card! Apple/Samsung Pay is very common in Australia so I try my
best to always use it. This is so I have a digital log of all of my purchases
made that day. After figuring out the conversion rate, I put all of my
expenses into my budget spreadsheet which only allows me to spend a
certain amount on specific categories every month. This is especially
important when it comes to studying abroad, as it becomes very easy to
spend your money without thinking about it. While it is a once in a
lifetime experience, and you should make the most of it, spending more
money than you have is never worth it. After inputting my expenses in my
budget, I can see if I have any left over to go out to “the Tav” with friends.
If I do, I love being able to go to the on-campus bar with some friends to
blow off steam from the week! Yes, I said on-campus. After Tav, we head
back to our accommodation and get a good night’s rest until we do it all
over again the next morning!
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