Penn Abroad Ambassador Era Cairns

era
EAP: CAS, Spring 2023
from The University of Sydney
EAP: University of Sydney
Program
Exchange at Penn (EAP)

Ask Me About...

  • Living in another country for the first time
  • Traveling to neighbouring cities
  • Student life, college houses, dining plans
  • Anything!

My Experience at Penn:

My time at Penn has exceeded my expectations in every way. Studying in the United States has always been a dream of mine, as I am fascinated by American political practice.  My time at Penn has allowed me to learn from American scholars firsthand. As part of one class, I was able to travel to Washington, D.C. and meet with policymakers, clarifying my desire to work in diplomacy after graduation. My professors at Penn have been super helpful and supportive of my goal to study in the U.S. for grad school. Overall, I am so grateful for my time at Penn as it has made me a more independent and connected global citizen.

Other Highlights:

Looking back at my exchange experience, I have so many fond memories it is difficult to narrow them all down! I love all the friends I made and even travelled with them to New York, Charleston and Boston. Although the workload at Penn can be intense, I still made time to immerse myself in Penn's social life by going to parties on weekends. During weekdays, we spent many nights in the cinema near campus watching all the new releases (The Super Mario Bros movie was my favourite!).

My exchange friends and I enjoyed trying American food places like Chick Fil A, Raising Canes, Taco Bell, Chipotle, IHOP and Cheesecake Factory. The dining halls were a fun experience as I had never lived on campus before coming to Penn on exchange. While in Philadelphia, I had the incredible opportunity to witness NBA and Phillies baseball games in person, which I strongly recommend, even if you are not a sports enthusiast like myself!

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