New Beginnings!

Hello Mates! Hallie here.  First of all, I would like to say that I am absolutely ecstatic than in 1 month, my Australian Adventure will begin!  Currently, I am a junior at Purdue University studying Plant Genetics, Breeding, and Biotechnology.  This spring, I will be an exchange student at the University of New England in Armidale, New South Wales Australia! While I am abroad, Australia will be experiencing late-summer/fall... which means I am dodging the harsh, Indiana winter. I am quite stoked, to say the least.

I chose this university because they have a great agriculture program, and I am really excited to be learning about crops not as common as those grown in the US.  For instance, cotton and canola are two of Australia's most major crops.  They also rank pretty high in dairy and sheep production.  While I am abroad, I will be taking a class on Genomic Analysis and Cotton Production, in addition to a Social Media course.

Something super cool about colleges in Australia is that residence colleges are a HUGE deal.  Each residence college has its own crest and sports teams, and members band together almost like members of a fraternity or a sorority would.  In fact, many have extension application and interview processes, just to even be selected.  I am very proud to say that I will be a member of Saint Albert's residence college.  I am really looking forward to playing an intramural sport (I'm thinking soccer at the moment) and going to the pubs with my floor mates.

While everything has been a little overwhelming to prepare, I know that I am about to go on the trip of a lifetime.  I will try to get on this blog as much as I possibly can over the course of the trimester.  Be prepared (hopefully!) for some great stories and photos.


-Hallie