As our one month trip comes to a close, I look back on what was an amazing experience.
We learnt so much about the different nutritional issues present in Indonesia and were fortunate enough to attend field visits and see some real life case studies. It was a really interesting to learn why these issues occur and to think about why they don’t occur in Australia. We were also were lucky enough to have enough time to visit all Yogyakarta’s tourist attractions and immerse ourselves in the culture (and food! 😉 ).
If you are currently considering going on exchange I definitely recommend you do! Not only is it fun and exciting, it will increase many of those soft skills employers like such as your ability to communicate effectively and your cultural sensitivity.
My advice to other students who are about to go on exchange: Keep an open mind! You will get so much more out of your trip if you take every opportunity presented to you and are willing to adapt to the culture you are presented with.
Lauren Saurbrey, a Master of Nutrition and Dietetics, is participating in the Nutrition and Dietetics Research Project in Indonesia in 2016