International Exchange Students 2014 – My name is Teresa and I am from Austria. When I was seventeen, I have been in Norway for 3 months to do an internship. Ever since I have known that I want to do an exchange semester.

Studying abroad had many different positive aspects. One of the most important, is that I gained a lot more self-confidence. I was open minded and not afraid of talking in a different language, even though it was not a 100% correct, and so I got to know a lot of different people and lifelong friends. A big advantage was that there were only 26 students in our class. Therefore, after some weeks, I knew all my classmates and it was easier to start a conversion or ask for help.

The classes at NSCC are very different to the lectures I would have had back home. During the lessons here, I realized that I am interested in soil, water and atmospheric science and that I want to learn more about these topics. That is why I want to apply for a Master Program at a university at home in any of those fields. If I had not taken the chance to do this exchange semester, I probably would have chosen a different sector of future study programs.

Overall, my experiences here in Nova Scotia and especially at NSCC were really positive. I am really glad that I took the opportunity to study for one semester in Canada.

Thank you.

Teresa Garstenauer

Exchange Student, Austria

Environmental Engineering Technology, Waterfront Campus