Australia

Well, kind readers, be advised that from tomorrow until April 30th I shall be enjoying the delights and charms of the Antipodes. I shall be resident in Lennox Head, Australia, for the majority of the time, followed by a brief stint in New Zealand. During this exciting time, I will continue to blog, albeit not at this address. To keep up with my adventures, do head over to my Australia-specific blog at the address below:

http://mattschmalzel.tumblr.com


Cheers one and all! Keep the light on for me!

In 80 days...

I will be in Lennox Head, Australia. This weekend there is a big meeting where we will learn the in-depth information about studying in Australia. Classes, roommates, and sundry other things will be decided upon. Also, it will be the first time where everyone who's going will be in the same room. It will be nice to at least get acquainted with faces, if not personalities.

Soon...

The Daily Niblet: Fitzroy Island

Pictured is Fitzroy Island, Australia. It is a small barrier island off the coast of Cairns, Queensland. After seeing this photo and others of the island, I will endeavor to make this place figure prominently on my Australia 2012 itinerary.

Australia, Spring 2012

Lennox Head, New South Wales, with the BSU Australia Center in the foreground

So, remember when I wrote a big long post about how I was so excited about going to Graz, Austria next spring? Well, scrap that.

Turns out enrolling in a foreign university whose language is German is a bit more logistically difficult than your idealistic scribe thought. So, for a variety of reasons, Graz has been thrown out the window. Enter Oz. The Ball State Australia Center is essentially an extension of Ball State located in Lennox Head, New South Wales. The Australia Center is run by a single Ball State faculty member (in this case, an architecture professor), assisted by four Australian faculty from the University of Southern Cross. The nicest logistical thing is that credits, financial aid, and classes will all be Ball State pre-approved.

Of course, the most alluring thing about the Australia Center is its location. The Center is based in a recreation complex in Lennox Head, a small town approximately two hours south of Brisbane and seven hours north of Sydney. Oh, and it's on the beach. The small cabins that students are housed in are literally steps from one of the best beaches in Australia. So, living in the sun for three months is certainly appealing. Also on the complex are a lake with free kayaks, an academic area, and gym.

The surrounding countryside around Lennox Head is composed of subtropical rolling hills in the interior and alternating stretches of cliff and sand along the Pacific Coast. Brisbane, the capital of the adjacent state of Queensland, is two hours north. Between Lennox and Brisbane are several national parks encompassing the stunning scenery of the impressive Blue Mountains.

Built into the program will be field trips to various sites throughout Australia. The Great Barrier Reef, Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra are among the places on the itinerary. In addition, the four day academic week encourages exploration throughout the greater Lennox Head area. A one week spring break begs to be spent in New Zealand.

I am understandably thrilled about this opportunity for its cost, ease, and the amazing sights and landscapes to be found Down Under. I'll be keeping you posted!

Technische Universität Graz, Spring 2012

The Murinsel, an architectural intervention in the Mur River, Graz

Well folks, the decision has been made: I am officially beginning to take the steps necessary to study in Graz, Austria next spring semester (more specifically, from February to June). This was a tough choice to make, and I must remind my readership that it is in no way binding.

For now, I have a lot of meetings to get to and a lot of logistical nonsense to sort through. Wrangling some sort of studio credit (in English) out of the whole ordeal is my chief concern at the moment. Once I figure out that I can fill up a four class schedule (one German, two architecture, and one other class), I will begin the application, which is due August 15th.

I am understandably excited about the prospects of this endeavor. I think it would be just awesome to spend a semester in a place that I love, where I would actually have to integrate with the culture and live like an Austrian student. It is at once a bit scary but also very thrilling. The experiences (especially with the language and culture) could help change my life. And, no offense to any Ball State abroad centers or things like KIIS, but I really want to get out there and find my own way in a way that only an exchange program like ISEP can provide. Matter of preference, I suppose.

Styrian countryside, near Graz

As for location: Graz is the second-largest city in Austria and is located in the southeastern state of Styria (Steiermark, in German). It is a hilly region that stretches between the Alpine Austrian heart and the border with Slovenia, Croatia, and Hungary. Vienna, the Austrian capital, is two hours north, while Salzburg is three hours west, Venice is four hours south, and Budapest five hours east. Graz itself is a well-preserved Medieval town of typical Austrian elegance and charm. There is the token castle, a treasure trove of fine churches, and enough Baroque street scape to keep your humble scribe busy doodling for quite some time. The immediate surroundings of Graz are mainly vineyards (I can see my mother's face turning green with envy already), as Styria is Austria's chief wine-producing region. In fact, southern Styria is often termed "Austrian Tuscany."

Graz is home to two major universities; the Karl-Franzens Universität Graz and the Technische Universität Graz (TUG). The Technische Universität is where I will be enrolled (hopefully, of course), while I will also have the opportunity to take a class or two at Karl-Franzens Universität, which is the school more focused on the humanities. TUG is one of only two technical universities in Austria, and draws many students from both Austria and the surrounding European community. In corresponding with a current CAP student who is in Graz now, I learned that he has had the chance to meet and get to know people from as diverse places as Serbia, Croatia, and Nigeria.

Of course, Graz's location makes it an ideal home base for trips around the region. Me and my fascination with Google Earth have developed ideas for trips to such places as the Austrian Alps, Vienna, Salzburg, Budapest, Venice, Slovenia, Croatia, and Prague. Hopefully time and money will permit these excursions, as I believe that travel to other places is an essential part of studying abroad.

I suppose that is all for now, but I will, patient audience, keep you posted as to my endeavors in this regard. Pray for me, that I might be blessed with a smooth transition into this process.

Oh Where, Oh Where Shall I Study Abroad?

Ladies and Gentlemen, I apologize for not blogging in some time, but things have been horribly busy on this end. Architecture projects and other pests have been conspiring against me recently. But, things are looking a little less stressful during this week and a half lead up to spring break. One thing that has been (and will surely continue) keeping me busy is my exploration of study abroad options for next spring semester. I met with a person in the study abroad office yesterday and we discussed a number of possibilities. My long-held assumption that the Danish Institute for Study Abroad would be my perfect fit was shattered when it was revealed that none of my scholarships or aid would be applicable. This, combined with a number of other logistical nightmares, has made Copenhagen no longer a viable option.

Enter everything else.

Basically, because all architecture schools around the world are same in method (i.e. studio), I have decent latitude in determining where I want to study. Of course, things like credit transfer, language, geography, etc. need to be taken into account. Through ISEP (International Student Exchange Program) I can basically enroll in a partner university abroad while paying Ball State tuition and room and board. Basically, I pay for my spot on my campus, a foreigner pays for his spot on his campus, and we switch places. This, of course works nicely with scholarships and financial aid, since I would be still paying Ball State.

So, that being said, ISEP institutions are fairly limited when it comes to architectural instruction in English. The two most interesting programs I've discovered so far are the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland and the Technische Universität Graz (Technical University of Graz), in Graz, Austria. For a variety of logistical reasons, TU Graz is looking ever more appealing.

For those of you who aren't keen on your Austrian geography, Graz is the second-largest city in the country and is located approximately two hours south of Vienna near the Slovenian and Hungarian borders. It is the capital of the province of Styria (Steiermark in German) and has a very well-preserved old city complete with a castle. Styria is the driest and sunniest region of Austria, which gives it a Mediterranean flair and makes it all the more appealing. It is a foothill region of the Alps, with the main high elevation regions in the north of the province. Graz is well connected with the rest of Austria (and Europe) via many rail lines and bus connections.

There are a number of universities in Graz, and it seems to be a lively, younger town. Of course, Graz's close proximity to other major European cities make it appealing: Vienna and Bratislava are both two hours north, Salzburg three hours west, Budapest three hours east, Zagreb two hours south, and Venice four hours southwest. Of course, location is not everything when deciding where to study, but it does help the decision process along.

Courses at TU Graz are taught in English or German, depending on which you register for. However, all international students take an intensive three-week German course before classes start in order to be better prepared for the culture. This is another plus for the program. I am currently enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts degree, which requires foreign language. Having this practical German experience could make acquiring those credits easier and provide a springboard for future study in German-speaking lands (considering their deep commitment to sustainable design).

So that's the Austrian option. I'd be independent, living with other international students from all over the world, and largely on my own as far as my studies are concerned. This seems not a grave objection considering I came to Ball State not knowing a soul. Part of the adventure I suppose.

Another, totally different option is Ball State's Australia Center in Lennox Head, New South Wales. This is a program operated entirely by Ball State for Ball State students. A team of Ball State and Australian faculty teach. There are many nice benefits of this program from a logistical standpoint. The director of the Australia Center for Spring 2011 is an architecture professor, which would theoretically make studio credit transfer a breeze. Also, everything is done as a group, which makes the possibilities of something going wrong decrease. I would be well-connected with a group of American students and familiar faces, which on the one hand would be really comforting. Also comforting is the fact that student housing is in small cabins that lie steps from the beach.

Australia would be much less of a cultural immersion compared to Austria. That's the one major, major drawback. I want to study abroad to get a different experience than that which I'm getting here, and if I'm with Ball State people in a place which is similar to America culturally, I'm not sure if that goal is going to be met. Then, the other half of me says, "But, you'd be living on the beach!"

Dilemmas and decisions, to be sure. The weeks ahead will be filled with meetings upon meetings. I have to meet with this and that advisor, financial person, study abroad person, etc., etc. Lots to think about on this front. Readers, feel free to voice your opinion on the issue.