From Alaska to Perth: Nicole’s unexpected adventures

When 19-year-old Nicole Bickford decided to swap her life at the University of Alaska for a semester at Murdoch, she wasn’t quite sure what was ahead of her.

“Aside from unique wildlife, beautiful scenery and a relaxed and diverse culture, I didn’t have a clue what to expect,” she said.

Nicole soon discovered that she loved Perth, especially university life. She has even decided to stay an extra semester at Murdoch and will be studying here until the end of semester one, 2011.

“Before I knew it, I was part of one big happy family, surrounded by some of the most incredible friends I’d ever had.”

Sharing her Murdoch experiences with the world

Nicole created a video about her adventures and entered it in the Study in Australia: 2010 Video Contest, for international students to explore their perceptions of Australia and capture the unexpected experiences of their stay.

“I wanted the video to be both funny and emotional. I wanted my friends to be a big part of it because they have made my time here in Australia perfect,” she said.

From watching the sun set over the Indian Ocean to her encounters with some unusual wildlife behaviour, Nicole’s video shows a range of life-changing experiences – and she won the video competition. She’ll use the grand prize of two return tickets to Australia to fly her mum and sister over next year.

Nicole’s award-winning video

Watch Nicole’s video, An Unexpected Australian Adventure, here:

Nicole said her time her so far has been amazing. “I absolutely love Perth and Murdoch is an awesome university. I’ve found all of my professors and tutors knowledgeable and they care about their students. I have never felt swamped or helpless,” she said. “Also, the campus is gorgeous and well laid out, and living in the Student Village is a blast.”

Nicole, a Natural Sciences student, took part in our Study Abroad Program, which gives overseas students the opportunity to study and live in Western Australia as part of their degree.