“One of the greatest discoveries a person makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn’t do”.

Henry Ford

A way out of the comfort zone

Living in our home countries, speaking fluently in the local language, knowing where to find our favourite dishes, how the transport works, what to do and what to avoid doing, what´s right and what’s wrong, meeting friends everywhere, knowing where to go to enjoy our favourite hobbies and studying or working in our majors is not a hard deal.

We are, of course, habituated to our daily routine. However, sometimes we need to get to that inflection point that drastically challenges our cosmovision and changes our behaviour.

I was a couple of semesters before completing my bachelor´s degree in Psychology in Colombia, when I planned to embark on this great adventure to Australia.

I arrived in Melbourne about a year and a half ago, as soon as I finished my undergraduate studies. I couldn´t speak fluent English. I had to open a bank account, get a mobile plan, buy groceries for the first time and, of course, learn to cook my own meals.

I had to understand how the transport worked here, reduce communication with friends and family due to different time zones and get a part-time job to gather enough financial resources to afford daily expenses.

Hence, it wasn´t difficult to feel afraid, anxious, alone and somehow wrong about the decision I made, but at the same time I felt challenged and rewarded.

A wealthy country

I commenced my language improvement at Vic Uni. There, I voluntarily introduced new students to the uni campus where I met people from a large number of countries.

While I’ve been here, I’ve eaten dishes from many different gastronomical backgrounds even using chopsticks, mingled with diverse cultures, celebrated New Year twice a year thanks to the East Asian traditions and joined completely new sports to me like footy and cricket.

I enjoyed the huge number of events that happen around like the Australian Open tennis, Formula 1 Grand Prix and many music festivals.

Indeed, that´s what makes Australia so unique and worthy. Much more than the developed economy of the country, the best part of studying in Australia is to have the opportunity to learn from its diversity, visit museums, learn from its history and experience the breathtaking landscapes and sunsets.

I feel encouraged by those thousands of brave immigrants and overseas students who have left their comfort zone to come to Australia to be challenged and become a better version of themselves.

A future to achieve

I am currently studying my master´s degree in Human Resource Management at CQUni through a scholarship I achieved due to my undergraduate academic performance.

Taking into consideration my bachelor´s degree in psychology, I decided to focus my career on improving people’s quality of life through developing the organisation where they work, while at the same time increasing the revenue of the company.

I´m certainly sure that the academic program I’ve chosen, my uni professors, classmates and the support provided around me will help me to reach my objectives.

Carlos Bravo - travel to Sydney — Visiting Sydney – recognise the landmark behind me?

Additionally, CQUni has given me the beautiful opportunity to be part of the Campus Life Committee (CLC), where we attempt to improve the students experience in regards to their study and life in Australia.

So, for all the students who are struggling with any issue, we are here to help, give a hand or simply guide you to proper and adequate support.

Finally, my advice: join every single activity, try every single dish, talk to everyone, learn and enjoy as much as possible morally and mindfully, because you only get one life and your life relies on your attitude.

Watch my story: