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More than the headlines
by Scarlett Gilligan, la Universidad de las Americas Puebla, Mexico N.B. In late February 2026 there were reports of cartel-related unrest and violence in Mexico. This was primarily in western Mexico, but some other cities, including Puebla City, experienced some spillover disruption. This blog is a little more serious. As important as it is to focus on the amazing things that a year abroad can provide, nothing is ever perfect. Just like anywhere in the world, things can change overnight. This week in Mexico, a large figure in the cartel realm was killed, sparking violence across parts of the country. We found out on the way back from our Malinche…
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Keeping up with hobbies whilst on exchange in Melbourne
By Amelie Duroux, University of Melbourne, Australia What I hadn’t expected when I moved to Melbourne for my exchange was how much I’d miss the activities I would do every week in Manchester. When you suddenly leave that life behind, there’s nothing making you continue these activities, but I hadn’t realised how much they had contributed to my identity and given me structure in my weekly routine. Luckily for me, I found ways to keep most of these hobbies going, and also start some new ones. For example, in Manchester I went bouldering with my friend every Monday. I was worried that I wouldn’t find anyone who liked climbing in…
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Returning to the Bloc: Student Life in One of Leipzig’s GDR Plattenbaus
By Miranda Dreisin, (Universität Leipzig, Germany) Living in Leipzig means living among history – and in my case, inside it – in an apartment block defined by the housing policies of communist East Germany. My block belongs to a type of housing called Plattenbau, roughly translating to a prefabricated building or an industrial apartment block. For decades, Leipzig stood on the eastern side of the Iron Curtain, shaped by the socialist policies of the German Democratic Republic. When I chose to spend my year abroad here, it was a choice influenced by my desire to better understand the history that is strongly written into the city. Leipzig’s Communist Past From…
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Life at ANU and in Canberra: What to Expect
By Lily Amos, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia Coming to ANU as an exchange student, there is quite a lot to get your head around — a new city, a new campus, a new academic system. Here is what I wish someone had told me before I arrived. Courses and Academics ANU runs on a major and minor system, which means that as an exchange student, you may (depending on your course) have a lot more freedom to explore subject areas outside your home degree than you might expect. For me, studying Politics and International Relations, this has been one of the best parts of the whole experience. I’ve…
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Festivals, Events, and Why Canberra Surprised Me
By Lily Amos, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia Before I moved to Canberra, my expectations for its social calendar were, honestly, modest. It’s a planned city, a government city, famously described as “a good sheep station ruined” — not exactly the language of a thriving events scene. I was wrong, and I’m glad about it. Canberra turns out to have a genuinely packed festivals calendar, and the city’s layout — all that green open space, that lake, the mountain backdrop — actually makes it a spectacular setting for big outdoor events. Here are the highlights worth knowing about. Canberra Balloon Spectacular Every March, hot air balloons launch over the city…
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Setting Up in Japan: Shopping Guide
By YiPin Wu, University of Tokyo, Japan Moving to Tokyo? Here are the shops you actually need to know about. Daiso (ダイソー) — Your First Stop Seriously, go here first. Daiso is Japan’s famous 100-yen shop, and it’s so much better than it sounds. Plates, bowls, chopsticks, hangers, storage boxes, cleaning supplies, stationery, kitchen stuff, all ¥110 (about 70p) each. Whatever you think you need, just check Daiso first. I managed to tick off most of my moving-in list for under ¥3,000 (roughly £15). I’d recommend doing a big Daiso sweep in your first few days before spending money anywhere else. Nitori (ニトリ) — Japan’s IKEA For the bigger stuff,…
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A day in my life as a Shanghai student
Eva Tollett – Fudan University – Shanghai, China Of course, every day is slightly different due to my timetable and social schedule but I will introduce what an average day living in Shanghai looks like for me. I have 4 hours of class a day, all Chinese language but covering different aspects like grammar, spoken and written Chinese. An normal day will be from 10-3 with a break for lunch. This does make it feel a bit like school as you are in the same classroom with the same people every day. I quite like this though as it can mean you form really close bonds with your classmates. My…
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Life at UTokyo: A Guide to Komaba Campus
by YiPin Wu, University of Tokyo, Japan If you’ve ever wanted to study at the University of Tokyo, let me take you on a tour of Komaba Campus — the main hub for exchange students. Nestled just two stops from Shibuya on the Keio Inokashira Line (about 20 minutes on foot), it’s also within walking distance of Nakameguro — known for its cafés and cherry blossoms — and Shimokitazawa, famous for vintage shops and curry. It’s hard to believe this calm, tree-lined campus exists in the heart of central Tokyo. Campus Life In my first semester, I had six classes a week — the minimum recommended. One thing that really…
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Travelling Hungary: Day Trips to Escape the Capital
By Nadine, Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest, Hungary Existing as one of Europe’s most vibrant capitals, Budapest is often remembered for its prosecco cruises and ruin bars. What if I told you however, some of Hungary’s most memorable experiences lie just beyond it. From historic cities to hidden gorges, these day trips offer an ideal escape from what can be an intense capital-centric lifestyle. Esztergom: perfect for history lovers Once the old capital of Hungary, Esztergom is a beautiful city located approximately 46km north of Budapest. Taking the direct Z72 train from Budapest’s Nyugati train station, the hour-long journey passes through towns including Pilisjászfalu and Piliscsaba. I was lucky enough…
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If I Could Start My Exchange Year Again: Lessons from Calgary
Deborah Oshidero, University of Calgary, Canada Spending a year abroad at the University of Calgary has been one of the most exciting, challenging, and eye-opening experiences of my life. Looking back now I feel like there was a lot of things I would do differently if I had the chance to start it all over again. So this last blog from me is essentially me telling you what to consider and do when on your own year abroad experience! While I wouldn’t change the friendships, the memories, or even most of the mistakes, there are definitely a few practical things I wish I had known from the beginning. First and…
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All about Melbourne accommodation: where to live whilst studying on exchange
By Amelie Duroux, University of Melbourne, Australia It can be so tricky to know the best place to live at university, especially when you are moving across the world to study abroad. I personally had no idea which accommodation to choose when I was preparing to move over to Melbourne, and ended up choosing the accommodation that the majority of the other University of Manchester students chose. The student living culture at the University of Melbourne is so different to the UK universities, because the majority of Australian students do not move away from home – they continue living at home and commute into university, sometimes with journeys which are…
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Choose your timings
Scarlett Gilligan, Universidad de las americas Puebla, Mexico One thing to consider about your year abroad is how you choose to divide it. For me personally, I believed the most suitable thing for me was to stay for the entire year, something I don’t regret at all. However, I have friends that have moved to South America for semester 2, friends that have moved to work in CDMX for semester two, and some who are spending their first semester in Mexico after Christmas. I have loved both semesters dearly but without a doubt, they are starkly different, each with their advantages and disadvantages. Here I will try to stay as…
A study abroad journal by students, for students.
