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Arriving at UNC: First Impressions of Chapel Hill
By Adam Lamin, (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States) Before arriving at UNC, I had already had a slightly unusual start to my year abroad. One of my friends from home came out to the US with me beforehand, and we spent a couple of weeks in Miami before eventually driving up to Chapel Hill. After that, arriving at UNC the day before orientation felt like the real beginning of the exchange. I arrived at UNC knowing absolutely no one, but strangely, I did not feel nervous at all. I expected to maybe feel overwhelmed or slightly anxious, but instead I just felt excited. I had this…
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Expectations vs Reality – Travelling Across Southeast Asia During My Year Abroad
By Micha Raja, Singapore Management University (SMU), Singapore Before leaving for Singapore, I assumed I’d probably get the chance to travel during the university holidays. What I didn’t expect was just how much time I’d actually have. By the end of the year, I found myself taking trips almost every other week. Of course, there were periods where I had to fully focus on university (especially during the exam seasons) but overall, there was far more opportunity to travel than I had anticipated. Being based in Singapore made exploring SE Asia incredibly accessible and over the year I managed to visit almost every country in that region and some more! Looking back, those experiences…
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Rockin’ around the Canadian Rockies
By Katie Dolan, McGill University, Canada Banff, you are absolutely beautiful! After a year in Montreal, a couple of friends and I decided to take a final big trip to the Canadian Rockies before our exchange was over. In early May, we went to Banff, and I can confirm that it is well and truly worth the hype. We landed in Calgary late at night, so it was very dark when we arrived in Banff, and we didn’t see much that night. The next morning, I got ready and went downstairs for breakfast where we were staying. I have never in my life made toast with such an incredible view.…
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my solo trip to Japan 🇯🇵
By Yun, Hong Kong University of Science & Technology Business School – Hong Kong I’ve always heard how good Japan is for solo travelers, and I can confirm that it is!! I spent 9 days in this beautiful country and I managed to visit 6 cities in total! Tokyo • Food ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ • Public Transport ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ • Things to do ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ • Favourite thing about the city: Hopping on the sightseeing bus and seeing the city in the night Mount Fuji (Yamanashi & Shizuoka) • Food: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ • Public Transport: ⭐️⭐️ • Things to do: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ • Favourite thing about the city: Watching the sunrise by Mount Fuji Kyoto •…
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my trip to bali <3
By Yun, Hong Kong University of Science & Technology Business School – Hong Kong I went on an amazing trip with my friends to Bali, Indonesia in December 2025. It’s around a 5-hour flight from Hong Kong and one of the cheapest destinations in South East Asia! Our first half was spent in Uluwatu, and second half we spent it in Canggu (the more crowded and touristy area). Amazing beaches Tasty food Breathtaking sunsets Other places we recommend! Villas in Bali are cheap, so if you’re going with a group of friends, the final cost per person is quite little (we paid US$100 pp for 6 nights in total) Some…
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finally here in HK
By Yun, Hong Kong University of Science & Technology Business School – Hong Kong I flew from my hometown back in mainland China, about a 2-hr flight from HK and I was lucky enought to see HKUST from the sky. What a beautiful university. My first impression of HK from the sky was how tall of a city it is. I had never seen such a big cluster of tall buildings all around the city. (27/08/2025) After landing, I was immediately hit with the humid and hot weather that Hong Kong summers are known for. A nice lady came to pick me up from the airport, and she barely spoke…
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food recs in HK :)
By Yun, Hong Kong University of Science & Technology Business School – Hong Kong Hong Kong is known for the amazing food it has and as someone who has lived here for several months already, I have to agree. Below are some of the best food spots I’ve been so far. Waso Café (Kwun Tong) It’s a very popular Cha Can Teng chain in HK, and we went to their Kwun Tong store (relatively less crowded than their other locations) NOC Café (Tseung Kwan O) This is a great brunch spot if you’re looking for healthy and yummy options. My all-time favourite is their beef bowl. Calle Ocho (Causeway Bay)…
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Reflecting on Semester 2 adventures…
The University of Otago – Kara Dillon As my second semester is coming to an end, I find myself reflecting on my time here in New Zealand. There are too many unforgettable moments that I would love to share with you, however a particular favourite from this semester, was during the mid semester break. I was lucky enough to be joined by my sister for a trip of a lifetime round the South Island. We started off by driving to Te Anau – a small town on the way to Milford Sound. The following day we made our way to Milford Sound for a cruise which I have been desperate…
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A Brit in the Business School
During my exchange at Rutgers Business School, I took diverse business classes, developed valuable skills, and engaged in networking opportunities, whilst making some amazing friends!
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Where Sustainability Isn’t a Trend – It’s Just Germany
By Miranda Dreisin (Universität Leipzig, Germany) I had a friend visiting me recently in Germany, and on an afternoon walk through one of Leipzig’s most beautiful parks, she asked me if the entire city had randomly woken up that morning and decided to go cycling. It was that comment that made me realise that the sustainability that had initially suprised me, had become something I had slowly stopped noticing. Living in Germany has made eco friendliness seem like less of an occasional effort, and more like a consistent everyday expectation. The Culture of Recycling One of the first things I noticed after arriving in Germany was the recycling system –…
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A STUDENT’S GUIDE TO THE BEST BAKERIES IN BUDAPEST
By Nadine, Eotvos Lorand University – Budapest, Hungary If you’re anything like me, baked goods are a staple in your life. I’m not talking about the Lidl or Aldi type (although they do have their place), I’m talking about the handcrafted, exquisite, flavourful kind, where there’s always a queue outside the shop. When I moved over here, my bakery expectations were not very high. Honestly, I didn’t associate Budapest with bakeries — boy, was I wrong! Here is a student’s guide to my top four bakeries in the city (at least on the Pest side). Arán Bakery Arán, which means “bread” in Old Irish, is situated in the Jewish Quarter,…
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4 Interesting Modules of Law at the University of Helsinki
by Ria Mair, University of Helsinki, Finland 1. Animal Law I was excited to study this module since it was a specific area of law that I had not come across at the University of Manchester. ‘Animal law’ covered the main theories and approaches of animal law; local, regional and international regulation; and future prospects. There were many political aspects to this course, following the increase in practices such as animal testing and environmental issues like climate change. A lot of the theories regarding animal rights are linked to human rights, such as the topic of ‘sentience’, discussing where the line is drawn between beings, or the capabilities approach, which…
A study abroad journal by students, for students.
