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Canberra: The City of Roundabouts
By Ayero Moro, Australian National University, Australia When I told people I was going to Canberra, the reactions were mixed. ‘’Why not Sydney?’’ I wasn’t even sure what to expect. But after living there for just over a year, I can confidently say: Canberra is unexpectedly charming.
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Making My Room Feel Like Home (Even with Shared Showers)
By Ayero Moro, Australian National University, Australia One of the first things I learned on exchange: you can’t control everything – but you can control how your room feels. And for me, turning my dorm into a little slice of home made all the difference. I stayed at Fenner Hall, one of ANU’s student accommodations. It’s right in the centre of campus, super convenient, and very social. My room came with a bed, fan, desk, shelves, and pinboards I printed out photos from home, took a couple of books from the op shop I knew I wouldn’t read (but looked good), and added fairy lights, of course. Within a week,…
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Law, Labs and a Little Bit of Chaos
By Ayero Moro, Australian National University, Australia When I arrived at ANU, I told myself I’d focus on law but the scientist in me had other ideas. Instead of choosing one academic path, I picked a mix of law, science (we’ll forget about physics…please), and language modules and ended up living in what can only be described as organised chaos.
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6. Brekkie and Breakfast
By Jellaby Lai (Australian National University, Canberra, Australia) “Where is the sun?”, I screamed inside my head whenwalking out of the plane at Manchester airport. It took me a few minutes before accepting the fact that I was back in Manchester, the driest place on earth. Having lived in few different places, spending a few months in a new country is not new to me. However, each time I was shocked to see how my body and mind unconsciously adapted to the environment without noticing. Since Australia and the UK share the same language and Australian culture has largely been influenced by British settlers arriving in 1788, this hugely minimised…
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5. Reflection on my time at Australian National University (ANU)
By Jellaby Lai (Australian National University, Canberra, Australia) Ummm, I have no idea where to start. It has been a crazy, joyful and adventurous six months. So much has been learnt and so many bonds have been made. From the moment I landed in this wonderful, sunny land to the time I had to start packing and say farewell to my friends and the animals (spiders not included) around my hall, not even one second did I halt and think. Now, sitting in front of my laptop (equivalent to a smartwatch in this generation), memories start to sink in and I can’t help but giggle. Reflecting on my study abroad…
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4. End of Semester Trip
By Jellaby Lai (Australian National University, Canberra, Australia) Together with another five exchange students, we went camping along the Great Ocean Road and the outback. Looking at the photos, I can’t help but start planning my next camping trip!
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3. Academic Difference (ANU vs. UoM)
By Jellaby Lai (Australian National University, Canberra, Australia) Studying abroad is all about LEARNING: new culture, new knowledge, new skills, new people and new stories. Today let’s talk about the academic differences between Australian National University in Canberra and The University of Manchester. Talking from experience, I found it extremely helpful to know the differences before starting my semester abroad. (For those who haven’t read my introduction, I did Actuarial Science and Mathematics so the differences I am about to talk about may vary from other courses.) Academic Differences The University of Manchester(UoM) Australian National University (ANU) Course units per semester(Full credit) 6 4 Lecture style In lecture hall or…
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My time abroad so far!
By Grace Griffiths (Australian National University, Canberra, Australia) So as well as my video blog (which is my main blog so check that out if you haven’t!) I just wanted to write a little something something – mainly because it gives me a further reason to procrastinate from work, but also because I forgot to mention some stuff in the video. Firstly, the name of the tour guide to the Blue Mountains was Rod. He was great – your stereotypical outgoing, sarcastic, says-it-as-it-is Ozzie. I’ve noticed that a lot since being here. Australians keep it real, their humour tends to be quite honest and deadpan and I love it. Also,…
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Grace Griffiths (Australian National University)
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Pre-departure Blog
By Grace Griffiths (Australian National University, Canberra, Australia) I want to go back in time and give past Grace a tap on the back for deciding to apply to study abroad. Recently, motivating myself to work has felt like wading through mud whilst carrying a panda bear. I don’t know why a panda bear – it was the first heavy thing that sprung to mind. I may be alone with the analogy but I know I’m not alone with the feeling – exam season can be a bit soul destroying for all of us. You can imagine then, how nice it is and how lucky I feel that as soon…
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Easter Adventure on The Great Ocean Road
By William Kelly (Australian National University, Canberra, Australia) The Easter holidays began and I was very fortunate to be invited on a road trip down along the Great Ocean Road. For those who do not know this, this 243 km of road along the south eastern coast of Australia between the cites of Melbourne and Adelaide. Our plan was to start from Melbourne and to drive down the coast till we got to Warrnambool. Then head back to Melbourne for some sight seeing and a night out. Unfortunately, the drive from Canberra to Melbourne is eight hours! I complain about driving from Manchester to London, but that is a laugh…
A study abroad journal by students, for students.
