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The Library Always Finds You: A Semester in Sydney, One Year On
By Meg Luddington, University of Sydney, Australia I am writing this as I enter the very final week of my degree. Outside my window is Manchester, a city that I love, even when it is raining, as it currently is. Endings always make me reflective, and a time I try to gather my thoughts on the chapter that has just been. As I reflect on the university chapter, I keep finding that many of my fondest memories are not from Manchester at all, but from my semester in Sydney.
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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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Accomodation Opportunities: ResLife Grant Scheme
By Joe Ashby, University of Sydney, Australia I wanted to take the time to write about a really cool opportunity available for students staying in USYD accommodation. To my knowledge, in all student halls across Sydney, ResLife will be closely tied to your accommodation experience. In QMB, my residence, several events have been put on aiming to integrate the myriad of international and exchange students together. These are all great, and whether or not you should choose to attend them, you will definitely get the sense that there is considerable effort being put into a smooth integration process for you.
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Achieving my dream of seeing the Great Barrier Reef and Byron Bay
By Logan Tilley, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia Ever since watching my first Attenborough-narrated environmental documentary when I was a kid, there was only one place top of my list for places to go in the world. That was the Great Barrier Reef, and this trip reassured me that it was about the smartest dream I’ve ever had. If there’s one blatant thing that UNSW has over USyd, it’s this – the exchange-only winter term course ‘Coral Reefs in a Changing Climate’. Not only was this perfect for me as a Geography student who loves the environment, but it offered a field trip to the Heron Island Research…
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Weekend Trips In Sydney: Blue Mountains
By Joe Ashby, University of Sydney, Australia I didn’t expect to be writing a ‘trip ideas’ blog so soon, but this weekend away is perfect for anyone studying in Sydney who’s looking to take a break from the chaos of the city – especially as an escape during the exam season.
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Arriving In Sydney: My Experience
By Joe Ashby, University of Sydney, Australia The actual journey to Sydney was a long one, as to be expected, so it seems naïve of me to brush over the long delays and questionable in-flight meals, however, I think it actually highlights how impactful the arrival was, and how irrelevant the difficulties of getting there quickly become.
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The highlights of my first two weeks in Sydney – Life and recommendations
By Logan Tilley, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia Some tips and recommendations before you come to Sydney:
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First week living in New Zealand: pre-departure tips and first impressions
By Maja Peach, University of Auckland, New Zealand One week into living in Auckland and it has been even better than I had expected, with so many opportunities to meet people from all over the world and start experiencing life in New Zealand together. The first week has been filled with making friends, discovering the city, orientation activities, and even a boat trip to a nearby seaside village. I thought I’d start by writing about my tips for what to prepare before leaving and detail some of the highlights of the first week!
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Navigating the Skies: A Guide to Handling Long-Distance Flights
By Honor Cessford, Australian National University Due to its gorgeous beaches, buzzing cities, and tropical climate, Australia was my dream study-abroad destination. However, this meant traveling to the other side of the world, which can be a bit of a challenge. Here are my top tips (learning from experience) to help make the lengthy journey as peaceful and enjoyable as possible.
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Dealing with the temporary nature of studying abroad
By Emma Colson, University of Auckland, New Zealand Studying abroad is so exciting for so many different reasons, but one anxiety I could not get rid of until I got here was the worry I wouldn’t make any friends. It seems ridiculous now, but it was a real thought in the back of my head – what if I’m on the other side of the world and I don’t really click with anyone? Fast forward 4 months and now my worry is that I’m not going to see those friends for an indefinite period of time after spending day-in-day-out with them for months. That is the temporary nature of…
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Bula! A Week in Fiji
By Lauren Tennant, University of New South Wales, Australia Fiji has always been high up on my bucket list and due to its remote location, getting there from the UK feels near impossible ( and $$$! ). However, we spotted $400 return flights (around £215) from Sydney to Nadi and very last-minute decided to plan the dream trip. Having spoken to multiple people that had done a similar trip, I have a few tips to help you when budgeting and booking for Fiji.
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Insights into Student Life in New Zealand
By Emma Colson, University of Auckland, New Zealand For me, one of the hardest parts of the application to study abroad was choosing the 10 countries/ universities to put down and even harder, to choose a top 3. The University of Auckland was my third choice, but having been here for over 3 months, I couldn’t be happier that I was allocated here. Having said that, before coming, I had little to no knowledge about the university or the country, so for those interested in what New Zealand has to offer I hope my experience will help you.
A study abroad journal by students, for students.
