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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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Australian Reunion🇦🇺🐨💙
By Honor Cessford, Australian National University After nearly a whole year apart, we finally managed to arrange an Australian reunion at a time that suited us all! Strangely, five of my closest friends that I met in Canberra all went to The University of Dundee, so it made perfect sense for the rest of us to travel up to Scotland (seen as unfortunately, Australia is slightly too far for a weekend away)! My friend and I hopped on the long train journey from Manchester to Dundee as our friend Jonas boarded a flight from Germany! It just so happened that this weekend coincided with St. Patrick’s Day, which made celebrations…
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What college to choose?
By Nicole Dann, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia The time has finally come where you found out what university you are being shipped off to and things are suddenly starting to feel very real. If you – like I was – are feeling pretty overwhelmed and confused on how you feel, you’re not alone. I was one minute ecstatic that I was moving to Australia and the next minute sobbing because what even is Canberra? Well, I’m here to tell you that ANU is no doubt the best university experience you can get in Australia. It may not have the white sand beaches or crystal blue ocean waters, but it…
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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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Exploring Canberra: A Guide to Enjoyable Activities
By Honor Cessford, Australian National University, Australia Despite its reputation as a dull inland city, Canberra, the capital of Australia, offers an array of fun activities. Disregard the misconceptions and let me share some of my personal favourite things to do in Canberra!
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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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O-Week and first week of lectures
By Tom Collins (Australian National University, Canberra, Australia). On my first morning at Burton and Garran Hall, I’m not gonna lie, I was scared to leave my room. It was the first time I realised I was actually on the other side of the world and had no one. When I finally did leave my room, I went over to the main block and we were all divided into groups of about fifteen and were taken on a tour of the city centre, which they call ‘civic’ in the same way we’d call it ‘town’. Each group bought food and cooked together and everyone shared the food. It’s a really…
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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)
A study abroad journal by students, for students.
