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The end of study abroad
For what seemed like ages, going on study abroad was my next big thing to prepare for and look forward to, but after what seems like a blink of an eye, it’s over. I’m still getting my head round this and will probably not need much prompting at all to talk about my year for the foreseeable future (hopefully not in too much of a gap-yah style).
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Home Sweet Home
By Jing-Jing Hu (University of British Columbia Okanagan, Canada) After another two weeks of travelling in Canada and the US, I eventually made my way back home – first to Germany and then to Manchester (at last). In Germany, I spent the majority of my time with friends and family, exchanging stories on all the things that had happened in the last few months (and there were a lot), celebrating my sister’s highschool graduation and visiting friends in different cities in the area. It took me a while to realise that I am not in Canada anymore (it is summer, but where is the snow?!), but I eventually got used to the fact that…
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What happened next?
By Jing-Jing Hu (University of British Columbia Okanagan, Canada) About one and a half months ago my time at UBCO came officially to an end and it was time to say goodbye – goodbye to UBCO, but not to Canada. After we had finished our exams, Maria, a friend from Mexico, and I made our way to Banff and Lake Louise. It took us quite a while to get there (yes, it all looks very close on the map… maybe a bit too close), but the view awaiting us was simply breath-taking. I would even say that Banff was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to. Nothing…
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Manchester beanie takes on North America
By Ros Harwood (Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada) To finish up my blog posts about my year abroad, I have some photos to share giving a snapshot of the five weeks I spent travelling to mark the end of my year abroad. It was a fantastic trip and I ticked off a lot of places I have always wanted to visit! I attempted to mark each place with a Manchester beanie picture. Travel is such a key part of study abroad, make the most of the opportunities! Canada Toronto > Rocky Mountains (Banff and Jasper) > Vancouver USA: Seattle > Portland > Yosemite & Sierra National Parks > Death Valley >…
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My Vancouver Top 10
By Katie Lewin (Simon Fraser University, Canada) Now I’m finished at SFU I’ve been thinking about all the things I’ve got up to this year – time has gone so quickly! I thought I’d make a list of my top 10 favourite things to see/do/eat in Vancouver for those coming to SFU or UBC in the future, or anyone just visiting. So here they are, in no particular order: Stanley Park This is an obvious one, but walking or cycling the seawall is lovely when the weather’s nice with views over the ocean and mountains. The park also contains aquarium, which is good value, and trails through the forests and beaches. At…
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The End of SFU
By Katie Lewin (Simon Fraser University, Canada) I leave to go travelling to the east of Canada in two days so I have been busy packing up my stuff, finishing exams and saying bye to my friends. I can’t believe how quickly time has gone, especially the second semester. I am glad I chose to study abroad as it has enabled me to learn and explore so much. I definitely feel so much more confident in myself and I can’t believe how far I have come. I struggled a bit in first semester and it took me a long time to settle in, but once I felt more comfortable with how…
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The last month of the best year ever
By Giulietta Grassi (University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada) It’s officially one month ’til I leave the best city in the world, one month ’til I come home to London and start my final year at Manchester. I am lost for words just thinking about it; I can’t believe a year has passed so quickly… I just want to fly back to the beginning and do it all over again. It has been the best year of my life!! The past month has been packed with trying to see and do as much as possible. We visited Seattle again for the weekend, had one last trip to the USA, and visited…
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Halftime – 2 months gone and 2 to go
By Jing-Jing Hu (University of British Columbia Okanagan, Canada) Two more months in beautiful BC. To some it may sound like a lot, but I feel like a day passes in the blink of an eye and two months are gone only too soon. Before I arrived here, I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but there is just so much to do and to explore, I discover something new every day. The more time I spend here, the more I want to stay. Today I went hiking on Knox Mountain with a friend and the view was simply breath-taking. I was especially amazed by the water and the different…
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A week in Vancouver
By Jing-Jing Hu (University of British Columbia Okanagan, Canada) Thursday, 12th February It’s reading week – hip hip hooray! As soon as classes ended last Friday, my friends and I packed our bags and headed to the Greyhound station (a Greyhound is a coach that takes you to different cities in Canada for relatively cheap prices). Destination: Vancouver. I’m actually at a friend’s house in Vancouver right now as I am writing this post, which means we are already halfway through reading week *sigh*. Here are some pictures of my trip: One of our first stops was the UBC Vancouver campus. A friend who goes to UBC Van showed us…
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Semester 2 so far…
By Katie Lewin (Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada) After a lovely Christmas break at home, I returned to SFU feeling refreshed and excited for the second semester. So far I have enjoyed this semester more than the first as I just feel so much more settled and in the swing of things. I took the opportunity to do two courses from Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies, as well as two from Geography. I have found these really interesting and definitely recommend other exchange students to do courses outside of their normal subject as it’s a nice change and a chance to learn about other things that interest you. I…
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Trips (Seattle, L.A. and Whistler)
By Giulietta Grassi (University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada) The trips and travelling have been one of the best things about studying abroad! I’ve loved going away with everyone, from researching where we’re going and where we’re staying right down to getting on a plane all together and finding our way in a new place. Here is a breakdown of some of the places I’ve been to so far during my first semester: SEATTLE Seattle was the first place on our list of places to visit. It’s so easy to access from Vancouver, a 4 hour coach journey and you’re across the border and in the US of AAAA. I loved Seattle!…
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Countdown to Canada
By Jing-Jing Hu (University of British Columbia Okanagan, Canada) 27th December 2014 One more week, 7 days, 168 hours, 10,080 minutes or 604,800 seconds, to go until I will board the plane from Frankfurt to Kelowna; 6 months in another country, 6 months on another continent. When I look back at the past three months, I cannot help but wonder where all the time has gone. I still remember talking to Global Ambassadors and representatives at the Study Abroad fair, going from stall to stall to learn more about different destinations and universities while listening to the stories of returning students. It feels like yesterday when I handed in my…
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