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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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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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Affording Australia- Turing scheme and how to get a job….
By Nina Vincent, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia Getting offered Australia for an exchange program is such an amazing and exciting opportunity. While the country offers stunning nature, rich diversity, and plenty of incredible cities to explore, it’s definitely not the most budget-friendly destination. I was super worried about the costs before I came, but there are a lot of options to help make it affordable.
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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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Aussie Adventures: Prepping You for Down Under!
By Honor Cessford, Australian National University Things I wish I knew before moving to Australia If you are considering studying down under, here are several things I wish I had known before I moved to Australia: Australia is Vast and Diverse: Covering over three million square miles, Australia’s size rivals that of the entire European continent. This significant size has implications for travel and transportation so is necessary to keep it in mind when planning trips & transportation. Australia’s Varied Climate: Contrary to the assumption that Australia is always warm, there are distinct seasons. Winters can be quite cold, especially in places like Canberra where temperatures can drop significantly –…
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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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Life at The ANU
By Honor Cessford, The Australian National Univeristy, Australia I must admit, when I found out I was going to be living in Canberra for a year I was a little apprehensive due to its reputation. If you haven’t heard, Canberra is known to be a boring, lifeless city – however this is far from the truth! I am writing this as I finish my first semester at ANU, and I can say I love 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…
A study abroad journal by students, for students.
