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Things to do in Sydney!
By Valentina Calcagni, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia What a few months it’s been! Hi 🙂 My name is Valentina Calcagni, and I left the rainy UK for Sydney on July 15th. Three months later, I still feel like this gorgeous city has so much more to offer. Sydney is truly stunning, with its iconic skyline, beautiful beaches, and vibrant culture. There’s always something to do, whether it’s exploring the bustling markets (Glebe is my personal favorite), enjoying the nightlife, or soaking up the sun at the beach.
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Putting the ‘study’ in study abroad
by Lauren Tennant, University of New South Wales, Australia Most my posts have been about settling-in and the travelling experiences on offer in Sydney, however I thought it was important to touch on the studying itself!
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Finally down under! My first impressions of Sydney
By Vitoria Spoorenberg, University of Sydney It’s hard to believe that today marks exactly five weeks since I landed in Sydney. The day I flew to Sydney was bitter-sweet. Naturally, I was nervous and sad to be leaving my family and friends but I was equally excited to start my semester abroad. Soon after I arrived, it become apparent that I had no reason to be nervous. It surprised me how friendly and welcoming everyone was at my accommodation. Everyone is friends with everyone and there’s no real ‘groups’ or ‘cliques’ which is very different to my halls experience in Manchester. Most of the students who live in my accommodation…
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SydNYE
University of Sydney Bhumi Shukla My semester at USyd has ended, but I chose to stay here over Christmas and New Year’s. Why? Just look. I was lucky enough to view the New Year’s Eve celebrations in Sydney from the Opera House itself. Spending 16 hours in the 30 degree heat – yes 16 hours – getting sunburnt, constant naps, few fights, camping outside of the Opera House (literally), it was all worth the struggle at midnight. The first set of fireworks start around 9pm that last around 10-15 minutes. A “pre” celebration I guess. The second set of fireworks commence at midnight, exactly at 12am as we enter January…
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Looking back on Aus
Bethan Rowsby, University of Sydney, Geography. I am writing this having been back in the UK for a month now, and back in Manchester for about 2 weeks. I have just finished my first week back at uni, involving talks regarding my dissertation, introductions to my new classes and seeing friends and coursemates who also went abroad – it has been so great being able to share stories of our years away from Manchester. Amidst all this I have sometimes felt as is my year in Sydney didn’t happen, because everything here has hardly changed and when I returned, I felt the familiarity of it all so quickly. Leaving Sydney…
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Sydney: The Final Sunsets
Bethan Rowsby, Geography, University of Sydney. As I am about to fly to Asia, for a final trip before heading home, I have been reflecting on my year away from home and in my opinion there is no greater opportunity for reflecting than at sunset.
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Still Sydney-siding
Bethan Rowsby, Geography, University of Sydney, Australia. Whilst many of my friends who are also studying abroad are coming to the end of their semester, mine has only just taken off. I’m currently in week 5, with 8 weeks to go and then exams so I will be finished by the 26th June! Or rather I would be, if I didn’t take a class that has a field trip in July to… Indonesia! Oh, the perks of being a Geographer. I am glad as it does mean that I am able to spend more time in Australia before I have to leave (plus it gives me more time for my…
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Christmas in Australia
Bethan Rowsby, University of Sydney I knew I wasn’t going to be going back home to the UK for Christmas, which was sad but it meant I got to experience Christmas in Australia! Since I wasn’t able to spend they day with my family, I was kindly adopted into the home of one of my housemates, Rachel, who lives in Kyneton which is near Melbourne but very much not urban at all. I had a great time out in the country for a week!
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One semester down (under)!
Bethan Rowsby, University of Sydney, Australia. After almost finishing my first semester here at the University of Sydney (it’s gone so quick!), now is as good a time as any to think about my experiences here in comparison to Manchester. Currently I have two exams to go until I get a 15 week long summer break which I am so keen for! And despite my looming exams, I’ve managed to get in a good amount of beach time, as the weather here is just too good not to! The two exams I have are each worth 40% of the class, which is not a lot for a final exam compared…
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Arrival Reflections from Sydney!
Bethan Rowsby, University of Sydney Upon arriving in Sydney, I was met at the airport by my friend Snow, who I actually lived with in my first year in halls when she was on exchange from Australia in Manchester! It was so great to be met with a friendly face and as I battled jet lag we explored Sydney together (she lives in Canberra) and had a long overdue catch up. I am going to visit her in Canberra soon which I am really looking forward to – most people I’ve met in Sydney make a bit of a joke about Canberra in that there isn’t much to do there…
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Pre-Sydney
By Bethan Rowsby (The University of Sydney, Australia) G’day! The posting of this blog is a little late as I arrived in Sydney about two weeks ago (!!!), but here’s what I thought and felt pre-departure! I had everything sorted; visa, health cover and my flight, everything except where I was going to live when I arrived in Sydney. Whilst this was a deliberate decision (I didn’t want to go into university accommodation due to the cost!), it was the thing I was most nervous about. I took my mind off the nerves and my looming departure date by travelling up and down the country, visiting family and friends and saying…
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My ten do’s and don’ts of studying abroad
By Jamie Chapman (The University of Sydney, Australia) Now that my time over here in Sydney is coming to an end, I thought it would be a good idea to reflect on what I think the most important aspects of the study abroad experience are. I’ve made a little list of ten do’s and don’ts, based off of some of the experiences I’ve had during my time in Australia. If you’re in a position like I was, and still deliberating about whether studying abroad is a good idea/nervous about going, hopefully this’ll help! DON’T Plan too much It’s so easy with something like studying abroad to dive right into planning…
A study abroad journal by students, for students.
