-
52 Hours, 7 States, 5 Friends
For our end-of-year trip, we decided to travel sustainably and take the train across the United States from Chicago to San Francisco. We travelled on Amtrak’s California Zephyr, which makes 35 stops along the way.
-
Camping at the foot of Mt. Fuji
By YiPin Wu, (University of Tokyo, Japan) We went to a camping place, called Fumotoppara Campground, which is near Mt.Fuji. I met up with two of my friends at Yokohama and we drove to there. On the way, we stopped at a big supermarket to stock up on everything we needed (ingredients, drinks, firewood…). Driving another 20 minutes, we arrived at the campground. Fumotoppara is famous for its view of Mt. Fuji, but we were just a bit unlucky:) the weather that day was pretty gloomy and we could barely see it. Setting up camp was straightforward enough, but the campfire was a whole other story. The wood we picked…
-
Staying Financially Stable while Studying Abroad in the US.
Phoebe Faupel, North Carolina State University, United States Studying abroad in the United States is an incredible experience, but one thing i quickly realised after arriving at NCSU was how important budgeting and financial planning really are. From food and travel to social activities and everyday essentials, costs can add up super quick if you aren’t careful. While studying abroad is definitely something to enjoy, I’ve learned that staying financially stable makes the experience far less stressful and much more manageable. Here are some of the biggest lessons I have learned about managing money while studying in the US. Budget Before You Arrive: One of the most useful things I…
-
Staying Sustainable In the States
Phoebe Faupel, North Carolina State University, United States Before moving to the United States for my year abroad at North Carolina State University, I wasn’t sure how easy it would be to live sustainably compared to being at university in the UK. I expected to rely heavily on cars and thought I might struggle to maintain some of the habits I’d built at home. However, one thing that genuinely surprised me was how many opportunities there were to make environmentally conscious choices in day-to-day student life. Here are a few ways I have managed to stay sustainable while studying abroad in the States. Walking More Than You Think: Although American…
-
5 Things to know Before Going to University in the States.
Phoebe Faupel, North Carolina State University, United States Studying abroad in the United States has been one of the most exciting and eye-opening experiences of my university journey so far. Moving from the UK to study at North Carolina State University came with a lot of excitement- but also plenty of surprises. If you’re thinking about doing a semester or a year abroad in the US, here are five things i wish i’d known beforehand. 1: Campus Life Really is Like the Movies Before arriving, I thought American campus culture was exaggerated in films and TV shows- but in many ways, it genuinely isn’t. College campuses in the States often…
-
A Collage of My Favourite Activities – Ver. South Korea
If my other posts have been about the big things – the culture shock, the travel, the emotional weight of leaving – then this one is about the small things. The afternoons, in-between moments that didn’t make it into the itnerary but made it into my heart anyway. Consider this a collage: unchronological, unpolished, and entirely honest. Cherry Blossom Walk Spring in Korea arrives slowly at first, snippets of sunshine, a warm breeze cutting through the cold, and then all at once. One week the trees look bare and the next the streets are lined with blossom so dense it almost looks like something out of a fantasy book. We…
-
My Top Tips for Studying Abroad
A year abroad is, in my opinion, one of the best things you can do for yourself. But like anything worth doing, you get out what you put in. Here are some things I hope will help you to either decide whether or not to go for your year abroad, or some things you can think about while out there. Say yes (almost always, and within your means). The version of you that stays in and watches Netflix is not the version of you that comes home with stories. Say yes to the dinner invitation even when you’re tired. Say yes to the day trip you hadn’t planned. Say yes…
-
January in Japan
Three Weeks of Food, Culture and Friends Winter in Korea is cold. It’s so cold. Temperatures can get down to -20°C… so I decided to book a trip to Japan to escape the worst of it. Don’t get me wrong, I love cold weather, but two months straight and you begin to feel differently. I left Korea and its -11°C weather, and flew to Japan, landing in 11°C (still not warm, but marginally better – I’m not built for winter okay) wearing layers upon layers. Happy to be able to take off most of them and not get hypothermia, I left the airport and was picked up by my friend,…
-
Hiking Mt. Ashigara: from Tokyo
By YiPin Wu, (University of Tokyo, Japan) If you’re looking for a day trip from Tokyo that actually gets you into nature, Mt. Ashigara is one to put on the list. It’s about two hours from central Tokyo, the hike is doable, and on a clear day you get one of the best views of Mt. Fuji you can find. Getting There Take the Odakyu Line to Odawara Station, then head to the east exit to catch a bus to the Kintoki-tozanguchi stop, which is about 50 minutes on the bus. One thing to note: buses aren’t that frequent, so check the timetable before you go. The Trail Mt. Kintoki sits at…
-
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…
-
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…
-
North Carolina State University: How to Navigate your first week
By Phoebe, North Carolina State University Leaving home and starting fresh in a new university for a year can seem like a daunting experience. Trading a familiar city, routine, and support network for somewhere completely new inevitably brings a mix of excitement and uncertainty. But stepping onto campus as North Carolina State University for the first time, I quickly realised that a year abroad isn’t just about adapting to new places- it’s about discovering a new version of yourself along the way. Arriving in Raleigh after studying at UOM felt surreal. Manchester’s usually grey skies and tightly packed streets were replaced with the sun, green campus spaces, and a distinctly…
A study abroad journal by students, for students.
