-
First Impressions of UBC
By Joe Gaskin (University of British Columbia, Canada) First impressions It has been a long time coming but I am finally in Vancouver at UBC (and have been now for over three weeks now). It was a long journey getting here that included fourteen hours of travelling and a two-hour wait for my study permit at Canadian immigration. Due to the time difference of eight hours between Vancouver and the UK I was unbelievably tired by the time I got into downtown Vancouver but it was only late afternoon, so I powered through to night time trying my best to stay awake despite the demands of my body clock. I…
-
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…
-
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…
-
Reflections On Returning To Manchester… A Year On
By Sophie Black (University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada) It’s been a year since my time at UBC ended. The sense of spontaneity and adventure has long gone, taken over by the dreaded dissertation and final year stress. Living in Canada for the year taught me to be flexible, open-minded to different cultures, and adapt to new ways of thinking and doing things. I have grown in so many ways – I have more confidence, I am far more independent, and my mum says I am noticeably more mature (I’m not sure what she is insinuating… but I’ll take it as a complement!). It has made me more appreciative of what…
-
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…
-
Kangaroos in Kelowna
By Jing-Jing Hu (University of British Columbia Okanagan, Canada) With only one and a half weeks of teaching left, the term is slowly coming to an end. After weeks full of coursework, from term papers and assignments to group work and presentations, I finally found time to visit the kangaroo farm that reopened about two weeks ago. They had a variety of kangaroos (wallabies and wallaroos to be precise), from brown ones to grey ones and even an albino kangaroo. Apart from that, there were also some other animals such as peacocks, parrots and sugar gliders, but the baby kangaroos were my favourite. On the left you can see my…
-
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…
-
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…
-
Academic differences between Manchester and UBCO
By Jing-Jing Hu (University of British Columbia Okanagan, Canada) To all those coming to UBCO, or interested in coming to UBCO, here are some differences that you might be interested in knowing beforehand: Term dates and alternative assessment The second term at UBCO starts about two weeks earlier than in Manchester and lasts about four months. Since the start of the term at UBCO falls into the January examination period in Manchester, you have to arrange alternative assessment for these exams. While it is in most cases possible to arrange alternative assessment in the form of an essay in more discursive subjects, such as Politics and Philosophy, other departments, such…
-
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!…
-
New City, New Uni, New Home
By Jing-Jing Hu (University of British Columbia, Okanagan, Canada) My first two weeks in Kelowna passed by very quickly. I moved into Purcell, a hall of residence on campus, and soon got to know my roommate (we have two separate rooms, but our rooms are connected through a common bathroom). Because afternoon classes and the international student orientation were cancelled due to a snowstorm on my first day of class, my roommate gave me a little tour around the campus and told me everything I needed to know to survive the first week of uni. Despite the cold weather, the Canadians I have met so far seem to be very…
-
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…
A study abroad journal by students, for students.
