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The Library Always Finds You: A Semester in Sydney, One Year On
By Meg Luddington, University of Sydney, Australia I am writing this as I enter the very final week of my degree. Outside my window is Manchester, a city that I love, even when it is raining, as it currently is. Endings always make me reflective, and a time I try to gather my thoughts on the chapter that has just been. As I reflect on the university chapter, I keep finding that many of my fondest memories are not from Manchester at all, but from my semester in Sydney.
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Accomodation Opportunities: ResLife Grant Scheme
By Joe Ashby, University of Sydney, Australia I wanted to take the time to write about a really cool opportunity available for students staying in USYD accommodation. To my knowledge, in all student halls across Sydney, ResLife will be closely tied to your accommodation experience. In QMB, my residence, several events have been put on aiming to integrate the myriad of international and exchange students together. These are all great, and whether or not you should choose to attend them, you will definitely get the sense that there is considerable effort being put into a smooth integration process for you.
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Looking back on Australia
Vitoria Spoorenberg, University of Sydney Reflecting on my time abroad is difficult because truthfully, I never wanted it to end. The hardest part of studying abroad was leaving. I can confirm reverse culture / re-entry shock is real. The reason why so many clichés about studying abroad exist is because there is no other way to put it; studying abroad truly was the most incredible experience of my life. I made friends that I know will be there for life, who bring out the best in me and make me laugh for hours on end. I travelled to the most insanely beautiful places and made memories that I will carry…
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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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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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An amazing start to summer
Bethan Rowsby, University of Sydney Summer has well and truly kicked off here with highs of 41 degrees in Sydney! I have recently moved to a room on the third floor, and it has been so hot up here. But, the view makes up for it as the Sydney skyline is beautiful and every time I look at it I am reminded where I am. Aside from moving rooms, which wasn’t hard as all my stuff fits into one suitcase these days, at the beginning of summer I took a trip to the Great Barrier Reef! I felt that I couldn’t go back home after being in Australia for over…
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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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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…
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My 3rd blog post
By Moses Chun (The University of Sydney, Australia) My semester break was amazing as I travelled to the Gold Coast and it was a fabulous and relaxing trip! As I touched down at the Gold Coast airport after a short, one hour flight, I instantly felt in holiday mood as everything there suggested nothing but a great holiday. The weather was perfect and since it is already late summer, the temperature was not too hot and the sky was clear. The Gold Coast was amazing but it was time to go back to University. It has been two weeks since the semester break and it’s getting busy as my timetable is filled with assessments. Having just finished two midterm exams, there are still three essays and one tutorial presentation to come. Course assessments in Sydney are quite different from what we have in Manchester as there are more components to them. All of my four courses include at least four assessments, each spread throughout the semester so there will be at least one assessment per week in the second half of my semester. As I read my earlier blog posts, I find the way I wrote about my time abroad isn’t the most interesting, a bit like James May driving a Ferrari. Therefore I think the best way to tell you about my experience abroad and especially, how amazing it was at the Gold Coast, is to post some pictures and I hope you won’t be too jealous 😛 It is 6:30am on the 25th of April while I am writing this blog post, after attending the ANZAC Day dawn service at the Garden of Remembrance nearby. It was a special experience and good reason to wake up before dawn. Hopefully I can update the blog soon. It is time to get back to work.
A study abroad journal by students, for students.
