UTS Think Global

Life in Berlin

April 7, 2015

My first impressions of Berlin were COLD! I had been here as a tourist but it completely different when you are living in a country. The first few weeks are spent setting up your life which is a lot more interesting in German!

It certainly helps that you are surrounded by a group of people who are going through exactly the same things you are and have the same drive to explore the new city you all find yourselves in. Berlin really is a city for everyone. It has a great nightlife, amazing history, incredible museums and above all is a place that you just want to wander around all day. I was also really surprised by how diverse the food is! I was expecting schnitzels and pretzels everywhere but it actually has a very strong Turkish influence so I have been eating more kebabs than anything!

I haven’t started Uni yet but had a compulsory 2 week German course. This really helped with the basics so that you can pick up bits and pieces everywhere. Most people speak English but it is fun trying to learn the language. Google translate also comes in handy!

After freezing for the first few weeks I decided to make the most of the cold and book a ski trip. I went to Saalbach in Austria with another student. We had so much snow whilst we were there and it truly felt like a winter wonderland. We were staying right on the slopes so you could ski in and out of the hotel which was awesome. The different seasons are really nice. Berlin is starting to get warmer and the trees are getting blossoms on them which look really beautiful.

Travelling around Europe is really easy! I have already booked my next trip to Amsterdam for King’s day. I have been really lucky with my timetable and have 4 day weekends so I have a lot more travelling ahead of me.

I am looking forward to getting to know my new home better. Every day really is a new adventure.

Exchange has really put me outside my comfort zone but not even a month into it and I’d say it is one of the best decisions I have made. I would encourage anyone who can to take advantage of it.

Vanessa
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St Patrick’s day celebrations

Brandenburg Gate

Sightseeing in Berlin

Lots of Beer!

Skiing on the Austrian Alps

Much deserved break on the slopes

Breakfast with a view in Austria
Vienna University of Business and Economics, WU

April 7, 2015

Hi everyone!

My name is Nadja and I am an international student from UTS.

I had the wonderful opportunity to fly to Europe and spend the summer semester (UTS Autumn) in the beautiful city of Vienna, Austria

Because at first I didn’t know that international students are allowed to go on exchange too, I decided to tell you a bit about my experience and how the application process and my first weeks here went!

The application Process The whole application process with UTS and WU were surprisingly simple and straightforward. You fill out the application to UTS and at the beginning of the next semester you will be notified whether you have been nominated and to which of your preferences. For the further application to WU, you just have to fill out an online sheet with your personal data. After a few days you will receive your confirmation of enrollment which brings us to the next part: Housing Options WU sent me a friendly email to check if I would like to live in one of the student housings. Most of the housing options in Vienna are centrally organized by OEAD. This means that students of all Universities in Vienna will live together, which is fun because you will meet people from different backgrounds. However, this also means that your friends may live all the way across the city. As I said before, the selection of housing options is massive and vary greatly in terms of prices and quality. I chose a shared flat in ‘Gasgasse’ which is one of the largest dorms and newly built. Public transportation is very simple, there are trains every 5 minutes and you can buy a semester ticket for 150 Euro which is also a good deal! Gasgasse Building

Vienna

Vienna is the beautiful capital of Austria and it offers the perfect mix of cultural activities and nightlife. On top of that, it is perfectly located in central Europe which makes it a great base for your travels in Europe (By train it’s just 1 hour to Bratislava, 2.5 hours to Budapest and close to Germany as well). Vienna is proud of its heritage with numerous castles like Schloss Schönbrunn, Schloss Belvedere and the imperial castle. The Museumsquartier is a whole little universe of art, architecture, music cafés and bars. But if you want to act like a real local, hang out at the square and bring your own drinks (Yes, public drinking is legal in Europe!). Also, the nightlife in Vienna is great: At the beginning you will probably go to the EBN (Exchange Student Network) parties to meet new people but then you will see that there are bars and clubs for every taste 😉 Schloss Schönbrunn Gloriette

WU (Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien)

WU is the largest business school in Europe and has a very good reputation in the field of Economics and related areas. The uni offers a large variety of courses taught in English which are not too time consuming or difficult. The campus is very modern and has many facilities and cafés. WU’s exchange network also offers many activities, like trips to spas, lasertag or trips to other cities in Europe. In my few weeks in Vienna, I made a lot of friends from all over the world. An exchange is something that lets you experience so many new things and Vienna is a great place to go to: Perfectly located, a vibrant nightlife andgood Uni as well 😉

One of the WU Buildings

Nadja Sigmund
Zürich – the Swiss Bliss ☺

April 7, 2015

Living in Zürich, Switzerland has been a “life changing” experience (the cliché is real).

Zürich IS AN UNREAL CITY. There is something to do in every little corner. It has 300,000 population and it is so chill. IT IS ALSO SO BEAUTIFUL. I could never get tired of going to the lake or sun baking in 14 degree weather (14 degrees is considered warm LOL).

Snowy Zürich 🙂

For the last two months, I have been to four different countries (Switzerland, England, France and Germany) and a lot of cool day trips in Switzerland. It is really easy to day trips in Switzerland. Seriously, I cant believe it has only been two months.

Chateau De Chillon, Switzerland.

Englischer Garten, Munich Germany

Harry Potter World, London England

I live a ten minute walk to the University of Zürich and the main city. This is AMAZING because at home I live about an hour away from UTS. The people I live with are pretty cool and are from everywhere in the world. However, sharing a kitchen with 60 people however does have its ups and downs.

University life, the classes I am taking are Masters classes in Law and are pretty interesting. There are no tutorials/seminars and only lectures – so self directed learning is a must. The lecturers are leaders in the field and we all knock on the table (like clap) after the elcture ends – this I am still getting used to.

Uetliberg, Zürich

You may all think Switzerland is really expensive. But take the motto 1 AUD = 1 Swiss dollar and then everything is the same. No seriously Mcdonalds cost 13 franc = $18 (but you can figure out the cheaper places or go to germany). I am actually learning to cook because it is cheaper.

Language barriers are not an issue. Switzerland has three official languages (Swiss German, French and Italian) and English. Most people in Zurich speak english. People are so polite, so that when you try and order in german they respond to you in english. I recommend you try and learn some german before coming to Switzerland. Also go to the two week intensive german class before semester begins, you will meet heaps of people.

Zürich Lake

The people I have meet are from all over the world.They are pretty awesome and are eager to travel. Some of my closest friends on exchange are from Finland, Singapore, Korea and Sweden. I was never considering Finland on my travel Plans in the European Summer, but now its like my main priority and they are also making plans to visit Australia. (which is AWESOME) There are also a lot of Australians from all over Australia studying in Zurich – so its pretty cool to meet them to.

ALSO, GOING TO THE GYM IS FREE (but lol that has not helped my weight gain – #fatgap and too much chocolate). I have attended Super Kondi classes (High intensity aerobic class) and as I write this now I am recovering from basketball spiel. (I don’t think they were happy with my basketball skills J)

If you are all considering going on exchange, I highly recommend it as a MUST. Your whole perspective on life will change and you will actually learn so much about yourself. START SAVING YOUR MONEY, never say no and TRY EVERYTHING.

Them Swiss Alps 🙂

I should really get on to the study thing……..

Emma Yogarajah 🙂
IN DUTCH THE J’s ARE PRONOUCED AS IF THEY WERE Y’s

April 7, 2015

Hi there!

My name is Jason and I am currently 3 months into my exchange at the Technical University of Eindhoven in the Netherlands. I am studying my Masters of Architecture and in my final year of study.

EINDHOVEN? I’VE NEVER HEARD OF SUCH PLACE!

Eindhoven is a small city in the South of the Netherlands about an hour and a half away from the border of Germany and Belgium. The city is designed much like Paris in that the main core of the city is enclosed by a ring highway. Inside the ring is where you will most of the city life and everything that lies beyond is bulk of the suburban areas. I found out very quickly that while Eindhoven is quite small, the place really packs quite a punch in terms of student life and city culture.

LET’S GET AROUND

First things first, you have to get a bike. Biking is a central part of Dutch culture and it is the number one way to get around the city. Everyone rides a bike, I have seen grandmothers, students and children that do not look like they are old enough to walk ride a bike. With a bike you will be able to cover the city centre from end to end in about 30-40 minutes – it is good exercise and if you have an itch to explore you will be sure to find some really beautiful places (Hint: Dusk is a great time to go on a cycle, especially in the south).

STRATUM – THE PLACE TO BE

The core of the culture in Eindhoven lies in a strip called Stratum. If the records books serve me well, I believe that this infamous strip breaks the record for having the most bars, clubs and restaurants on the same street in Europe with the count at 68. Stratum really lights up as Eindhoven’s festival centre during Carnaval, a festival where the whole town dresses up and parties for 4 days straight much like the Venetian ‘Carnavale’. It happens usually around mid-February and is a lead in to the Catholic tradition of Lent. It can be quite strange for foreigners but Dutch are a friendly bunch and will make sure you feel at home.

RANDOM THINGS I HAVE OBSERVED ABOUT THE DUTCH

– The Dutch love cheese sandwiches and ham sandwiches

– There are ‘hot food’ vending machines in the city centre

– There is an obsession with the colour orange

– They love their markets

– Mayonnaise and fries are a thing here (It is actually ridiculously good)

TU/e

The University itself is quite large and located in the centre of city, really good if you are after a true campus experience. As a student, there are a lot of facilities such as a large sports centre, the black light cinema, hairdressers, numerous cafeterias located around campus and bars for each faculty to name a few. Most buildings on campus are connected to each other via a sky bridge located on the first floor which becomes useful for when it gets really cold and windy. The campus also has a large area of green space and a river that runs through it.

TU/e ARCHITECTURE

The architecture department is quite big here and encompasses other built environment subjects like urban design and structural design so you get a good mix of students. There are pretty good facilities here and they tend to enforce a more workshop culture. Their workshop is quite extensive in the equipment they have and is open all day to all students. Materials are cheap and so is printing. The teaching is quite different to UTS but I find it to be quite a nice change up.

MY HOME AWAY FROM HOME

A unique thing happens on exchange is that while you become immersed in the culture of your host country; you also gain incredible insight into other countries through your interaction with other international students that you meet. For me this insight happened through my flatmates. I live with a girl from Istanbul and a guy from Singapore and through our daily interactions I have learned so much about their respective countries from the political conditions, the food and all the idiosyncrasies that make their country unique. It’s a real eye opener and you end up really appreciating the diversity of the world around you. We do a lot of cooking together because compared to Australia; groceries are an absolute steal here. It is also good way to get to know each other whilst keeping healthy…who said students can’t cook?

Jason Tran

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First Real Blog – In 日本

April 7, 2015

こんにちわ！

私は Caitlin です。And I have now finally arrived in my new home, Kyoto. Honestly, I came here with little expectations, but having been to Tokyo for 5 days before, I did have a bar set (especially on food). I was truly nervous beforehand, getting on the bus with luggage was a bit difficult, but after meeting a fellow exchange student on the bus, and making my way to the university to meet my “buddy”, I was already calming down. It’s so helpful having a buddy, and the international staff at the university were so polite and welcoming. Actually all Japanese people are. Yes you are a foreigner, so you will be given special treatment, but if you are staying for exchange it may actually make you feel better looked after rather than alienated. So straight away my buddy shows me to my dormitory, and omg the security guard/house keeper is the friendliest, most awesome guy ever (I already even have him on Facebook). He will do anything to help you, and explains all the rules of the dorm. If you have never been to Japan, you will soon find that everything is meticulously done here, from cooking, cleaning, presentation, clothes, manners, etc, and you will catch yourself doing the same. It’s important you keep your room neat and tidy, because I think they do inspections as well. A good thing is though, whilst I came with expectations that my room would be minuscule and cramped, it’s actually quite big (for a one person room), with shower room, toilet, kitchen and washing machine nicely fitting, and a balcony to boot. I’m really comfortable already 🙂

The first night there was already a welcome party for all the newcomers, but the great thing was that it was hosted by students who had already done a semester here, and you could see how confident and comfortable they were (and how good their Japanese was). Yes it is a little scarier when everyone actually knows each other, but be yourself and everyone will accept you. I feel like I have already made some friends who will become precious by the end of my time here, and I can’t wait to get to know them more.

So I haven’t seen much of the city yet since my dorm is so close to the uni (5 minutes walk), but everyone rides bikes here, so everything becomes closer.

In terms of food, I’m a real fan of Japanese food, and Kyoto will not let you down. There are many restaurants and convenient stores around the university and near the dorms, also a mini-department store stocks everything you need for your house, so its super convenient.

It’s so funny that whilst Japan used to seem a world away when I was in Australia, I’ve already settled down and enjoyed it so much. The people are ridiculously polite, everywhere is so neat and pretty, the food is delicious, and well, I can’t wait to tackle the language even more, and learn more Japanese!!

頑張ります！（がんばります）

11702370 – Caitlin 🙂
I am definitely not Bordeaux this

April 7, 2015

Like every other entry on this blog has said, I’m going cut to the chase – if you’re thinking about doing exchange do it.

I am currently studying at KEDGE Business School in Bordeaux which is located in the south west of France. The population of the city is just under 250,000 but there are over 10 universities and tertiary educational institutes so there is definitely a young vibe to the city. The city could be described as your stereotypical French city where you notoriously known for its quality wines and wineries.

As KEDGE is a grande école, the way of teaching and the way the school functions is extremely flexible. For example, instead of completing 4 subjects for the full semester, there are 8 cycles of 4 weeks during the year. In these cycles are the courses that are 30 hours each (45 if you do a french language course) and you can do a maximum of 2 subjects. During these 4 weeks you can have up to 3 teachers for one course and, for a reason that not one person can explain, the classrooms change every day and every weeks timetable varies which can be quite confusing at first when you are swapping from one side of campus to the other for the same class over a 4 week period. To make matters a little bit more different, the third week of every cycle you have a “study” break, thats right, every 4 weeks you have a holiday which is perfect for exchange students. So far I have been able to visit Paris, London, Hogwarts, Oxford, Bath, Dublin, Belfast, Lisbon, Arcachon, Toulouse, Lisbon, Geneva and Rome. I am actually writing this on the train from Rome to Milan. (send help – no wifi for 6 hours)

International Weekend Trip to Arcachon to a “beach”

Even when I am at school, there is an emphasis on the social life rather than studies. This hit me from week one where for the last 3 months we had the campaigns for the student offices. Back at home, I don’t hear about the student campaigns until about one week before the elections and most students spend time running away from desperate people with pamphlets or iPads that get chucked on the floor straight away. (Sorry if you’re one of these people but you already know everyone hates you) . The student campaigners at KEDGE pay around 350 euros to be a part of the teams and for 3 months they do whatever to get peoples vote. This includes dancing in the hallway for your entertainment (French people can’t dance), giving out free pastries for breakfast, offer to clean your apartments and if you give them the money they will go and buy anything (and I mean anything) for you definitely if its a difficult item to find. Although this might make it sound like a continuous frat party, you are able to study some pretty interesting specialist subjects with some of the leading industry professionals, for example, I am currently completing a subject called wine marketing where, in the interest of our education, we went to Chateau Bouscaut, one of the most prestigious wineries in the world, to see how they produce the wine and of course to taste it.

Studying hard at Chateau Bouscaut

In spite of all the travelling I have done, I’ve had the opportunity to experience the Bordelaise culture and way of living. This includes the sunday morning markets where there is a store that gives away broken macaroons for free, the 90 cents fresh pain au chocolats from the school cafeteria and even the late night 2 euro runs for ingenious kebabs where they put the fries inside the way home from a night out. I have even had the chance to go to an alternative ballet performance at the Grand Theatre in Bordeaux.

Only a quarter of the cheese you can purchase from the weekly Sunday markets

In all seriousness, doing an exchange has probably been the best decision I have ever made and I can narely remember the anxiety and regret I felt when I got on an airplane by myself to go live in a country that is notoriously known for disliking foreigners (only half true).

Asantewaa Asima

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Switzerland, you really are something

April 7, 2015

Grüezi from Switzerland!

I have been studying law subjects at the University of Zurich for two months, and it still feels surreal being on exchange. If I glance outside my bedroom window there is a farm. Across the road, there is a lake for swimming. It feels incredible to live in a country with such picturesque landscapes.

Living in Zurich is almost too easy. The transport system is punctual, and if you plan on going for road trips, the highways are designed well (but I still think its bizarre that everyone drives on the right side of the road!). Although people speak Swiss-German, most speak really good English, and the Swiss are always super helpful. Yes, everything is expensive but if it’s a Swiss product you can trust its quality and that it was produced ethically. The prices can also be compensated by the amazing selection of cheese, chocolate and wine. Learning the recycling system was a bit of a hurdle in the beginning. The Swiss produce the least amount of waste per capita, so once you’ve got it you’ll appreciate the system. I live in WOKO Housing at Caesar-Ritz Strasse. Its mainly exchange students so it’s always fun to go down and play ping pong and fooseball (still working on my tekkers).

Six months of exchange is really not long enough. I feel like I have seen and experienced so much, yet there is still so much more out there. I really don’t want to come home! If you have ever hesitated about going on exchange, don’t. It really will be an unforgettable experience. You will learn so much about yourself, people of all different cultures and backgrounds, and the world.

Tiffany Lau
Guangzhou as an Exchange destination

April 7, 2015

The thought of going on exchange excited me throughout uni life. After months and months of preparation, here I am in Guangzhou city.

My first impressions of the city were – chaotic, polluted and people, so many people. For the first few weeks of my stay, I experienced a little culture shock. With 12.6 million people in one city, there’s little room for privacy in public places such as metros, restaurants or supermarkets. You may be pushed, squeezed when catching public transports or someone might decide to skip the line in the supermarket. While this is not acceptable back home, it is considered to be normal in China. Tolerance and understanding that people do things differently in a different country helped me settled in.

Guangzhou is vibrant, bustling and has abundance to offer – culture, food and history. Many local restaurants serve authentic local dishes, snacks and drinks. Cantonese cuisine is one of the most famous eight Chinese cuisines. For those who love food, Guangzhou is a paradise. There’s always something new to see, something new to eat and something new to play from affordable shopping to enjoying a cruise on the Perl River. A quick one hour high-speed train ride can take you to Hong Kong or other nearby cities in China. After three weeks of settling in, I’m loving my exchange experience.

This was set to be the best experience that uni could’ve offered me.

Bun

Guangzhou, China
We’re not in Cairnsas anymore…

April 7, 2015

It’s 9pm in Kyoto, Tuesday 31^st March and I have arrived at my college residence, greeted by the other exchange students from Italy, Spain, Germany, Ireland and of course, Australia.

Rewind 42 hours…

I left home on Monday the 30^th March at 5am heading for Sydney domestic airport for my flight to Cairns and eventually on to Osaka, Japan. After struggling to keep my luggage at the correct weight I had cleared the check-in desk and was on my way straight to the aeroplane. At 6am I took off from Sydney. I arrived in Cairns at 8am for what was going to be a few hours stop over. After many delayed messages over the loud speaker repeatedly throughout the day, the flight to Osaka that day was cancelled. As a result everyone from that flight was put up for the night in a hotel in Cairns which turned out to be quite nice. After over 24 hours in Cairns I was finally taking off and on my way to Japan finally.

It has been an amazing first few days. Every single thing that I have experienced so far has been great. It is currently spring in Kyoto so the weather isn’t too hot or too cold. The cherry blossoms have only just begun to bloom and so it is a very pretty city. On top of all of this I am very much enjoying being able to speak in Japanese everyday with very few English words spoken. It is such a surreal experience to walk around a city and be able to understand and communicate with everyone in their native language. It has been great going to the shops and asking in Japanese for things I need in order to set up my room.

The food is another plus in Japan. I haven’t had too much of a chance to cook myself yet as I am not settled or organised enough yet but I have found a great shopping centre nearby called ‘Kyoto Family’ with a food court which sells cheap and traditional Japanese food. My Japanese assistant student at my university took me there on my first day and on the second day I was able to act like a local and take some of the other exchange students there.

Delayed in Cairns for 24 hours

Flying over Japan towards Osaka

First day at KUFS. Welcome ceremony with all new students from Japan and abroad

Frollicking amongst the cherry blossoms with the other exchange students

First proper Japanese meal, only $4!!

Joshua Parker

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Ghent: Europe’s hidden treasure

April 7, 2015

Beer is love. Beer is life. Beer is breakfast, lunch and dinner.
If you haven’t guessed already, I’m currently studying in Belgium, in the beautiful city of Ghent. Filled with thousands of students, and heaps of great cafes and bars, Ghent is really known as a progressive student city chocked full of culture and arts. The students work really hard, and party even harder. Even though you’ll find that you’re probably taking on more subjects here than you would back in Aus, don’t let that deter you from studying here, trying a variety of different subjects and having the adventure of a lifetime. Belgian people are extremely friendly and everyone here speaks English.

Ghent is wonderfully picturesque:

It snowed in my first week of arrival

The view from my bedroom window

Tuesday arvo strolls along the canal

Gravensteen castle just casually smack bang in the middle of the city centre

Crazy Belgian beer culture: All of the bars have hundreds of different kinds of beers to choose from, be sure to try a new one each time! Also, 5-11% beers are standard here. Brace yourself.

Riding a bike everywhere: I really do mean everywhere. Whether it’s to the supermarket, or to the city nightclub, cycling will be your no. 1 mode of transport as a local. It’s just a 5-10 minute bike ride from the Ghent University student dorms to the city centre, and although Ghent isn’t a large city, having a bike will make exploring it and discovering its secrets that much better.

Travelling: Belgium is really central to Europe, making weekend trips a total breeze. In just two months, I’ve already visited all three of Belgium’s other major cities: Brussels (the capital city), Antwerp and Bruges. Plus daytrips to France (Paris and Lille) and to the Netherlands (Amsterdam). Mind you, France is just a one hour train ride away.

I never want to leave

I won’t even get into how amazing the chocolate, the waffles and the fries (hot chips) are in Belgium. You’ll have to discover it all for yourself!

Get in my belly

Emma Vu-Doan
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51.054342 3.717424

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