UTS Think Global

Hej Hej From Jönköping, Sweden!

March 25, 2015

Firstly, It’s true, they are almost all blonde and blue eyed, and most of them are also really attractive…

It’s hard for me to believe that I’ve been living in Sweden for almost 3 months, when it feels like so much longer. I am staying in the small-compared-to-Sydney city of Jönköping, located somewhere between Stockholm and Gothenburg. Right on the edge of Lake Vättern, it is a very pretty city, with many churches throughout the town. I study at the school of Education and Communication here at Jönköping University, a uni of about 10,000 students.

Kick off week back in January was like nothing I’d ever experienced before. A week of games, introductory lectures, hanging out with our Swedish ‘Fadders’ or fathers, who were like our guardians for the first week (They’re also really awesome people), and of course, going to the student nightclub: Akadamien, or Aka for short. As new international students here, or zeros, as we are referred to, we are all encouraged to get a pair of coloured overalls, that represent what school we are in, so I am blue, for communication, and there’s red for education, yellow for the engineering school, green for business and white for health sciences. We are also awarded patched to stick to our overalls for participation in events that run throughout the semester, so naturally our fadders are covered in them. I think it’s a really unique idea.

I stay at probably the best accommodation here too, at a place called Råslätt, where a certain number of buildings are only available to students, the rest is public housing. We have a nice common room too, called Sockertoppen, where we play pool, table tennis, watch movies etc, and also where we have our parties, which is also pretty cool.

I’ve been on one of the trips organised by the student union, which was to Finnish Lapland, and our group that went was lucky enough to see the Northern Lights on our first night, which is something I’ll never forget. We also wen snowmobiling and husky sledding, both of which were a lot of fun. There’s also a trip to Russia and the Baltics in a few days, and also Norway in May, which I cannot wait for.

I’ve also had many a Fika with friends, a very Swedish thing to do at about 11, then again at 3, where we go for coffee and a light snack. Classes are pretty good, as the work load is literally half of what it is back home, so there’s always time to go out and party/chill. I am also taking Swedish classes, which I am quite proud of.

I’ve made a tonne of lifelong friends on this truly an amazing experience, and I am so glad I applied for global exchange! I don’t want it to end!!

-Rik Dutta in Jönköping, Sweden

The Northern Lights in Finland!

The School for Education and Communication – school where I study

Walks in the forest – A very Swedish thing to do

The first group that went to Finland. I’m the brown guy, front row

A view of one of the buildings at my accommodation
Getting lost in Tokyo, and loving it

March 25, 2015

It’s amazing the places you can see when you go on a walkabout. Surrender yourself to your surroundings, and just enjoy it

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Hola from Madrid

March 25, 2015
Tips for Australians coming to Spain:
1. The people who tell you that Spain is always warm are from cold, cold countries.
2. Goon is no longer necessary. A litre bottle of vodka can be purchased in the supermarket, next to the juice, for four euros.
3. When the Sydney lockouts start happening – about 3am – is the time people in Madrid start entering the club.
It’s been two and a half months so far and I have seen snow for the first time (in big, big quantities travelling through northern Spain), seen some of the capitals of the ancient Islamic world, walked into buildings over a thousands years old and been held up at the end of a checkout frequently for not understanding enough Spanish to talk to the checkout person.

Overall, exchange is a crazy experience. I through myself into the deep end by not totally learning the language or understanding how cold it can get in Madrid (it’s high up on a plateau) but after meeting other international students and starting to get into the vibe of Spain it has been amazing. Cultural differences start to become normal – like the late meals (2:30pm lunch; 9am dinner; 11pm pre-drinks) and the crazy amount of bread and jamón that is everywhere and comes with literally everything (20 cent baguette bread though). Pretty soon I couldn’t imagine how I had lived in Australia where everything stops early, there is loads of space at any restaurant or average bar you walk into and the weather stays at a moderate, predictable temperature.

University here is a bit different – compared to UTS it seems super disorganised, but you learn to deal with it. It’s also much more oldschool (for a MAP student anyway). Classes are very ‘teacher talks, you listen, teacher leaves’ style, but that’s something you get used to as well. In the end, the things you learn from exchange aren’t going to come from your university subjects. Mixing with so many international students in Europe – one of the most culturally diverse places in the world – is amazingly different to the isolated and relatively homogenous Australia. I’ve met girls from Lebanon who study in Beirut and grew up with bombings at different sides of the city being completely normal; people from Canada who live in places that have recently reached temperatures colder than mars; Spanish people who speak four languages and are ready to fly the Spanish flag in the next olympics for Judo. Most of all I’ve met a million kinds of living that are not something I would have considered before – or at least would have considered extreme. The whole experience has managed to make the world seem smaller and all the things I once would have thought were far off now seem tangible. The opportunities in Europe for film and creatives like me are inspiring, and the places you go and times you have (good and bad) while trying to survive by yourself in Europe are really character defining moments.

I would recommend exchange to anyone, it is definitely something that opens up your mind and gives you a new perspective on both the world and life.

Cameron Manion
Adventures in Aarhus

March 25, 2015

Adventures in Aarhus

For my blog I thought I would touch on a few of the characteristics of living in Aarhus and some experiences from the beginning of my time here.

Firstly, the Arhus School of Architecture has a completely different style of teaching to UTS. We spend our time in a studio with 40 other classmates from the 2^nd and 3^rd year. This means you are constantly able to talk about the projects and watch as we all progress through the semester in our own unique ways. Another benefit is being in an International studio which comprises of students from Germany, Ireland, Finland, Sweden, Lithuania, Denmark and of course, Australia.

Part of our course was to visit Western Jutland, a small town in particular called Hvide Sande. When we were there, we were able to visit the Atlantic Wall, which was an extremely odd site. Seeing giant bunkers on the beach as if washed ashore, and being able to climb in, on and through this unique piece of history. Another icon of Denmark is the mass amount of windmills dotted around the countryside, with the ones in the photo above of the beach in Hvide Sande.

Another benefit of living in Aarhus is the cycling culture. After buying your cheap rusty 2^nd hand bike you can weave through the cobbled streets of the city centre and ride to university on the many dedicated bike lanes throughout the city, where well dressed Danes zip past you in apparent ease. There is also a great national bike network which will take you out of the city, around the coast and into the Danish countryside.

Aarhus-ians also love to run, every day. No matter what time it is (and how cold and wet it is) you will find the citizens running through the forest and around the streets. In line with their healthy lifestyle Danes also love to make bread, and are very good at it. Every week I wake up to the smell of my roommates baking fresh bread. Being in another country also has the obvious language barriers, and although my roommates are doing the best in teaching me the useful phrases like ordering a beer, grocery shopping can take a surprisingly long time as you hope that you actually bought the right type of flour.

All in all, I have loved living in Aarhus, and would highly recommend exchange foranyone considering it. After enjoying such a nice lifestyle and meeting so many new friends it might be harder than I thought to return home.

Ashley Jenkins
The Truth About Aarhus

March 25, 2015
Aarhus is a terrible place. It’s full of young, fun-loving, open-minded people who are very helpful and kind. Also, they’re all good-looking. It makes me sick.

I’ve been living in this hellhole for 2 months now and the constant weekly routine of making new friends, partying and learning from enthusiastic and intelligent teachers in a world-class university with excellent facilities has just been the worst experience of my life.

Pretending to enjoy myself Ice skating when really dying inside

Here are a few examples of the horrid things you might find yourself doing in this godforsaken city:
- Have an impromptu snow-fight on your way home from orientation week with some local kids walking home from school and experience the joys of childhood all over again. Disgusting.
- Get invited to a graduation celebration for a guy in your dorm on your second day in the city and develop such a strong bond with the guys that, even after one night, you know you’ve already made a bunch of friends for life. Vomit.
- Ride your bike through the centre of the city, see the new spring blooms all around; purple, pink, white flowers everywhere. Meet your mate at the Irish pub and take turns buying rounds of Guinness until the sun finally disappears behind the picturesque 18^th century buildings. Make it stop.
- Learn about International trademark law from a teacher who is so enthusiastic and passionate that it makes you realise that you are also passionate about trademark law and you now want to pursue a career as a trademark attorney when you get back home. God this sucks.
Having the worst day feeding these deer in this beautiful forest

Honestly, if you’re like me and you hate meeting new people, experiencing new and wonderful things, learning more about yourself and who you are, then don’t come to Aarhus. It’s full of good times, great people and endless opportunities for personal growth. It’s an absolute shit-hole.

Puria Davoodi 10836132
Winter in Waterloo, Canada

March 25, 2015

“Thats such a cool accent. Where are you from?”

“Australia.”

“Ah thats so cool. I’ve always wanted to go there. But, why are you here, in the freezing cold?”

That is a conversation I have had countless times. Whether I am asking directions at uni, in a shop, or waiting in a bar line, this conversation comes up more often than not. It actually raises a very good point, why did I leave lovely Sydney during summer, to come over here and freeze in Waterloo, where the temperature can get as low as -40!

Its a question I have actually asked myself a few times over here. I may get a photo from my friends back home of them on the beach on a beautiful day, then I’ll look out the window at the knee-deep snow I’ll have to trudge through to get to class. But, now that I am near the end of my exchange, I am able to confidently answer that question of why.

The last 3 months have easily been the most exciting and most different of my life. As someone who had seen snow exactly 4 times before coming over here (and had never actually seen it snowing), I never grew tired of the snowfall, or snow on the ground. This led to opportunity I don’t have back in Australia, such as going skiing, getting a ‘snow day’ and, of course, snow fights.

Waterloo itself is a uni town, located a touch over an hour away from the big city, Toronto. The town is populated by students from the University of Waterloo, Wilfred Laurier University and Conestogo College. The combination of the three institutes leads to young people being absolutely everywhere! This has probably been the best thing about exchange over here, as there are so many chances to meet so many different people.

Waterloo is not the most exciting place, scenically speaking, but there is lots to do. If you want to focus on your studies, there are many subjects to choose from that are not offered at UTS. If you want to get involved, there are countless groups and sporting teams to join, and events on almost every night. If you want to let your hair down, being a town full of young people, there are more than enough chances to enjoy a lager on any day of the week.

I joined a dodgeball team whilst over here, which I would strongly recommend doing. It is a great way to make friends, whilst being active, and acts as a good breakup to the study routine.

Another benefit of Waterloo and Canada is travel. Everything is so close, meaning travel by bus is quick and relatively cheap. Since being here, I have been able to; travel to New York, Ottawa, Montreal, Kingston, Toronto (several times), as well as skiing in the USA and Canada. I’ve been able to do these on reasonable budgets, and there are so many other exchange students who are keen to tag along.

The last thing to sell you on Canada and Waterloo is reading week. The Canadian equivalent to spring break, it is a week off during the middle of the semester. I would strongly recommend traveling during this week. I was fortunate enough to head down to Cuba for the week, where I was able to defrost, and indulge in a week full of excitement. The best thing was, it was all expenses paid! Definitely a highlight of my trip.

So, without taking anymore time, Canada and Waterloo have been awesome. I would strongly recommend them to anyone!

A group snap from a trip to Montreal

A photo in the snow at Waterloo

On the beach in Cuba, a chance to defrost

Skiing at Kissing Bridge in the USA

– Hamish Lees
Hola! Greetings from Barcelona!

March 23, 2015

Que Tal 🙂 I hope my fellow European Exchange mates are doing well! I can say that I am settling in well in Barcelona, it is actually everything I thought it would be. The weather here is finally starting to warm up and I’m enjoying learning so many different corners to the city. Everywhere I walk in the city I come across something very interesting that amazes me.

I have had the wonderful opportunity to experience the different architectural styles – Gaudis work becomes even more extraordinary when you see it in front of you! I’ll be honest in saying I was really scared to go on exchange to a country where the language was a new experience for me, but at the same time I was excited! I’m slowly soaking in the culture here.

Living in Barcelona is quite different to Sydney but different isn’t bad! I conveniently live within a few minutes of the supermarket, a 20 minute walk to the centre of Barcelona and I see Sagrada Familia every morning when I’m on my way to uni. The city is beautiful especially when you travel towards the mountains where you a blessed with a beautiful view!

My time here is quickly passing as week by week of uni is completed and deadlines are met! I’ve met so many different people and other exchange students too.

For those who come to Barcelona, you never run out of things to do 🙂

Chow~Lewis Chen 11768316
Grüezi aus der Schweiz!

March 23, 2015

It is so troubling to see time fly as fast as it has. It seemed like just yesterday I was clutching onto my brand new Kikki K. travel wallet, flying into Europe for the first time and waiting for the fact that I would be going on exchange for six months (a goal of mine from high school) to hit me. Landing in Switzerland, I remember dragging 40 kilograms of luggage through heavy snow, getting completely lost on the tram and in incredible pain after a 28-hour flight – but STILL so excited that I stopped to take pictures of the snowfall that Zürich welcomed me with.

After almost two months in Zürich, I realise that Switzerland most definitely holds up the stereotype – particularly with cheese, chocolate and things I’m still yet to get the hang of, such as punctuality and the almost offensive cost of living. I’m learning very quickly though, that there is so much more to this country than I will ever be able to get to know in six months.

I started off my exchange with a pre-semester two week intensive German course. I would highly recommend this. It was the best way to meet a whole bunch of exchange students from Universität Zürich but also ETH Zürich (a Polytechnic situated just across from Universität). I can safely say that although I’m not fluent in the perplexing Deutsch language, my friends are people from various faculties, countries and walks of life. We catch up almost every Wednesday for our ESN Pub Nights and travel on the weekends together. University classes started right after the German course. The lecturers are experts in their field, incredibly inspiring and are always keen for a post-class chat. There are also amazing facilities at Universität ranging from free gym classes, nap rooms and several libraries.

During my time here, I was able to immerse myself in traditional Swiss festivals – the largest one being Basler Fasnacht. It starts with the Morgestraich (the morning march at 4am whereby every light in the city turns off and the parade begins), which continues for three days. There was an abundance of fruits, vegetables, flowers, toys and alcohol being thrown at the spectators in return for a splash of confetti when you receive them. There were old men dressed in monkey costumes, witches and many attached selfie sticks to mock the past year in technology (it didn’t turn me off using mine). And just like the Swiss, it was like nothing even happened the next day.

Of course, being in a new country meant some adjustments. For me, these included learning that shops don’t open on Sundays, having no idea how to dispose of trash because you’ll get told off by strangers if you throw it in a normal plastic bag, paying for coffee and then making it yourself, running a sprint race when doing your groceries because you need to bag them, pay and not piss off the people behind you all at the same time, and getting lost on the trams at least 10 times before getting the hang of it (that could just be me).

I live in student housing (organised by WOKO) in a place called Bächlerstrasse 46. The housing consists of 18 flats within 2 buildings. Each flat has on average 8-10 individual rooms. We share bathrooms and a common kitchen area and there is never a dull moment. This is partly due to the fact that we have 1 Swiss, 1 Spanish, 1 Greek, 1 Swede, 1 Chinese, 4 Germans and 1 Australian. It keeps things exciting and hilarious when accents just don’t match up. We’ve had many flat dinners including Swiss specialities like cheese fondue, rösti as well as a number of other cuisines. To top it off, whenever there’s downtime in my flat, there are about 15 other flats I can bother, and there’s always someone willing to have a nice chat over beer or some hearty student delicacies (pesto pasta).

Switzerland is also perfect for those who want a central location and easy travel to the rest of Europe. In my 6 weeks here so far, I have been to 5 different countries as well as 4 cities within Switzerland and have a whole lot more planned for the remainder of the semester. There are always deals on flights and someone who’s willing to go with you. As the weather gets warmer, I’ll be getting on a bike (free to hire in Zürich) and exploring the city that way.

On exchange, I’m constantly learning new things, interacting with interesting people and finding out more about myself, as cliché as that sounds. For anyone who’s planning on applying – there is really no question about it. Send in that application. The administrative work is so worth it. The support you receive from UTS as well as from your host university will be plentiful, I promise. As for Switzerland, it really is a gem and I wouldn’t have my exchange any other way!

Neha Pillalamarri

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Hej! Tak! and the rest

March 23, 2015

Aarhus

After 2 months in Denmark, you’re probably wondering if I’m:

a) now fluent in Danish

b) white and without a hint of tan

c) never returning to Sydney

d) all of the above

Denmark is pretty cool. ‘Nuff said.

They know how to get around. They know how to eat. They know how to architect. They know how to IKEA. And I thought Australians were good – but the Danes know how to drink.

I’m studying at the Architecture School in Aarhus and I predicted, I am living, breathing and sleeping architecture. I live with architects, I go into uni 5 days and all my friends are architects. I did start to wonder if there were any other people in Aarhus…Although everyone around you speaks Danish, my classes are (supposedly) 100% taught in English. That being said, there may be moments when you find yourself stuck in a Danish lecture titled, “Materiale Tekonik Teknik”. My classmates like to make the most of these situations;

“what did the lecturer say?”

“Everyone can go home, unless you’re Australian.”

“…um…”

You can’t escape being a tourist even if you’re living in Aarhus…

I’ve heard the Danish language being described as if they have a ‘potato in their throat’. (A Dane told me that!) I’d say that’s a fairly good description of what I hear. I’m definitely not yet happily stringing together insightful knowledge about architecture in Danish but I have taken up Danish classes! They’re free and a great way to meet more students from different courses and nationalities. Sure, it’s not the most useful language in the world, but why not pick up something new?

Weekends here back in Denmark are currently filled with adventures in and around Aarhus. A couple of the other exchange students and I cycle off in one direction with a picnic and a map, have a walk around for a while and stumble across random playgrounds, beaches and forests. It’s not a bad life. Just the other day we went to the deer park for a walk around before having lunch on an ikea blanket whilst looking over Aarhus Bay. Sureee it was still only 7 degrees, and locals may have laughed at us – well, we’re not sure what they were saying to us to be honest, we just smiled awkwardly – but it was a day well spent.

Aarhus weekend adventures

A few fun facts and tips about Denmark!

– Danes swear in English. I haven’t quite worked out why yet, but don’t be surprised when in the midst of a completely incomprehensible conversation the one word you understand is not one you’d use in front of your Gran

– Danes know how to party. Screw the Sydney curfew. If Aarhus introduced such a thing there would be (small) riots. An early Friday or Saturday night ends at 3am and if you’re a true Dane, you’ll write off your Sunday and still be out after the sun is well up

– You will wonder where everyone is in winter, but as soon as the sun comes out, the streets are alive

– Black is the new black. The rumours are true: the Danish look in terms of fashion is black on black

– Danes are pretty darn good at English. They can even pun in English

– Danish homes (or at least the ones I’ve experienced) lack fixed lighting. This leads to some nifty and particularly stylish IKEA designs, but don’t be surprised if you have to purchase a lamp to light your whole bedroom

– They also lack curtains. Maybe it’s because I’m living minimally, and I have to say that in early spring I’m not affected by this, but come summer I might consider investing in a blindfold

– Architecture School in Aarhus is super social. Movie nights, Friday bar, Thursday arvo beers in the sun (because hey, the sun is out, let’s go and soak up the vitamin D while we can). Everyone is super friendly and everyone seems to know everyone

– Get a bike. You’ll feel like a peasant without one. Bikes are #1 on the streets and it makes it so easy to get around (once you remember to cycle on the right hand side of the road)

The Iceberg building in mid winter – the weather was as cold as it looks!

– Saying ‘ja’ and ‘nej’ will get you around supermarkets and other small talk situations – such as “Do you want a receipt?”. Just hope they don’t ask you anything else.

I’m pretty happy that I’ve ended up in Aarhus – it’s an amazing student town and although the school hours are pretty full time, all the students are super keen and it’s weirdly enjoyable. I’d 100% recommend it to anyyyone wanting to find out what architecture is like outside of the UTS bubble!

Megan Meredith

56.162939 10.203921
My new hus in Aarhus

March 22, 2015
I’m going to cut to the chase, and come right out and say it. I love Aarhus. It may be Denmark’s second biggest city, but it certainly is it’s most awesome (no offense, Copenhagen). The large student population (13%) has turned the city into the perfect playground for exchange students – there’s a great night life, prices aren’t too high (especially in comparison to other Scandinavian cities), and there is always something exciting to do. And the perks of studying at Aarhus don’t stop there:
- It’s a beautiful city, with typically Danish architecture as well as storybook forests and parks; things are located in fairly close proximity to everything else.
- The university is great, rated one of the top 100 for 2014/15; the campus is big and green; my professors have all been passionate about what they teach and are absolute geniuses.
- You get the best of both worlds – it’s a different culture, yet everyone speaks English perfectly.
- For the art lovers, Aarhus has an incredible art gallery, featuring works by renowned contemporary artists such as Ron Mueck (fellow Australian!) and Olafur Eliasson.
A beautiful forest I found just near my house.

I live in a student college about a 10 minute bike-ride away from uni. Here we live in dorms with our own bedroom and bathroom, and shared kitchen and living area. I live with 13 Danes and one Japanese – all of whom are great to live with; the perfect balance of fun and clean. This being the first time living away from my parents, I’ve been able to grow up without being completely lost – everyone is so supportive and I have learnt a lot.

Want to know how to get grease stains out of your new blue jeans? Want to wash the windows without leaving streak marks? Want to learn how to poach an egg without losing half of the white in the water? Exchange will teach you almost everything you need to know about how to be a successful adult, without pain and anxiety of actually being an adult.

I won’t lie though – I wasn’t always this enthusiastic about exchange. In fact, in the weeks leading up to it, I was getting cold feet. In all honesty, Aarhus wasn’t my top preference, leaving my family and friends was beginning to feel scary, the weather was going to be freezing. But, I said yes, and flew off to find the beautiful, snow covered city that I have fallen in love with. With an open heart and a positive attitude, exchange could possibly be the best six months of your life.

So go on exchange. Go to Aarhus. Fall in love. It will be great.

A friend of mine sledding down the hill on campus.

Bianca Balzer 11420369

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