You might remember being in high school, doing your HSC exams and the small eternities that stretch between the teacher calling “one minute left!” and the timer going off. That’s what exchange feels like; a weird mix of stress and excitement, and having no time and too much time all at once. Or maybe that’s just me, and I ascribe too much sentimentalism to the HSC exams that led me here to Nantes, France. (more…)
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Well, it has been three months since I came to Singapore, alone in this great wilderness. However, I have managed to adapt and enjoy this great city, while studying at Nanyang Technological University. I have gained many new experiences and friends throughout my journey, as I am here to share them with you. (more…)
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When I spontaneously added University of Copenhagen as my main preference of exchange destinations, I had no idea that this would end up being one of the best decisions of my life. On this day it has been exactly 3 months since I came here, and it has been such a wonderful blur of new friends and experiences. I live in Nørrebro, in Bispebjerg Kollegiet. Nørrebro is such a wonderfully diverse place, but I hold a grudge as the amount of kebabs I have consumed has literally made me become one. They are just so damn delicious. (more…)
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What is CAMP – China Australia Millennial Project (CAMP) is a program designed to connect young people who are passionate about social innovation and the China-Australia relationship.
Why did I apply for the program – I applied for CAMP as I wanted to learn more about the Asia Pacific region, specifically China, and how Australia interacted with the region. Furthermore, CAMP’s Shanghai Summit offered a fantastic opportunity to immerse myself in Chinese culture and their amazing food.
My experiences in China
Prior to the commencement of the Shanghai Summit I visited Kunming located in the Yunnan Province. Kunming is a beautiful city during March, the cherry blossoms are blooming and the weather is comfortable. The best way to experience the city is via bicycle or an electric scooter. Whilst exploring the city, my friend introduced me to some really good eating spots and to the game of Jianzi. Playing Jianzi with the locals was loads of fun as I was able to connect with them despite my very limited mandarin skills.
During the Shanghai Summit I had the privilege to visit the Alibaba headquarters and meet some really inspiring entrepreneurs working within the China-Australia markets. This program combined with CAMPer’s (delegates) made the trip amazing. Outside of the CAMP program, I immersed myself in the Shanghainese way of life visiting the Yunnan Temple, the bund, travelling on the metro and eating copious amounts of Xiao Long Bao.
What did I learn?
Upon reflection of my brief visit to China I gained a couple of insights into the complex culture that is modern China. Firstly, a lot more living occurs on the city streets and I love it! I really think Australia could learn a lot about designing open streetscapes which accommodates pedestrians socialising, eating and general activities. Secondly, with my very limited mandarin speaking capabilities I felt very culturally ignorant. However, sharing food, visiting temples and playing Jianzi I was able to experience and connect with some of China’s culture. In summary, I have only scratched the surface of Chinese culture and I think you need to visit China multiple times to truly appreciate what China has to offer. For my next China trip I would love to visit rural China and Beijing.
My trip was amazing and I would highly recommend it to anyone considering visiting China!
Ryan
Global Short Programs Student
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I’m already three months into my exchange at Lund University, Sweden and have had the most incredible time! The day after we arrived, Lund experienced its biggest snowstorm of the Winter so there was no slow adjustment to the cold. Lund is a cute university town in South Sweden, and less than an hour from Copenhagen. It feels very connected, and is also ten minutes away from Malmö, the third largest city in Sweden, but has the charm of a small town, and everything is a ten-minute bike ride away. Swedes are a lot more in touch with the seasons and weather compared to Australia, where we’re spoilt for sun. The last couple of weeks have meant the start of Spring and there are daffodils growing everywhere and we celebrate the small things like the first time we don’t have to wear gloves to bike somewhere. I wanted to experience a contrast to bustling Sydney, and definitely got that- but there’s still plenty of events and culture at Lund. The university regularly hosts events with prominent speakers such as the British ambassador to Sweden, and even Bob Dylan is including Lund in his European tour this month. (more…)
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Hi! I am Grégoire, an international student at UTS from France and currently on exchange in Oslo, Norway. Halfway through my bachelor of business I took the decision to go abroad (again yeah) for a semester. Not because I was bored of my life in Sydney but I was just craving for new places to explore. The last 3 months in Oslo have been really exciting and intense. The 1-semester time constraint forces you to do as much as you can! It’s pretty much the feeling you have when you start writing an assignment the night before it’s due. So I let you imagine how efficient you can be over a semester… 🙂 (more…)
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When deciding which country to choose for my UTS global exchange, I had four main things on my checklist:
- Rich in culture
- Somewhere central in Europe, for convenient travel
- Most people being able to speak English
- Great parties
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The first thing that people would say when I told them I was going on exchange was –
“Man I totally wish I had done an exchange!”
Followed by –
“You’re going by yourself?!”
These two sentences adequately sum up my exchange experience so far, it’s always been something I’ve wanted to do knowing I would regret it if I didn’t, but also something that I knew would stretch my character. (more…)
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When I first arrived in Lisbon I didn’t really have any expectations but it didn’t take me long to realise how incredible the city and exchange life really is. Lisbon is located in central Portugal in the south western part of Europe. This sets it apart from many other cities in Europe as it possesses two things: warm weather and ocean beaches. Also, being one of the oldest cities in the world, Lisbon is rich in both culture and history and is also breathtakingly beautiful. Lisbon is also cheaper than many cities in Europe, making it a student’s paradise. It is for all of these reasons that I have fallen in love with the city. (more…)
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“…It’s a quiet village” are the unforgettable first few lines of Beauty and the Beast and a song that I can’t stop singing as I walk through the pastel German houses of Schwäbisch Gmünd. (more…)
