Category: Student blog (Page 2 of 2)

Student blog: Helen – “Whirlwind – The first week”

November 2, 2016 / Helen Anne Joules

As of today I’ve lived in Tübingen for a month, and the past two weeks have really flown. Classes (finally) started last week, and it’s safe to say that the extra weeks off will be quickly made up for! The workload here is definitely more than first year in Lancaster, but talking to friends from back home has reassured me that second year is a step up for everyone. I think part of the difference is exaggerated by my module choices this year; I’m taking some courses in Computational Linguistics (essentially a cross between Computer Science and Linguistics), so learning even the very basics of coding is more difficult as I’m used to dealing with- well- words. I believe it’ll be worth it though, and coding is something I’ve wanted to learn for a fair while now, so at least I have the motivation!

When I’m not in classes, or the library, or at home working (read: a small amount of time) I do Fitness Boxing and Zumba, each once per week. After the first few days of lectures I was worried I wouldn’t have time to go, but it’s great to be able to take time off work and keep my mind off everything for an hour and a half, as well as meeting people I wouldn’t usually. Each course was 35 Euros for the semester (until mid-February), which works out as just over 2 Euros per session! The slots fill up really fast though, so make sure to be online when the links go live, and to pay on time (else your place will be given to someone else).

The best part of this past week has definitely been seeing my parents, who came to visit on the weekend. It was lovely to see familiar faces, catch up, show them around Tübingen, and get my bike fixed (as well as having my fridge stocked, trying some traditional German food, walking in the autumn leaves and, to my delight, having some English foods brought over).

Whilst I could write more, I probably ought to stop procrastinating (oops) and get back to work. Talk soon?

Student blog: Niamh – “From England to Australia”

October 24, 2016 / Niamh Bush

Hi everyone,

I thought I would start this off by telling you a little bit about myself and ANU, why I chose to study in Australia, and what my experience here has been like so far.

So without further ado, my name’s Niamh and I’m currently doing the second year of my English Language and Linguistics degree at (you guessed it!) the Australian National University (aka, ANU). The ANU is situated in Canberra, and is only a 3 hour drive from Sydney (or, a 50 minute flight), so it is an ideal location for travelling all across the country, and further afield. The university itself works in a similar way to Lancaster in that it has a collegiate system. With 8 colleges to choose from: ranging from catered to self-catered, shared to ensuite, and on-campus to off-campus, there really is an option to suit everyone. I, myself, chose a shared catered college on-campus: Ursula Hall (which I will talk about in my next blog post).

I chose to study abroad for a variety of reasons – some of which are more cliché than others! Here comes the cliché… From an early age, I always dreamt of studying in a different country, experiencing a different culture, and meeting new people. Yes, I told you it was going to be a bit cliché. Further though, the fact that Lancaster offers such an inclusive program, alongside such a broad selection of host universities, really helped make such a big decision so much easier.

But why Australia?

Last year I went on holiday and travelled along the East Coast of Australia. I had so many incredible experiences, and everyone was so welcoming on my travels. From this point, I had a gut-feeling that Australia was the place for me. Having researched the ANU itself, the courses it offers, and the accommodation that was available, there really was no doubt about it: this is where I wanted to go. Plus, the Australian National University has been ranked number 22 in the world (yes, the WORLD) according to the QS Top University Guide: so, what’s not to like about that?

I have been here for almost 4 months and my experience so far has been nothing short of amazing: the people I’ve met, the places I’ve been, and the actual studying isn’t too bad either! I have absolutely no regrets about coming to Australia, studying at ANU, or living in Ursula Hall, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone considering going on exchange.

turtle

Student blog: Helen – “Reality check – Settling in and missing home”

October 17, 2016 / Helen Anne Joules

Two weeks in and I feel like I’ve been here a month at least. This week, well, Wednesday to Saturday was the advisory course for international students on how to study in Tübingen; I think it was really great. There was a lot of getting to know new people (I finally met some other people from England!), learning more about German culture (e.g. at a cafe you should leave a tip of 10-15%, as the waiting staff don’t get paid much) and finding my way around the city a little more. The more I’m here, the more I realise what people mean when they say it’s a small place- I keep seeing people I know. Additionally the course helped with navigating the CAMPUS system, which is a bit like the student portal (but with a really confusing layout), finding my way around the bars and experiencing some typical tourist attractions, like punting on the Neckar. It’s been a busy week!

Something else I wanted to mention, which I feel a lot of people skim over when talking about study abroad, is being homesick. It’s a difficult subject because it varies from person to person; for me I thought it would be similar to last year when I wasn’t homesick much at all (except when I got ill; being ill for the first time by yourself is horrible), but being in a different country changes the experience rather drastically.

When I first moved my belongings into my room in the beginning of September I was here for around four days by myself, without internet, and I loved it. It was fantastic. However, when I arrived back home I began to realise just how much family means to me, which was great, as I had nearly a month at home and I could spend a lot of time with my parents, siblings, pets and just really enjoy the home comforts. The problem with this, however, is that when I left England I got really homesick- my flat didn’t feel homely and that was really problematic. Luckily nowadays we have Skype and Whatsapp and Facebook messenger (my dad has Facebook, how did that happen?) which makes it a lot easier to keep in touch, but it’s never quite the same.
Two weeks on and it’s a lot better, I feel at home with my flat and my room. I do still miss home sometimes, but I think it’ll fade when I actually start my lectures (in a week, it’s so late! Not that I’m complaining…). Honestly, whilst horrible to experience sometimes, being away from home definitely makes you appreciate your family and home comforts a lot more, as well as readying you for leaving to go to university again next year, and then permanently soon after. Until then I’ll make the most of the apple crumble when I’m home!

That’s it for now; talk soon?

Student blog: Helen – “A brief introduction”

October 8, 2016 / Helen Anne Joules

Hi, I’m Helen and I’m currently studying English Language and Linguistics in Tübingen, Germany.

As of this morning I’ve been here officially for a week and it has flown past; I’ve met both of my flatmates, some other Erasmus+ students/international students, and Katharina and Simon. Everyone seems really lovely and friendly so far, which is good as my flat isn’t as sociable as in Lancaster. Although I’ve only been here for a week I’m already starting to acquire some typical German traits: I’m not walking across the road unless it’s green (yes, I realise I should have been doing that before), I’m ringing my bike bell at people if they’re in the way and today I even bought some house shoes- truly a transformation (though mainly to protect myself from splinters).

Whilst the quality of music at Sugar is sometimes debatable, from my (limited) experience here it’s better in England. What I’ve heard thus far seems to be music from the 2000’s, heavily featuring the Backstreet Boys and numerous songs I’ve never heard before. Maybe that was just a one-time thing… here’s hoping.

That’s it for now; talk soon?