Celebrating Saint Lucia or otherwise known as Saint Lucy

University of Reading student studying abroad in Sweden for a Full Academic Year

Lucy is half way through her year studying abroad in Uppsala University in Sweden as part of his Law degree at Reading! Read on to find out what she has been up to after her first semester abroad!

I’m over halfway through my Study Abroad experience and I can’t believe how fast it’s going! Since my last blog I’ve been trying to make the most of what a Scandinavian Winter has to offer me. This of course included gingerbread (on which they put blue cheese-something I’ve found weirdly yummy) and copious amounts of Swedish mulled wine called Glögg (which I’ve found I prefer as it is sweeter than most of the English mulled wines I have tried). I have also spent my time trying to acclimatise to the dramatic drop in temperature, this we had all been warned about-especially since when we arrived in August we had a highly unusual month of lovely warm weather and the Swedes had ominously claimed that this meant we had a bitter winter to come to compensate.

In early November I, along with two friends travelled to Bergen in Norway for a weekend trip, eager to expand our experience of the Scandinavian nations. We arrived on Friday and I was immediately struck by the mountains dotted about everywhere while we bussed from the airport to our hotel. Once we arrived in Bergen and settled in we decided to wander down to the Bergen port-recognisable for Bryggen (a series of commercial buildings leftover from when the Hanseatic League traded in fish-a fact we became aware of when we went to the museum housed in one of these buildings). We wanted to get our bearings for the following day when we would be going on a tour of the fjords (the principal reason we had travelled there).That night we made use of our time by going up the mountain on a cable car-giving us a breath-taking view of Bergen. The following day we got to the boat early and I experienced one of the best moments of my life travelling through the fjords and seeing the gorgeous views, we even got to drink water from a frozen waterfall. The rest of the trip passed by quite happily.

University of Reading student studying abroad in Sweden for a Full Academic Year

I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the 13th December is dedicated to Saint Lucia, otherwise known as Saint Lucy, this led to lots of jokes and the lighting of many candles as it is a festival of light. The elected ‘Saint Lucia’ wears a long white gown, has a wreath of battery powered candles on her head and is accompanied by her attendants carrying candles (also in white), their procession enters a darkened room singing traditional songs. It’s a unique and lovely tradition and I was thrilled that it was included in the Luccegasque that I attended as a Christmas celebration at my nation.

I was also lucky enough to attend a Christmas Carol concert in Uppsala’s beautiful cathedral, a hair raising experience in the best way.

Since coming back from the Christmas break I have been trying to get through my work and cope with the cold, I luckily missed the -20 degree weather that plagued Uppsala the week before I returned!

I’m loving my time here and am looking forward to the coming term!

Lucy

Missed Lucy’s last blog post? Catch up here: http://bit.ly/2jGl9gl 

Discovering aebleskiver and final goodbyes!

University of Reading student studying abroad in Denmark for a Semester

Mona studied abroad at Aarhus University in Denmark with her Psychology degree at Reading! After 4 months abroad she returned to Reading in January and this post looks back on the end of her semester abroad. 

After the best 4 months on my semester abroad in Aarhus, Denmark, I am now back in England and back at University. I have settled into my lovely new home and am looking forward to completing my degree within the next 2 terms and getting a real job! Even though my semester abroad in Aarhus is over, it will play a great role in my future. I have already been to a job interview and mentioned it which played out as a great talking point and really got them interested in what I did there and what I learnt.

The last few weeks at Aarhus consisted of visiting all the places we hadn’t yet visited, visiting all the places we enjoyed gain and sadly, a lot of goodbyes. As I left Aarhus in December, it was looking especially festive at the time. The main high street had been endowed with over half a million Christmas lights and one of the main department stores was covered in Christmas lights and had been wrapped up as a present with a giant bow! There were several different small Christmas markets dotted around the city centre, selling roasted almonds that filled the streets with a sweet Christmassy smell, handmade gifts and lots of little Danish Christmas decorations. It was very cute. To add to the Christmas feel, a couple of friends and I headed over to Copenhagen for a spontaneous visit to go to the Christmas markets! There were several markets, many of which were selling the traditional, and delicious Danish dessert, Aebleskiver. These are traditional Danish pancakes that taste a bit like a doughnut and are served with icing sugar and jam. They’re delicious!

University of Reading student studying abroad in Denmark for a Semester

While I visited many cities and countries on my semester abroad, I will always consider Aarhus my favourite place. I learnt a great deal on my semester abroad including developing my independence further, learning about and adapting to living in a new culture, and learnt a lot about high taxes! I also made some amazing and lifelong friends from countries all over the world and would encourage anyone who is considering studying abroad, to just go for it! I remember I was a bit hesitant at the beginning and couldn’t decide whether to go or not but I can’t be any happier with my decision. It has been the best 4 months of my life and the best experience so far. For anyone considering studying at Aarhus University I would definitely do it. The university is very highly ranked within Denmark and for me, had a wonderful psychology department and a very interesting program. The city centre is small but there are always things going on, there are very cheap links to Copenhagen and the neighbouring Scandinavian countries and it is no doubt, very cosy and hygge. I loved it! Thank you study abroad!

University of Reading student studying abroad in Denmark for a Semester

Mona

Missed Mona’s last post? Catch up here: http://bit.ly/2jvAEbB

Upgraded to Business Class after the Goodbyes

University of Reading student studying abroad in the USA for a Semester

Harriet is studying abroad at the Colorado State University (Fort Collins) in the USA as part of her English Literature Degree at Reading. After spending a semester abroad, this is her last post covering her last month in the USA!

So my Study Abroad experience has finished and I can honestly say that it was the best experience of my life so far. In my last few weeks at CSU I experienced Thanksgiving – it’s basically just Christmas but without any presents. I spent the week with my friend and her family and it was great to feel involved with the true American culture. The food was also amazing! When I was at my friend’s house we visited Denver one night, which is the capital city of Colorado. We went to the Aquarium and also just explored downtown a bit, so it was nice to see other parts of Colorado. It was also great to just have a week of no work after having eleven solid weeks at University without a break!

After Thanksgiving I had a few more weeks of classes before finals week, and it finally snowed! It snowed a lot more than it usually does in England, and the snow stayed for about a week before melting. It was so cold but worth it because Colorado is really gorgeous in the snow, especially the mountains.

University of Reading student studying abroad in the USA for a Semester

Soon enough it was finals week. I had been dreading it, however exams were not even nearly as hard as exams in Reading – I got 2 hours for each exam to answer short questions without writing any long essays. I finished really early in every exam and I think my grades are looking okay. One of my exams was also online so for this we were allowed to look at our notes whilst we were taking the exam! It is definitely easier to get good grades in America than it is in the UK!

After finals week I went to Seattle, Washington with my roommate and my friend from Reading. We stayed with my roommate’s family who were really accommodating and made us feel incredibly welcome. We had an amazing week and saw sights such as the Space Needle, Gas Works Park, the famous gum wall, and took a ferry across to Bainbridge Island. On our last day in Seattle we went Snow Tubing in the mountains, which was incredible. You basically sit in a rubber ring and go sledding, but being in the mountains made it an even more amazing experience. Seattle is a beautiful city and it’s very historical so it was interesting to visit, and it was also great to get to spend more time with my roommate before having to say goodbye.

Leaving the US and my roommate was most definitely the hardest part of my experience – I just did not want to leave, and if I had had the option to spend the entire year in America I would have. Our flight home was quite eventful as we arrived late to our connecting flight so had to be rerouted through New York instead of Georgia. But we were upgraded to business class because of the delays, so it could definitely have been worse!

I have been talking to my roommate every day since leaving and have already planned my next trip to America, as well as when my friends from Colorado will visit England. Study Abroad was a truly awesome experience and I would not change a second of my time.

Harriet

Read Harriet’s last post here: http://bit.ly/2iL05Jc 

 

Friends from every continent!

University of Reading student studying abroad in Germany for a Full Academic Year

Josef is currently studying abroad at the University of Tubingen with hisHenley Business School degree at Reading. Read on to find out what he’s been up to mid-way through his year abroad.

It barely feels like two minutes since I had just arrived and was writing my first blog post. Erasmus so far really is flying by and I’m sure it will continue to do so. Since the last time of writing the main difference is the weather, which has gone from t-shirt weather in mid October to near constant freezing temperatures and a lot of snow. Thankfully I missed the coldest period of weather over Christmas when it dropped to -13 causing the River Neckar, which runs directly through the middle of Tübingen, to freeze completely over.

Whilst being here, I have been attempting to make the most of the fact travelling around Europe is so easy, partly helped by friends from all corners of the globe wanting to make the most of their time in Europe by travelling around and dragging us Europeans with them. We had a weekend in Munich (only 3 hours by coach) which involved a lot of walking before deciding to go to one of the cities many beer halls, before moving on and settling in a quieter bar followed by a night out. Also I have had many trips to the city of Essen to visit family and be fed like a king by a Nan who thinks students don’t eat, not that I’m complaining. Although these trips did mean I missed out on weekends away in Paris, Hamburg, Switzerland and hiking in the Black Forest (being a city kid, I was quite glad I missed out on the hiking though). Last weekend, we visited Strasbourg for the day, just over the French border from Germany and only took around two and a half hours and 10 euros by train (a much quicker train is possible, but it is almost twice the price of my flights back to the UK). We did all the usual sights in Strasbourg such as the Cathedral and European Parliament, before getting the train back and getting ready for a friend’s birthday night out. There’s already a couple of future trips planned such as Berlin, Aarhus in Denmark and hopefully Italy to visit some fellow UoR Erasmus students.

University of Reading student studying abroad in Germany for a Full Academic Year

In front of the Strasbourg Cathedral (left) and around the EU parliament in Strasbourg (right)

On the work front, lectures continue to tick over and I still can’t get used to the 8am lectures. Another big difference with uni over here is the term structure which I’m still finding a little bit odd. The winter semester here goes from mid October to mid February with exams at the end of February and just two short weeks off for Christmas. After exams have finished in February, I will be off until mid April when the summer semester begins, which then runs to August. Having the whole of March off does somewhat make up for the very short Christmas holiday and gives me a chance to go home to visit family and friends as well hopefully giving me a chance to get down to Reading as well. The work aspect is a big part of being here in Tübingen and getting a German perspective on my course is fascinating and I’m sure will prove beneficial by the time final year comes around or even, dare I say it, the world of work that comes after. But by far and a way the biggest thing I have taken out of my time here so far is the social aspect and it is the same for just about every exchange student I know or have met. Having friends from every continent around the world isn’t just interesting, it also means I will have somewhere to stay should I ever visit Australia, China, Russia, etc. Nights out also prove to be interesting as well as funny, as all the different cultures surrounding nights out clash like the Russians genuine hate for beer but love of spirits; the Danes’ love for drinking songs; and the Australians and Kiwis drinking from shoes (this really is as grim as it sounds).

As exam season begins to approach here, the whole uni seems to be slowing down a little and preparing, so roll on the end of February when exams are out the way and then roll on mid April and the start of the summer semester.

Josef

 

TEDx Aarhus surpassed expectations!

University of Reading student studying abroad in Denmark for a Semester

Simon is studied abroad at Aarhus University in Denmark as part of his Psychology degree at Reading. Since moving to Denmark at the end of August, he’s made the most of living in the heart of Scandinavia. Read on to find out what he’s been up to since his last blog post

I am now over halfway through my Semester Study Abroad and my appreciation for Aarhus and Scandinavian culture has only grown since I have been here. Each day is full of different experiences and opportunities and I will mention a few worthy ones here.

For the first time the city of Aarhus was hosting a TEDx event. Tickets were at a premium but we were quick on the refresh button and managed to get some. It’s fair to say that I like TED talks and the idea behind them, in order to spread current ideas, so I had high expectations. These expectations were comfortably surpassed. The talks took place in the middle of Tivoli, the theme park in Aarhus. There were 12 talks in total all completely different, yet all based loosely around the ‘To the Moon and Back’ theme. It was a great experience to hear ideas from all different fields, from catering, business, neuroscience and from a person who was on the shortlist of 200 people to go and try to live on Mars. He was talking about why he would give up his life on earth to go and start a new one on Mars! If you wished to talk more about the topics discussed by the speakers, then you could go to the ferris wheel and get put in a booth with some strangers to discuss. This shortly ended up just being a nice way to meet people and chat. If the 12  different speakers and theme park weren’t enough, we were given copious amounts of cake and then at the end of the night served Tapas and Wine. The speakers came to chat amongst everyone and enjoy the food, drink, music and Hygge.

University of Reading student studying abroad in Denmark for a Semester

Halfway through the Semester we had a one-week fall break. We thought that this would be a great opportunity to explore further afield. We decided to go on a trip to Norway and Sweden. The first place we went to was Bergen, an incredibly beautiful city. Our hostel was set on the side of a small mountain, looking down onto Bergen, giving us incredible views. There were 7 of us in Bergen and close-by is a famous mountain called Trolltunga. The group was split about whether to attempt to climb or not as we were on the cusp of the ‘Danger of Death’ warning. However, we met a couple of people who had climbed it the day before and we became set on our mission. We booked up a cozy log cabin close to the base of Trolltunga and set out on the bus. The views on the bus journey of the Norwegian scenery were incredible and it made me excited about the climb! We had to leave at 5am in order to make our bus the next day so the first part we climbed in the dark. However, when the Sun came up, the views were breath-taking and despite the cold wind you had to just stop and admire them. Thankfully we all made it in one piece in time for our bus back and had an experience we will never forget!

Simon

Any regrets? Definitely not!

University of Reading student studying abroad in Italy for a Full Academic Year

Savvina is currently studying abroad at the Università Ca’ Foscari in Italy as part of her Henley Business School degree at Reading. Already half way through her year abroad, read on to find out what she’s been up to. 

It is difficult to believe that four months have already passed! Time goes so quickly and I feel like I haven’t experienced anything yet! This of course is not true! I have been to 10 different cities in Italy, including Rome, Milan and Florence. I have met so many people from all around the world such as Mexico, Brazil, Portugal, Russia and Germany.

First things first, I want to mention that the things I do here in Italy, I don’t get to do them in the UK or in Cyprus. This is an interesting fact, since I understood that when you feel that you will be in a place for just a few months, you want to do everything. Literally everything! Visit galleries, architecture events, theatre, cinema etc. I soon realised how little I know Reading, the city I study in the UK. So, my goal for next year is to get to know the city more!

Venice is one of the biggest cultural spots in Europe with lots of events to attend each month. Although I was never interested in art, I realised how many unique opportunities one can have to learn as much as possible and expand his knowledge. La Biennale di Venezia which is a European culture centre, organised a series of events including Time Space Existence and Contested Frontiers (Cyprus Pavilion). Moreover, Peggy Guggenheim Collection is among the most important museums in Italy for European and American art of the 20th century and it is located in Venice. I was also really impressed by the collection of Sigmar Polke in Palazzo Grassi.

University of Reading student studying abroad in Italy for a Full Academic Year

In addition to the above, I had the amazing opportunity to run a Marathon and I was so surprised by the organisation of the event and that is why I signed up for the same event on April. I was also excited to see few of the best Italian movies! The events were organised by ESN Venezia and it was an amazing opportunity to get to know the Italian culture and humour.

One of my favourite places in Italy is Verona, the city of Romeo and Juliet. It is like being a part of a fairy tale. However, I cannot end this post without mentioning my trip to Florence and Pisa with two of my Portuguese friends. I also had the pleasure to celebrate my birthday in Florence too, which I will never forget!

Christmas in Venice is magical! We get to visit Trento market with ESN Venezia, which is one of the biggest Christmas markets in Italy. Moreover, regata dei Babbi Natale is an event which is hosted by Ca’ Foscari University each year on December and it is a unique competition among many Santa Clauses in boats along the Grand Canal.

One of the most frequent questions I get, is if I regret my choice of studying abroad for the whole year instead of for just one semester. The answer comes out so naturally the second after I hear the question: Definitely not! 

Savvina

Snow, national parks, and discovering what all this ‘poutine’ fuss is about

University of Reading student studying abroad in Canada for a Full Academic Year

Emmeline is studying abroad at Emily Carr+ University in Canada with her Graphic Communication degree at Reading. Just after 2 weeks moving to Vancouver, Emmeline updates us on the start of your semester abroad!

I have just finished my first week studying at Emily Carr University of Art + Design! But let’s start at the beginning. It feels like years have passed since I first attended a study abroad meeting to hear students talk about their own study abroad experiences – I went to that meeting on a whim, having never considered studying abroad before. It seemed too exciting an opportunity to miss out on. All the waiting since then made the prospect of moving country seem quite surreal, as I had talked about it and been planning it for so long that I sort of became numb to the reality of it. And then the day came for me to get on a plane and fly halfway across the world, where I would be living 8 hours behind my family and friends for the next 4 months…

My first week in Vancouver was exciting, and we were blessed with great weather (locals tell me this is a rarity). People I encountered were cheery and said hello as they walked by, or made small talk at a bus stop. The sun shone nearly every day, and when the sun was gone it snowed heavily. I can’t remember the last time, if ever, that I had experienced so much snow! I visited Stanley Park (twice) and Lynn Canyon Park – popular spots amongst both locals and tourists – which were beautiful, peaceful places, brimming with huge trees and wildlife (no bears thus far). Vancouver really seems to have it all: beaches, national parks, the city, and mountains on the horizon no matter where I am.

University of Reading student studying abroad in Canada for a Full Academic Year

View from Stanley Park

A week after arriving, I attended an induction at Emily Carr for new exchange students. Typically, I befriended a fellow Brit. She told me she had poutine the day before. I was afraid to tell her I had absolutely no idea what poutine was, but she was very excited about the poutine, and said ‘poutine’ a good few times. So I thought I should try it. When in Canada, eh! Anyway, I had poutine. Turns out it’s chips and gravy with some lumps of cheese thrown in. And yes, it tasted great!

After the induction, I got a nasty cold. It was to be expected. Since then I’ve been taking it easy; I visited some waterfalls with fellow study abroad pals, started classes at Emily Carr, and have been settling into life as a temporary Vancouverite. But I won’t pretend it’s all been grand and perfect. There were a couple of days where I felt extremely overwhelmed, and moving so far away from home to where you literally know no one is of course going to feel lonely at first, and will take time to adapt to. So that’s where I’m at now – I’m adapting. I’m allowing myself to relax and encouraging myself to embrace life here, and I’m definitely taking advantage of the great public transport in this city (also, I can’t express how kind and helpful all the bus drivers have been)! I am looking forward to what the next few months will hold for me; both academically and personally.

Emmeline

Already half way through!

University of Reading student studying abroad in Switzerland for a Full Academic Year

Angelina is currently studying abroad at the University of Tubingen with her German and International Relations degree at Reading. Find out about what she’s been up to before the festive period. 

I can’t quite believe that I am over half way through my semester here in Tübingen!

Lectures and seminars have been going well although sometimes they are quite challenging, as a languages student all my lectures and seminars are in German. As with many other things lectures here are also a bit different to lectures in Reading. All of my lectures and seminars are at least two hours long and the earliest time a class can start is 08:00 mornings and one of my classes even finishes at 20:00 in the evening which took some time getting used to. One of the nice things about studying here is that I have no compulsory modules and I could choose modules on subjects that I am interested in. At the end of a lecture or seminar it is common for students to knock their knuckles on the desks which I found really bizarre.

University of Reading student studying abroad in Switzerland for a Full Academic Year

Probably one of the best things about studying in Germany during the Autumn/Winter semester is that Germany is probably one of the best countries to experience during the festive season. As soon as late November hit all anyone could talk about was the ‘Weihnachtsmarkt’, or Christmas market in English. Almost every German town will host a Christmas market of some sort and in Germany especially in the bigger cities they go all out. Christmas decorations and impressive light displays everywhere, lots of stalls and wooden huts selling crafts and German Christmas foods such a roasted sugared almonds, ‘Lebkuchen’ (gingerbread), sausages and of course it wouldn’t be a Christmas market without ‘Glühwein’ (mulled wine). In late November, early December for one week Tübingen is home to Germany’s largest chocolate festival. Chocolatiers and chocolate companies from around the world and Germany present their products and quite a few stalls even offer free samples. I was even able to take part in a chocolate workshop where I could make my own chocolate.  As well as the chocolate market, Waldenbuch a town nearby has a chocolate factory too. If you really like chocolate Tübingen is a great place to spend study abroad. Another town about a 40 minutes train journey away from Tübingen called Esslingen has a really unique Christmas market. The Christmas market has a medieval theme and it is presented really well with fire dancing shows, people dressed up in medieval clothing and they served mulled wine and beer in clay cups. If you end up studying here next year I would definitely recommend it.

University of Reading student studying abroad in Switzerland for a Full Academic Year

Since my last blog post I have also had the opportunity to visit some of Germany’s larger cities, Stuttgart, Hamburg and Munich. Tübingen is well connected to the rest of Germany by train via Stuttgart. It is also relatively inexpensive to travel by bus to various cities in and around Germany. Even though the temperatures can drop quite a bit around this time, all the festivities make it worth it and if your wrap up warm it’s really not too bad. At the moment it’s currently snowing here and the town looks even prettier under a white blanket.

Angelina

Missed Angelina’s first blog post? Catch up here: http://bit.ly/2ig8lgl 

Hanging out with Wallabies

University of Reading student studying abroad in Australia for a Semester

Sarah studied abroad at La Trobe University in Australia as part of her Art & History of Art degree at Reading over the Autumn term. The semester down under has already come to an end. Read on to find out how she has made the most of her time Down Under before returning to the UK. 

So, I have come to the end of my Semester abroad! Although the term officially ends tomorrow my last class was a month ago, and my last exam two weeks, so I have been soaking up the Australian lifestyle and travelling the East Coast!

It was sad to say goodbye to Melbourne and La Trobe; I had a great time in the city and made a lot of good friends which only really gives me an excuse to travel to more places.  My last few days were spent on rooftop bars, eating dumplings and catching the trams around the CBD, all things that will be impossibly expensive once back in England!

My classes have gone well but the results easy to forget about as I am having far too much fun travelling, one of great opportunities that study abroad has given me. After learning about Australia for the past three months it has been incredible to get out and see it. From the diversity of the heat and humidity of Darwin, with its red sands and tropical plants, to the British chill and lush greenery of Tasmania it is hard to believe you are in one country. The Whitsunday Islands were a dream come true and so picture perfect that you have to remind yourself you’re still awake. Sydney on the other hand stands out as the biggest iconic city in Australia, with a diversity of culture and activities to match. I’ve hung out with more wallabies than I could count and seen so many adorable koalas that I could barely take anymore cuteness. After visiting City College of the Arts final exhibition in Sydney I just want to do another exchange! Studying abroad has made me consider my options of further education and Masters and has opened so many doors of living possibilities, jobs and travel!

University of Reading student studying abroad in Australia for a Semester

I am currently on a flight back to Melbourne and will then be getting one to New Zealand tomorrow. Just a year ago I couldn’t foresee travelling to all of the amazing places so far from home and even living it now I feel incredibly lucky and can’t wait for the next adventure.

University of Reading student studying abroad in Australia for a Semester

University of Reading student studying abroad in Australia for a Semester

The whole experience of study abroad, from July to now, has been of massive positive impact. It was hard to move so far from home at the beginning, to such a different culture and I’ve tested my strengths and weaknesses along the way and feel I’ve come out as a better rounded person. After experiencing the transition of culture, lifestyle and time difference I am eager to help any other study abroad students coming to Reading to settle in and feel at home as quickly as possible. It can be daunting to move away and can sometimes feel as though the other place is a dream (as their day is your night!) but the rewards are so much more than any feeling of homesickness and you soon only feel excited for the next chapter.

Overall, study abroad has been an A* experience and if I could do it again I definitely would!

Sarah

Missed Sarah’s last blog? Catch up here: http://bit.ly/2h9ASax

 

 

Making the most of Reading Week in Canada!

University of Reading student studying abroad in Canada for a Semester

Jake studied abroad at the University of Ottawa in Canada with his Film degree at Reading. This post is reporting back mid-way through his semester in North America!

I am mid-way through my exchange and I am still enjoying every minute! Canada has offered me all I wanted and more, allowing me to see wonderful scenery, meet new people and begin to grow more confident in myself socially as well as academically.

During reading week I had an amazing time because my sister flew out to stay with me for the duration of my time spent away from uOttawa. It was amazing seeing family again, giving me the boost I needed to carry on and enjoy my time away from home. Whereas we ran out of time to do the ‘big stuff’, visit Niagara and Quebec City, I can only be slightly disappointed because we still managed to cram so many things into just one week.

We immersed ourselves in the culture, visiting Byward Market for the Fall produce, going to the cinema and a couple of museums, as well as catching Broadway’s Cinderella whilst it was on its Canadian tour.  On top of this, we managed to take a day trip to Toronto where we visited the CN Tower and had a long lunch with the most spectacular view. We also managed to fit in visiting Ripley’s Aquarium and have a quick look at Rogers centre (home of the Toronto Blue Jays!).

University of Reading student studying abroad in Canada for a Semester

University of Reading student studying abroad in Canada for a Semester

Apart from an awesome, but extremely tiring reading week, I have focused on the academic side of my exchange, which whilst much less exciting to write about, has kept me busy and fuelled my continuing interests in film and media. I have had multiple, stressful mid-term assignments due recently but a positive is, compared to studying in Reading, there are more frequent assignments. Yes, this means more work but it also means more chances to ensure my grades remain high and frequent testing means I understand how I am performing at all times throughout the semester. There are more chances to boost my marks!  My favourite assignments have included making podcasts/videos for my Multimedia project ‘Made of Mad Media’. I have been able to create a website or online community that not only discusses my academic interests of films/TV but has also brought me closer to new Canadian friends who have asked to contribute their own projects and ideas.

Whilst my friendship group were too busy to really appreciate a true Canadian Halloween, I have seen some scary, and funny, costumes/decorations throughout October. More importantly, as soon as Halloween finished the festivity of Christmas arrived, bringing with it a lot of snow! The Canadian landscape has proven even more beautiful, if not much colder, covered in a blanket of pure white. The local shopping centre or ‘mall’ is decorated from top to bottom with lights and Christmas trees and has really put me in the ‘Christmassy’ mood for the remainder of my time in Ottawa.

Before the snow hit, my friends and I managed to catch a greyhound bus to Montreal to experience the nightlife. The music and art world is truly alive in Montreal and it is a city I hope to visit again in the future because, alongside Toronto, I have fallen in love with the atmosphere it provided.

University of Reading student studying abroad in Canada for a Semester

I am now taking the time to focus on my finals for the semester. I undertook this trip to experience the world and there is no doubt that I have done that so far. I have gone to the cinema too many times to count, eaten the essential Canadian food group that is poutine (yum!) and have walked more and seen more than I thought I could ever handle. Although I will now focus on writing my final exams, undeniably a lot of work that I will have to dedicate the majority of time to, I look forward to the surprises, laughs and memories the last few weeks undoubtedly hold.

Jake

Missed Jake’s last post? Catch up here: http://bit.ly/1tAKTNm