Monthly Archives: October 2017

Land of the Rising Sun

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I have fallen in love with this country over and over again and currently the thought of leaving makes me incredibly sad. It’s crazy to think that a year ago I was filling in my application forms for accommodation and now I’m sitting in the middle of Tokyo after travelling around, seeing the most amazing sights and meeting some truly lovely people. One of my favourite places in Tokyo is the Harajuku area of Shinjuku. It’s the young person’s oasis, full of fashion, restaurants and giant rainbow candyfloss. You’re definitely encouraged to be yourself here, as you’ll see many people expressing themselves with bright pink hair and platform shoes – think Camden with extra rainbows.

From Kyoto to Hiroshima, I have made the most of my Spring Break and seen as much as I could before my second and final semester begins in a few weeks’ time. Japan is a students’ paradise with so many incredible places to visit and not necessarily that expensive! I urge anyone coming to Japan to study abroad, or even on a holiday, to see as much as you can – you will not regret it. I’ve seen monkeys in Nagano, a snow festival in Hokkaido, more shrines and temples than I can count in Kyoto and a beautiful water jinjya in Hiroshima – and that’s just a small part of what I’ve seen.

Before studying abroad, Japan wasn’t even on my radar as a place I had to see and now I realise what a mistake that was! My time here has opened my eyes to the world in which we live; there are so many incredible places for us to discover! Living and studying here has been a truly wonderful experience. My classes are really interesting and thankfully my Japanese language skills have come along so much since I’ve lived here. However, the best thing about studying abroad is the people you get to meet. I now have friends from all over the world, from Argentina to Germany, some of whom I’m hoping to go and visit in their home countries!

I’m very lucky to be the recipient of a JASSO scholarship which has helped me live in Tokyo. As you might expect, much like London, it is not the cheapest of places to live. However, with that said, you certainly get more than your money’s worth. I urge anyone thinking about studying abroad not to worry about the financial side of things, as there are many scholarships and grants available to you as well as your normal student finance if you’re from the UK! It’s just a matter of research and applying for as many as you can!

I wouldn’t change my experience for the world and I still have about four months left to enjoy. Considering I nearly didn’t apply for year abroad, I’ve had quite an adventure this year and long may it continue!

Time flies when you’re Down Under

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When I received the news that I would be fortunate to have a term abroad in Melbourne, Australia, I was ecstatic! However, I immediately had the concern of funding as I was aware of how expensive Australia is. Luckily, Reading University’s study abroad term informed me of the various bursaries that were available to me. When researching the various bursaries, the AFSA bursary stood out and after my applying I was granted the bursary, which I am so grateful for as it extended the amount of opportunities available.

The six months which I spent in Australia were incredible a once in a lifetime experience. However, even though before leaving England I had my philosophy modules pre-approved- when I was finalising them at La Trobe, only one philosophy module was running! This meant that I had to find two new modules. Although this was a hassle at the time, one of the modules I chose was ‘Feminism’, which ended up being based around philosophy and also helped me decide on my topic for my ‘Independent Learning Essay’, which I will have to complete in my final year at Reading. Moreover, I studied a module which opened my eyes to the history and discrimination of Aboriginals in Australia, which I found extremely interesting. At Reading, I am used to taking three modules per term, whereas at La Trobe, I had to take four which at first was a struggle, however, it taught me how to balance my time better so I could still get good grades, but also make the most of my time exploring Australia.

 

Due to my time management becoming stronger, I had many opportunities to travel around Australia and see the most of this beautiful country. The date of my flight gave me exactly a month of free time before heading home. In this time I travelled up the East Coast, starting in Sydney and ending in Cairns. Due to it being winter, the further north, the warmer it got. Melbourne got extremely cold (it reached -1 degrees at night), proving the popular belief that Australia is always hot, false. Thus, I was following the sun North! This was the perfect trip as I had just completed four large final pieces of coursework for La Trobe, so it was a well deserved relaxing holiday.

My time in Australia was unforgettable. In just six months, I learnt how to surf, held a Koala, tried various new foods and explored the East, West and South of Australia. From this experience, I have become more confident and open to new opportunities. I have made so many new friends all around the world, providing me with connections in New York, Sweden, Norway and of course, Australia.

I would recommend studying abroad to anyone, but I would thoroughly research each individual university on offer to make sure they were the best for my degree. Although six months away may seem daunting, I am a very family orientated person but the time flew by and I was never homesick as I was constantly busy, surrounded my amazing people. Enjoy every minute of it, because once you’re home, it feels as if you never left.