Campus Life

Living on campus again was definitely something that I needed to get used to. Back at home I live with my roommate in an apartment off campus. Its quiet, I can get a lot of work done, and when I want to see my friends its just a really quick drive to campus. Living in res, especially one this size (1400 people), was going to be fun, but also a little bit of a challenge.

I live in Old Res here at the University of Canberra. It is named Old Res as it is the oldest of the buildings...obviously! There are also a few other buildings: New Res, University Village, Arscott House (which isn't really apart of res, but it is), College House, and finally Globo (the newest/cleanest buildings here on campus). What I didn't know when applying, that Old Res has a reputation for partying. Being a fourth year student, I am a little over the constant partying, so having to live in a place that was known for the partying was a little nerve racking. Finally being here for 2 months I have figured out a good balance of having a social life, but also being able to do my school work. At times it is a little challenging to maintain, however it is doable especially if you have work that needs to be done at a certain time.

Part of Old Res

 The best part about living in res is the people that you meet. I have met some very amazing people here, both Australian and from the exchange program. I have been having the most amazing time with them. Most people around my res building want to talk with me and know more about where I am from. I have had offers to join my friends at their houses, to meet their families, and to see more of the country. It was the best decision I made not to live in a building with other exchange students (no offense) because then you get the opportunity to meet so many other people from the country that you are interested in traveling and they are able to help you and maybe even allow you to stay at their houses for a bit.

Another great part about staying on campus is the fact that you are no more than 10 minutes away from everything you could possibly need. For example, the mall is a 10 minute walk down the path and across the lake, the bus into Civic is less of a walk than that I am also a 10 minute walk away from work. In the Hub (directly on campus) they have everything from banks to cafe's and they even have post office inside the convenience store. There are so many places to eat on campus, and it really is a nice place to be on a sunny day.

The Refectory on Campus

 

 

Lecture Building

Living in res was the right decision for me. I knew that if I stayed in a home stay that it would be hard for me to meet people around campus and to get a feel for what people my age do for fun around Canberra. I have met so many people and had so many different adventures that I can barely keep them all straight. I highly recommend living in res as the adventures seem to be endless!

How Ya Goin'

G’Day Mate. This is the greeting that is most commonly used here in Australia. In fact, there are many different ways to say many different things here. I was so surprised by many of them that I think I will share a few of them with you.

1. Doona: blanket
2. Capiscum: bell pepper
3. Trolley: shopping cart
4. Pram: stroller
5. How you goin’: how are you doing?
6. Mate: friend
7. Chewy: gum
8. Ta: thanks
9. Tea: dinner/supper
10. Chemist: pharmacist
11. Maccas: McDonald's
12. Swimmers: Bathing Suit
13. Tomato Sauce: Ketchup

It took me a while to figure out what these words all meant and I am starting to use them in my everyday language. I often find myself converting back to the Canadian way of saying things and that only gets me weird looks and often I get made fun of. I even get made fun of when I don’t understand what the Aussies are trying to say…especially if it something that means the complete opposite or means something completely different than what I am thinking. Oh well…one day I’ll get it as I continue my quest to becoming an Aussie!

My New Home

Once I left Sydney on January 29th I took a very very short flight to Canberra. I befriended a nice pilot who sat next to me and tried to tell me that Canberra is the most exciting place....Unfortunately, I have already proven him wrong.

Fun Fact: Canberra is the capital of Australia, not Sydney!

Canberra is very similar to Ottawa in the sense that it is the city where all the political things happen. Both the old and the new parliament houses are here and so are all the embassies (which is guess is beneficial for me if something happens). The embassies and other important buildings are found around Lake Burley Griffin which is a large lake just outside the downtown core. If you want you can even take an exciting boat cruise around the lake. Its a pretty nice cruise, and you get to see all of the buildings and things that border the lake side.

One of the many embassies here in Canberra

 

 

 

Lake Burley Griffin

The new Parliament building here in Canberra is a really cool building. It has a grass roof for people to walk up and it is to signify that the people are above Parliament. Once you pass security to get inside you get to walk around the entire building and even stop by the gift shop where you can even buy soap....? At least it made the store smell good!

Sitting on the roof of Parliament House

Parliament House

With the exception of the mall downtown and all the excitement that happens here on campus, this is pretty much as exciting as it gets around here in Canberra. The good news is, is that it is central to many different parts to Australia. It is only about 2.5 hours away from Sydney if you drive, and it has an airport which can fly you all over Australia!

All in all, Canberra isn't the best place in Australia to be, but I have met so many amazing people and done so many things that I wouldn't normally do in Canada that it makes up for it all. Also, I feel that if I lived by the ocean all the time that the novelty would wear off...well, that's what I keep telling myself at least.