Tips

Wollongong, NSW, Australia

May 30th, 2018

I’m not going to lie until I get to know and talk to an Australian for a long time, I’m usually guessing and trying to figure out what they’re trying to say to me. Before coming to Australia, I watched some Australia tv shows and listened to some podcasts to get used to the accent. It’s a good idea in theory, but Australian’s have so much slang and speak so fast that there isn’t really a good way to prepare for it. Especially when it comes to school and making sure that I use Australian grammar and spelling or other things that difference in wording changes the meaning. So here are some words/letters/sayings that I learned about over here.

Heaps. - means a lot or many - “There were heaps of people at the bar last night.”
Keen. - means “I’m down” or okay “I’m keen to grab a cup of coffee”
How you going? – means “How are you?” – “Hey, how you going?”
Z’s or zedd – When spelling anything, take out the z (which is pronounced zed) – Organise, realise “I realised that they don’t use Z’s in Australia.”
Use u’s – When spelling, always add that u – colour, harbor “I went to Sydney Harbour.”
Can’t be bothered – means I literally can’t even right now – “I can’t be bothered to do my assignment”
Iced Coffee – means coffee with ice cream (a pleasant surprise), if you want a US iced Coffee, you must ask for a coffee with ice, not an iced coffee. - “Can I get an iced coffee with chocolate ice cream?” (Definitely recommend that drink)
Far out – Like that’s crazy or not cool. - “Aw man, you have an assignment due in 20 minutes that you haven’t started? Far out.”
Bubbler- water fountain/drinking fountain. - “I’m going to go fill up my drink bottle at the bubbler.”
Drink bottle – A water bottle that is reusable, like a HydroFlask -
Yeah vs Here - You say yeah instead of here for attendance. – “Amber?” “Yeah.”
Full stop – period at the end of a sentence. – “I would put a full stop here and make it two sentences.”
Arvo – Afternoon. – “I have class this arvo, but I’ll see ya later”
Feed – Group meal or a meal. - “Hey, there’s a feed on at the caf if you wanna grab dinner.”
Bevys – drinks. – “Hey let’s go grab some bevys at Unibar after class.”
Sparky – Electrician. – “What do you do?” “I’m a sparky.”

This is a really short list of some of the words/grammar/statements that have left me fully confused. There are sometimes someone will say something to me and I’ll just smile and nod because I have no idea what they said. But now I’m saying these things, and I know that my family and friends are going to be giving me weird looks, but I’m keen to keep using them. A lot of the time, once they’re explained to me they make wayyyy more sense to use them over American English.

Cheers,

Wandering in Wollongong

Wollongong, NSW, Australia

May 21st, 2018

Hey again, a very important topic that I haven’t discussed yet, is how to actually study abroad. The NAU College of International Education is really helpful and will help you along the way, but I thought that I would tell you my personal experiences with each step.

1. Do some research on your own – Talk to people who have studied abroad, look into countries that you think are interesting, and align with the experience that you want to have. Do you want to go to a country that is warm or cold, speaks English, what classes do they offer for you? I went on the NAU Study abroad website and did research on some Uni’s and went to an advisor to help find the right one.

2. Meet with a study abroad advisor – The best way to find out where you should go is to talk to an advisor. They can help you find that perfect school and country to travel to. My adviser was Amanda Williamson, and I told her some of the things that I was looking for in a Uni and she helped me match up with the University of Wollongong and a few other ones, and in the end, I chose UOW it’s been the best fit for me. I went in with UOW on my list I had researched earlier, but you can go in with no idea where you want to go, and they’ll be able to help you out.

3. Do research on schools – Research the school, what is around it, what the culture is like there if they have classes for you. See if you can talk to students who have gone there and ask them about their experience.

4. Picking a school and how to apply – Choosing UOW was a no brainer for me once I did some research. I applied online and also did paper applications. I was required to send my transcripts and I had to apply around the middle of the semester before I wanted to travel (the due dates are on the NAU Study Abroad page, which is linked below. I didn’t hear back until the middle of November, which was nerve-wracking because I was planning on leaving in February and wanted to start booking tickets. Don’t worry, you will still have plenty of time to book tickets at a decent price.

5. Meet with your academic advisor – Make sure that the Uni that you are going to has classes that will transfer back to your home Uni. Luckily mine did, but a friend I met here didn’t do any research and then found out that none of her classes would transfer back for credit. So make sure you are still on track to graduate when you want to and that you can take classes.

6. Insurance – Make sure to check and see if you need insurance. NAU requires that you get GEOBlue, but Australia requires all students to get insurance, so just know that may be a cost you’re going to have but once you’re accepted to the Uni, they will help you out with that.

7. Visa – Depending on your country, the visa process is different. Always research whether you will need a visa for any country that you go to. You need a COE (Certificate of Enrollment) to apply for a visa, which you don’t get until you are accepted into the Uni. The visa process can be really confusing, so I recommend having all of your documents ready to go when doing it. For Australia, you needed a passport, proof of Australian insurance, your COE, and information about your health. You also have to write a statement explaining that you will be returning to the US. They say it can take up to 90 days, but I received my visa in less than 24 hours but apply sooner than later because I would recommend not buying a plane ticket until you know when your visa starts.

8. Booking a plane ticket – Do this after you find out when your visa starts and ends. I was able to book a round trip ticket that gave me 3 weeks to travel before Uni started and I gave myself 4 weeks after Uni ended to travel as well. This helped me save time during the semester, so I could travel around the Wollongong area more and focus on schoolwork (very important because your grades transfer back!!)

9. Apply for scholarships – I have another blog post about scholarships and it is so important to apply for scholarships! A lot of people are too scared to study abroad because of the cost, but at NAU it’s about the same price to study abroad as a semester at NAU and scholarships can help cover the costs of living expenses and some traveling.

10. Apply for housing – I didn’t live at the International housing at my Uni because I wanted to meet a lot of people from Australia and I really liked where I lived because it was a complex of 6 different buildings to meet people. But the International House kids are all really close, so it’s just up to you about where you want to go. Also, flexi-catered does not mean that some of your meals are included. I had to buy my own meal plan for dinner, but I have to cook breakfast and lunch on my own with only a fridge, sink and community microwave (Which is fine but I miss cooking a lot, there is a kitchen, but I didn’t want to invest in pots or pans). Self-catered means that you have a full kitchen, but you can purchase a meal plan if you would like. I have met my closest friends at my housing, so I definitely recommend living on campus!

11. Make a list of things that you want to do – Once you get to your Uni, you can get distracted by making friends and figuring out school, so I would make a list of things that you want to do before you get to Australia so that once you have friends to travel with (or go on your own, also a great way to travel) and know what your school schedule is, you can make plans and go to those places, without having to do too much planning or research. But it’s also important to be flexible!

12. Officially pick your classes for the semester– I actually ended up choosing my classes for NAU before I had finalized what classes I was taking in Australia (I also chose my NAU classes in a bar at 1 AM because of the time difference, but that’s another story). It’s a really different process so just be in communication with the Uni that you are studying abroad at because every school is different. Make sure to send your study abroad advisor back at NAU your list of classes that you are taking.

13. Packing – I have another post about packing, but seriously, do a rough draft pack, then go through your items and edit what you actually really want or need. I would say less is more because you end up buying clothing if you need it.

14. Stay in contact with your study abroad advisors and academic advisers -It’s important to make sure that you are still on track at your home Uni, which can be hard to manage two Uni’s at once, but it’s so important!

Those are just the big things that I had to do to prepare for my study abroad. There are a few other little things, but they are so manageable and easy to do. Honestly, studying abroad has been the best thing that I have ever done, and it is so worth it. That list may be daunting, but your advisors are going to do whatever they can to help you get abroad. GO ABROAD!!

Here is the link to find your study abroad home: https://edabroad.nau.edu/

Cheers,

Wandering in Wollongong

Sydney, NSW, Australia

May 12th, 2018

Hey there, so it’s a stormy day here, so decided to take a train up to Sydney for the day and it’s been fun just to wander around the city by myself and just people watch, stop at a café, figure out where certain businesses that I would like to work are located (sorry mom and dad). But it’s been pretty chilly here and let me tell you, I packed the wrong stuff. I totally packed right for the first 3 months of school, but as it is turning to Autumn here, I definitely wish I would have packed better. But it’s hard to pack for a 6-month adventure in a country you have never been to. So, I’m here to help with what I wish I would have packed.

I wish I would have packed:

Sweaters - I brought one and now I’m regretting that because I have so many back home, but they do take up a lot of packing space.
Jeans - I don’t wear jeans too often but I wish I would have brought more because sometimes it can be hard to find my size here, but that happened everywhere (I’m a 14/16 in the US, thanks for the booty, mom and dad).
Beanies – I brought one, but I wish I would have brought more because it can get kind of windy
Nice shoes for going out/dressing up – Usually when I go out back home I wear my converse or black boots, but those don’t really go with a nice dress or outfit all the time, so bring a nice pair as well.
More casual shirts – When coming over I was told that Australian’s dress super well all the time (which a lot do) but a lot of times I end up being over-dressed to go to school because I only brought nice shirts and not as many casual ones
A jean skirt – This was the best investment that I ever made. I bought one here and I wear it at least 2 times a week. It will be your best friend.
Sandals – I bought a pair here for $10 but if you have ‘em, bring ‘em
Business clothing – I’m going to attempt to meet up with possible future employers, so I wish I didn’t have to go buy professional clothing when I have so much back home (S/O to DSP)

What I’m glad I packed:

Pictures from home – nice to decorate my room with (apartment tour coming soon)
My jean jacket – I wear it with everything, seriously
A nice dress – For special occasions, super glad I brought it!
A raincoat/windbreaker – My best friend this weekend
Nice blouses/shirts – Australians dress a lotttt better than I do…
Gifts from home that are unique to where I am from – It’s a nice little gift to leave someone
Shirts from things I like to represent – NAU, DSP, AquaSox, Mariners, Seahawks, etc. (I’ve met a lot of Australian Seahawk fans here, by the way)
My one-piece swimsuit – saved my butt during a riptide survival training session because I didn’t flash anyone…
A sarong – I use mine at the beach or as a cover-up, super handy, and can be used as decoration.

I was lucky in that Australia has most things available that I need, but it’s always a bummer to have to go buy clothes or things that you already have back home. I mean, I don’t like to complain about new clothing, but it’s going to make packing for home more difficult plus that’s money that I could have spent on adventures…or coffee. So, pack well and do research about where you are going!

Cheers,

Wandering in Wollongong

Canberra, ACT, Australia

April 2nd, 2018

Happy Belated Easter and April Fools Day! Hope you all spent the weekend with friends and family! I spent mine with friends in Canberra, the capital of Australia. It was a great way to spend Easter weekend because it gave us a few days to travel (Good Friday and Easter Monday are public holidays, so we had them off for school). But it is also a nice distraction from remembering that I’m not home with my family for the holiday. Which leads to this week’s topic: homesickness.

Homesickness is a very real part of traveling abroad. You’re in another country trying to figure out how to adapt to new cultures, all while life back home is going on without you. For some students, study abroad is the first time that they’ve been away from home this long (and there is nothing wrong with that!) and I don’t think it’s good to compare study abroad experiences with other students, but I noticed that I haven’t experienced the same level of homesickness as those students. As an out-of-state student at NAU, I’ve been unknowingly preparing myself for how to handle homesickness. I’ve had 2.5 years of practice of being away from home for 5-6 months without the ability to go home for the weekend or drive home if I miss my family or pets (It’s a 27-hour drive or a 3.5-hour flight). It’s not that I haven’t missed home, because I absolutely do (all the time actually because I’m annoyingly close with my family) and I would love to be with my family right now, it’s just that I’m used to the feeling of homesickness and have learned how I can work with it. But again, I don’t like to compare study abroad experiences because we all have a different way of how we handle and interpret situations.

So here are some tips that I have learned not only while studying abroad but also while studying out-of-state at NAU.

Tip 1. Go out/distract yourself. Personally, the worst thing that I can do while I’m feeling homesick is to sit in my room and watch snap chats of back home. I force myself to go for a walk, meet up with friends, or go discover a new coffee shop. Usually, you forget about how much you miss home if you’re having fun. It’s important to recognize that you do feel homesick because mental health is very important but sometimes all you need is a reboot or a distraction.

Tip 2. Talk about it or write about it. Personally, I don’t like to be a big sharer about my internal thoughts or emotions (@ all the teachers who call on me in class even though I didn’t raise my hand), so I prefer to journal about how I’m feeling. Sometimes just getting the thought from my head to paper helps me figure out what I’m feeling and figure out what I need to do about it. But if you do prefer to talk about it with people, reach out to friends and family and talk to them.

Tip 3. Take advantage of the time you have abroad. Technically, I’m halfway done with my schooling at UOW. (And yes, I’m freaking out trying to figure out where that time went). It's really hard to see life continuing without you back home, but you’re only abroad for a short amount of time. I hate missing out on things back home, but I promise that you will regret wasting time in another country wishing that you were back home.

Tip 4. Your family and friends will still be there for you when you get home. I know that seems harsh or selfish, but study abroad is a time for self-discovery and to figure out who you are as an individual. Luckily, we live in a time where we can text, Skype, and call our loved ones while abroad. I think my mom called home like 3 times when she was abroad. We’re really lucky to have those advantages, so make use of them and call home when you miss home.

I hope these tips have been helpful. Have a great week, and Happy Early Birthday, Dad. I wish I could be there to celebrate with you on Thursday. Love you❤️

Cheers,

Wandering in Wollongong

Wollongong, NSW, Australia

March 26th, 2018

I’m back and so is the Finance Major in me. This week’s topic is all about how to save your cash when traveling. Which, I’m going to be honest, is really hard to do. It means missing out on some things, but it all depends on what you want to get out of your study abroad experience. So here are a few tips that I have for saving your money.

Tip #1: APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS! There are no excuses as to why you shouldn’t apply for scholarships to help you study abroad. I received three scholarships to help pay for study abroad. Some scholarships require that you complete tasks while abroad (mine is this blog) but others are being an ambassador for the study abroad program at NAU or other cool activities. Seriously apply for scholarships!!!

Tip #2: Hostels, Hostels, Hostels. So far in my travel experiences, hostels have been the best way to travel. They tend to be the cheapest and usually you can find hostels that are close to the town centers, so you don’t have to worry about transportation too much. Most hostels offer discounts for restaurants and activities nearby and the people who work there can be helpful if you have questions about how to get around or where to go. Just know that you get what you pay for with hostels, so sometimes that extra $10 is worth it to feel safe or clean. Sometimes hotels can be cheaper, but usually, they are looking to serve families or people who want more accommodations. Airbnb could be an option too but there are hidden fees and usually, you need your own transportation…so hostels. Plus you can meet a lot of cool people from all over the world while there!

Tip #3: Watch out for flight deals all the time. Low-cost airlines can be your best friend. No, you don’t get food or entertainment during the flight, but I would rather pay $150 less for a flight than receive a packet of pretzel and a movie (which I can do that at home for $10). While you do have to pay for baggage, a lot of time you can pay for a certain weight and split that among your friends and if you’re doing weekend trips, you don’t need 50lbs worth of clothing. Check out apps or websites like Hopper, Student Universe, or Sky-scanner to see if there are any deals for flights.

Tip #4: Check out the grocery stores, not the restaurants. This is really hard, especially for the coffee addict in me. But in the end, I would rather have experienced something over having a cup of coffee or eating a meal at a restaurant. Since you don’t tip in Australia, the cost of a meal is greater because it goes towards your server's pay. I’d recommend going to a grocery store and loading up on snacks, and stuff to make easy meals, like sandwiches. I know that food is a large part of the culture, but so is the food that’s in a grocery store (bonus they have Kinder Eggs here). If you’re planning on going out to the bars, only take cash because then that is all you have to spend. I always bring an emergency card but never use it at bars because it’s my card that has international fees, so I never like to use it. Also, set a budget for how much you want to spend. But you should #TreatYoSelf. You should go out and try restaurants and coffee shops, just maybe not every meal.

Tip #5: Sometimes tours are the way to go, and sometimes they aren’t. I recommend looking up tours that look interesting to you and breaking down the cost of the things that you want to do and compare the cost of the tour to if you booked all of your plans yourself. Most of the time tours are cheaper because they get group discount tickets, but sometimes the prices are jacked up so that they can make a profit. So just be aware of what the tour includes and decide if that fits into your budget and includes everything that you want to do. If a tour doesn’t include everything you want and is way more expensive, follow the structure/plan they have but book everything yourself.

That’s all for tips on how to save some moolah. You should have fun and do experiences, but just make sure that you're keeping your budget in check. Shoot me an email if you have any requests for topics or have questions about studying abroad!

Cheers,

Wandering in Wollongong