Study in Australia & new apartment (30.07. - 12.08.)

வெளியிடப்பட்டது: 12.08.2018

(written by: Aaron, 12.08.18, Newcastle)


Hello friends,

It's been a while since you last heard from us, so we wanted to bring you up to date.


The past two weeks have been mainly determined by our studies. We have a total of 3 courses with 10 hours of attendance per week, including 5 hours of lectures on Mondays, 3 hours on Wednesdays, and 2 hours of laboratory or exercises on Thursdays. 

City Campus
City Campus 'New Space'

City Campus
City Campus 'New Space'

It's quite relaxed so far, but on Mondays we have to commute twice between different campuses (about 25 minutes by bus) and the lectures are spread between 8am and 6pm, so Mondays are quite long. Fortunately, the lecture at 8am is recorded as a video, so in the future we will probably watch the recording instead of attending in person. 

So far, we are coping well both academically and linguistically. However, one of the lectures is given by a lecturer with a very strong African accent, so it requires a lot of concentration to follow him. 

There are many cool workspaces at the university
There are many cool workspaces at the university

Interesting lecture hall concept with small seating groups and sofas
Interesting lecture hall concept with small seating groups and sofas

but not all lecture halls are that great
but not all lecture halls are that great

In addition to attendance, the courses require quite a lot of continuous independent work, at least compared to our studies in Germany. In preparation for the laboratories, we usually have to read a longer text and complete one or more tasks, which then build on each other. In addition, we have several graded assignments and partial achievements in each course, which will be included in the final assessment together with the exam. So we have to give our best right from the start to keep up and not fall behind.

In addition to our academic activities, we have recently been busy with our living situation. Last week, we visited several apartments and eventually applied for one. Despite receiving a quick acceptance, we still had to bridge one more week, but fortunately, we were able to extend our temporary Airbnb accommodation until the 13th of August.

we conquered the first kangaroo we saw in Australia ;)
we conquered the first kangaroo we saw in Australia ;)

... but we have already seen a few others as well
... but we have already seen a few others as well


Today we finally moved into our new apartment, now everyone has their own bedroom. Although we really liked the Airbnb studio and got along well there, it was quite cramped, so we are now looking forward to having a bit more space and privacy. 

Stefan with an emotional goodbye
emotional goodbye


Kitchen in the new apartment
Kitchen in the new apartment

Living room in the new apartment
Living room in the new apartment

buying bedding was a logistical challenge
buying bedding was a logistical challenge

We really like the apartment, it has been recently renovated and is clean. Additionally, we have fairly spacious furnished rooms, although we had to buy bedding ourselves. We share the apartment with another roommate, a young Korean named Lee, who will start his studies next year. He seems to be quiet and uncomplicated, so we are confident that we will get along well without any major problems.

Stefan
Stefan's room

Stefan
Stefan's room

Stefan
Stefan's room

Aaron
Aaron's room

Aaron
Aaron's room

Britta
Britta's room is a bit smaller - but will also get a bigger bed

Unfortunately, the location is not as good as before, we are a bit further out on a relatively noisy street and the buses are less frequent. But you can't have everything, our alternative apartments were significantly better in terms of location, but they were very run-down, not clean, and only slightly cheaper.

Due to the many activities at the beginning of our stay and the new daily routine, we have all been a bit exhausted in the past few days, so during our free time, we have mostly rested and slept a bit longer. That's why there are currently fewer exciting activities to report. Additionally, Britta has caught a cold, which she has to deal with these days.

public garden in Newcastle
public garden in Newcastle

Newcastle Ocean Baths - separate swimming pools in the sea where you can swim free of charge day and night
Newcastle Ocean Baths - separate swimming pools in the sea where you can swim free of charge day and night

Last week, there was a pub tour organized by UNESN. We went to several bars in Newcastle with a larger group of international students, there were many interesting conversations, free finger food, and discounts on various drinks.

We have explored the city further on some walks. Among other things, we visited the Cathedral of Newcastle and explored the small peninsula of Nobbys Head, which extends into the sea off the coast of Newcastle and is a landmark of Newcastle with its lighthouse and picturesque beach.

Newcastle Cathedral
Newcastle Cathedral

Newcastle Cathedral
Newcastle Cathedral


Newcastle Cathedral
Newcastle Cathedral

Nobbys Beach
Nobbys Beach

Nobbys Lighthouse
Nobbys Lighthouse


During a visit to the Newcastle Museum, we learned some interesting things about the city's development, special events, and especially about its unique history as an industrial and working-class city. 

Newcastle Museum
Newcastle Museum

Newcastle Museum
Newcastle Museum

Newcastle Museum
Newcastle Museum

Newcastle Museum
Newcastle Museum

Last Friday, there was a big festival on the main campus of the university called Autonomy Day. On this day, the University of Newcastle celebrates its independence from the University of New South Wales in 1965. There was live music, dance floors, and a wide range of food and entertainment options. The various clubs in which students can organize themselves according to their interests dressed up and offered their own activities.


Autonomy Day ...
Autonomy Day ...


Autonomy Day with carousel, ...
... including a carousel, ...

... live music, ...
... live music, ...


... interesting fashion styles, ...
... interesting fashion styles, ...

... and cotton candy!
... and cotton candy!

பதில் (2)

Philipp
Aaron hat sich natürlich das größte Zimmer ergattert :D Ihr scheint ganz gut angekommen zu sein, hat doch soweit anscheinend gut geklappt. Die Bilder sind jedenfalls nice, wünsche euch weiterhin viel Spaß und gutes gelingen, definitiv neidisch auf die Erfahrungen und Erlebnisse :)

Matthias
Je mehr und öfter ich in eurem Blogg lese und Bilder anschaue um so mehr beneide ich euch um diese Erfahrung. Australien war mir in meinem Leben ja nie vergönnt. Genießt eure Zeit und Erfahrungen denn sie werden euer Leben bereichern und viele solche Momente sind unwiederbringlich. Ich freue mich auf die vielen Einträge die noch kommen. Liebe Grüße aus Husum

#australien#auslandssemester#newcastle#sydney