I've learned a lot about planning my weeks and months, when it comes to my school work, becouse here I actually had to becouse off all the things I had to keep up with and remember to do at all times.
When it comes to things to bring I am so happy i brought a rain jacket and a thicker jacket, cause the weather here is cold (even compared to norway, though a reason might have been the shock about going from mid summer to winter).
And a dictionary was also helpful at times, Even though most of the time I was fine it was good to have as a back up (and I know some forgot it and missed it, and some had ask to borrow mine, so it could be a good idea even though it is big and heavy...)
What would you improve about this program?
I would have loved more information about the different living oppurtunities on campus. Online it appeared to be only one option if you where not staying for a year, but when I got here I figured that was not the case, but it felt like a hassle to change it.
Response from University of Canberra
Hi Benedicte,
Thank you for your review and reflective feedback. It is great to hear that you learned a lot about planning and organising your weeks as this shows that you kept busy throughout the semester. As an exchange program we want students to keep busy throughout their time and studies in Canberra. We hope that you got to plan plenty of time for exploring Canberra and the other regions of Australia. For students, Canberra has much to offer and being the nation’s capital we are right at the footsteps to some great museums and festivals. Being at the base of the Snowy Mountains, we enjoy seasonal weather and Canberra’s often sunny weather makes the hikes and treks in the surrounding parks are amazing. Canberra prides itself on being Australia’s most liveable city – a great achievement for Australia’s largest inland city!
As mentioned, Canberra does have seasonal weather and the winter time here in the nation’s capital can be a shock to the system upon arrival. It is great to receive this type of feedback as the cold weather is something that shocks many students before their semester – that is why we recommend students bring a coat. For students who speak English as a second language, a dictionary is always recommended as we understand that the English language is not the easiest to comprehend at times. I hope you feel like you have been able to improve your English skills. Thank you for providing these two tips – we hope it helps future students.
Regarding housing, we welcome your negative feedback. We try to provide students with the best possible information for housing and unfortunately this semester there was some confusion as to the contract lengths and options for students who were here for only a semester. The Study Abroad and Exchange Office aims to provide students with the best experience while living in Canberra and unfortunately this is one aspect of the program which we have limited control over. As the majority of housing on campus is privately operated, the exchange office is unable to determine costs, payments and the general operation of these living options. Despite this, we continue to communicate all feedback regarding housing with each housing area. As seen in recent years, new and more affordable housing options are beginning to be offered on campus and this will hopefully continue as the university moves through its expansion.