Listen up y'all! Now that the semester has come to an end, I want to give some advice for the upcoming students! Traffic Sydney is a big city with over 4 million inhabitants. This means a lot of people and a lot of traffic. If you are from Europe or USA, please have in mind that the traffic is the opposite down under. People from UK don’t need to worry, but for the rest of us need to keep in mind that it’s left-driving here. This could be a bit tricky in the start, but luckily you will get used to it quickly!

Language

English is a global language, but Australia takes it to a different level. Aussie-people shorten so many words, and it might take some time to get used to it. Here are a few examples of the Strayan language. G’Day – Hello Straya – Australia Devo – Devastated

Mate – Friend Arvo – Afternoon Bail – To cancel plans Brekky – Breakfast Brolly – Umbrella Chook – Chicken Avo – Avocado Chrissie – Christmas Uni - University They also use “hey” or “aye” after sentences which can mean “don’t you agree?”

Seasons and weather. The seasons might as well be a bit confusing. When it’s Summer in Europe it’s Winter in Straya. And then we have Spring when it’s Autumn, Summer when it’s Winter and Autumn when it’s Spring in Europe. The weather is also unpredictable during Spring and Autumn. You can leave for uni when it’s sunny and warm, but when you’re finished it’s rainy and windy. Make sure you got a brolly in your bag!

Spiders. Since I’m from Norway I haven’t really seen a very big spider in my life – until NOW. I’ve been comfortable at home seeing the big spiders through social media, but after I got here I understand how big they are. If you’re afraid of spiders, just like me, you’ll probably freak out a few times, but luckily the biggest spiders aren’t dangerous.

Besides these ones my best advice is to use a lot of your free time to explore Sydney. Use your weekends wisely, and StuVac as well! Explore while you’re already down under – Fiji, New Zealand, New Caledonia! There are so many beautiful places in this world, and if you don’t want to travel overseas, there are no better way than experience new places in the city as well! Get to know the city that is about to be your home for the next couple of months, or maybe years! I promise you’ll fall in love with Sydney!

Good luck.