Hi guys, it’s Honoka. 

I have mainly studied accounting at Edith Cowan University in Western Australia.

Finally there are only a few days left before I leave Australia by the time this blog is updated.
When I first came here in February, it felt like so long before I left because I had as many as about 1 year; but now I’m shocked at the fact that time flies.

I have reviewed the first half of my stay in Australia and introduced some new things I started. However, I haven’t answered this question, "What does my life in Australia look like actually?

So I would like to delve deeper into this question by looking back on what I did on a certain Monday. Okay, let’s get into it.
 
8:00 am

My day begins with being woken up by the alarm of Pokemon Sleep. After stopping it, I have breakfast and get ready for the day while listening to podcasts.

By the way this is what my room looks like:

This is what the exterior looks like:

9:00 am

After getting ready, I head to a library to study.

Oh hold on. Before that, I need to swing by Cafe 6, which is my favorite cafe on the way to the library, and ask for a cup of coffee to encourage myself to study hard.

I go there almost every day, so there are some staff who recognise me and even remember my name, which is so sweet. It is my small pleasure to make small talk with them while waiting for my coffee to be ready.

Holding a cup of coffee, I walk to the library. 

In my opinion, the library at uni is more comfortable and a better environment for studying than the one at KGU.

There are many different types of desks and chairs, and you can choose where to study depending on your needs.

When you want to study in a group, you can use big desks.
When you want to concentrate on your own studies, you can sit in a chair with a partition.
If you find it difficult to concentrate on your studies by being distracted by some noise such as people talking around you, you can also use a quiet room, which is called a Silent Room.

The design of the entire library is refined, which would be another reason why it is attractive.

By the way, I use the Silent Room so often that some of my friends have told me, "I saw you in the Silent Room before,” a few times.
 
11:30 am - 1:30 pm

After reviewing what I learned in the previous class, I leave the library and head to a classroom.

I take classes at rooms like these:

It is normal to spend 2-3 hours per class at my university, which might sound so long, but we have each class only once a week.
So we have a lot of free time other than classes unlike KGU students, who are basically tied up with classes all day on weekdays. 
Local students at ECU apparently have a similar timetable.

You can make use of the free time by studying, hanging out with friends, working part-time, participating in club activities, or doing volunteer work.

Thanks to that,  I can easily do what I want to do other than studying, which I believe allows me to maintain a good balance in my life here.
 
2:00 pm

Okay, now I’m going to a nearby shopping mall with my friend, who lives in the same dormitory, to buy groceries for the week.
We take a city bus to the mall.

The bus, commonly known as the Cat Bus, is free of charge and runs around the uni.
Exchange students cannot drive a car, so I am so grateful for this service. Thanks always.

Many users greet the driver when getting on and off the bus to show their gratitude.
When getting on it we say "Hi!", and we say "Thank you!" in a loud voice when getting off.

Once we arrive at the mall, we head to Coles, which is the supermarket we often go to.
Taking a trolley, and let’s go into the store.

We go through each aisle and throw food into our trolley, checking off our bucket list: vegetables, meat, snacks, dairy products, ect.

 Okay, now I need to pay for my food.

As you may have seen them in Japan as well recently, it is common to use self-checkout systems in supermarkets in Australia. Of course, you can also use a normal checkout counter.

6:00 pm

After shopping and returning to my room, I make dinner in my kitchen like this:

Fortunately, I am able to make Japanese food thanks to a nearby Asian market and local supermarkets which provide some Japanese seasoning. 
Japanese food is also loved in Australia, as several Japanese restaurants can be found in the city.

I will be able to finish my study in Australia without missing Japanese food.

7:00 pm 

After having dinner and washing dishes, I enjoy my free time.

I relax in the evening by calling my Japanese friends, watching a movie with my friends who live in the same dormitory, keeping a diary, or reading a book.
 
11:00 pm

Oh, it’s already late. I need to go to bed now.
I close the book I was reading, turn off the light, and go to sleep.

Good night.

In a Dream…

How was my life in Australia?

Different countries have different cultures, and the cultures differently make study environments, classes, and things sold in supermarkets.
I think it is one of the interesting things that exchange students can experience to be able to notice such differences and get used to them.
 
In the next blog, I am going to introduce the English spoken in Australia, commonly known as Aussie English, which I have been struggling with.
If you are wondering, "Is Aussie English really that different from American English?”, don’t miss the next one!

See you guys later.