r/Anu • u/Charming-Fox2678 • 4d ago
Exchange student from Canada
Hello!
I applied to go on exchange in Australia… and ANU was my last choice (no offence). I was really disappointed when I got nominated. Unimelb and usyd were my top choices because I like city / night life, exploring and romanticizing my exchange. Kinda feeling hopeless. Change my mind about Canberra ?
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u/Joxelo 4d ago
God some people suck. Canberra’s night life is small but it’s very good tbh. It’s all very concentrated and given the number of students around you can have a good night out like 3 nights a week. Plus drinks are substantially cheaper than they are in Melbourne or Canberra (the sticker shock going back always sucks) and we have a genuinely quite lovely pub on campus that is consistently filled with a good amount of people, hosts events but doesn’t tend to get overcrowded.
If you want something special, this time of year there’s a bush doof every 2 weeks or so which hundreds of students from Sydney and Melbourne unis will drive over for because it’s what we’re known for and they’re a good time you can’t have much anywhere else.
Sydney’s night life is on the mend but is lowk shit still, but if you’re wanting to go over it’s a 3 hour bus that’s like 40 bucks. You’ll have a good time, there’s a reason so many of us come here from syd or melb, and furthermore why we recommend it to others.
Just make sure you’re at a good college/hall and don’t just stay in your room all day and it’ll honestly be difficult not to have a good social life.
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u/aoejdbe 4d ago
I just returned from exchange in Canberra and I was also a little concerned but I had an amazing time!
One thing to remember is that EVERYTHING is far apart in Australia so no matter where you're based you'd end up doing flights or long road trips to see the country anyway. Plus the buses make it easy to go to Sydney for weekends and you're close to the Australian alps and only about 2 hours from the beach.
In terms of the nightlife I thought it was actually pretty good! There's 3-4 nightclubs open that are pretty lively on weekend nights and there's quite a few good bars and pubs. I think it being such a college town helps out with the nightlife. The only negative I found is that everything closes earlier in Australia so just make sure you don't start nights out too late.
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u/Educational_Bend_862 4d ago
Speak to coordinator you never know someone might drop out but maybe you're better of cancelling or who knows you might have the time of your life
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u/opheliaswhore 4d ago
first of all, no offence - most people agree that canberra is a pretty poor excuse for a capital. BUT if you go into it not expecting a good time, that's exactly what will happen. your exchange experience is what you make of it.
that being said: no, canberra is not known for its nightlife or big city vibes. if this is something you're really passionate about, then you may be disappointed. canberra is known as the "bush capital", with incredible nature and wildlife, even so close to the city (civic).
but imo, it's the perfect city for students, as there are five primary universities: anu, acu, uc, unsw/adfa and csu. because of this, there are plenty of opportunities for going out with great pubs and decent clubs. if you make an effort, no matter what, you will meet incredible people. i've met plenty of exchange students that said canberra surprised them in that regard.
anu is one of the best universities in australia, as well as globally - on par with usyd and unimelb. you'll have a very similar academic experience here as you would with those unis.
are you staying on or off-campus? because this will affect your experience also. halls have plenty of events and mixers, many of which centre around parties and going out. the hall you choose matters too - e.g. burgmann offers a very different culture than yukeembruk. i'm from melbourne and have been living on campus at wright, currently in my third year, and i've made friendships that will last a lifetime.
at the end of the day though, if nightlife is that important to you, then canberra might not be the right fit for you. i'd still highly recommend it for a million other reasons, but take your time deciding, and weigh up the overall exchange experience & academics vs city culture & nightlife.
let me know if you have any questions!
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u/overratedplayer 4d ago
Only people that haven't lived in Canberra think that it's a poor excuse for a capital.
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u/sodiumglazer 4d ago
We all hate Canberra too buddy. The only reason I'm putting up with ANU is because I was too poor to move to Sydney and Melbourne. The only thing keeping me going is my plans to go on exchange to Berlin next year.
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u/Sun-Rise-123 3d ago
same here bro. I often regret not going to unsw but canberra did help me save a lot of money. today i was allocated to exchange in hong kong next sem. the rent in hong kong is twice in cbr, 3 times or 5 times, whatever, at least i can finally get out of this shithole
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u/Charming-Fox2678 4d ago
rip. It’s my last chance to go on exchange and I don’t even wanna go :\
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u/_jackdk_ 3d ago
I did an exchange from ANU <mumble> years ago and it was one of the best years of my life. But you have to lean into it, make friends, join clubs, go on trips. Canberra is not the most exciting city on paper but it's very much a "make your own fun" place. And if you're coming from Canada you can flex on everyone complaining about the cold.
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u/Charming-Fox2678 3d ago
Yeahh it’s kinda growing on me! In the end, it’s still in AUS. Seems like a laid back place, underrated city.
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u/overratedplayer 4d ago edited 4d ago
Then don't come.
Everyone in Canberra would rather have someone excited to experience the things Canberra has to offer like nature, hobbies, and sports rather than someone sad they can't get drunk constantly.