As an International student I know how important it is to make our studies a priority. Although study is very important, we all need to keep a healthy balance in our lives. If you are a GELI student like me there are many activities available which will help you add balance to your student life and have a happy life. These are some of the activities I’ve joined and I recommend you to try.
- Café Chat: GELI has this activity every term in the first week. It is great for new students as it can help you make new friends and adapt to a new language environment. Experienced students also join the activity and they can help you with your new study life when you have some problems. You will also get a free cup of coffee and enjoy a nice afternoon.
- Visiting Lone Pine Zoo: this is great activity because you will see many Australian animals at the zoo, such as koalas, kangaroos and many others. In my opinion, the best part about visiting the zoo is that you can feed the kangaroos in an open space. Also, your ticket is cheaper when you go with GELI rather than going there by yourself.
- Griffith Mates: You can join the fantastic Griffith Mates Activities. You can join new activities and learn a lot from the activity and from other students, like new skills that may be helpful for your university studies. Also, participating in the Griffith Mates activities will challenge your English skills because you will meet many people with good English because they have been studying at Griffith University for a long time.Maybe you will be nervous about talking to them, however you don’t need to worry because the students are very friendly and they will speak slowly to you or use simple words to help you understand what they are saying . Furthermore, you can find the Griffith Mates at any event and ask them for help and tips about study lifestyle or living in Australia.
- Explore on your own: If you want to spend your leisure time with your friends during the weekend I recommend GOMA (Gallery of Modern Art). There are many students who think galleries are very boring and they can’t stay there for a long time – but they are wrong! This gallery is different from the others, it pays more attention to the personal experience of visitors. It has some exhibits that you can try and touch, such as handmade items and real-size installations. I especially like the building blocks exhibit where you can shape and create new buildings using your imagination, and it can take up your whole day!
There are a number of activities that are waiting for you to experience and all of them are good for your study-life balance, and If you are feeling stressed they can also help you to relax :D. I hope you have a good time studying at GELI and use your free time to enjoy these activities.
Until next time – Leo
Junhao (Leo) Huang
I like to create stories full of fantasy and share them trough my photographs. My hobby is listening to any #chillout music in Youtube. *Hang is from Vietnam and currently studying English at Griffith English Language Institute.