This is both the first and last post of this blog for 2024.

It may sound cliché, but I'll say it anyway—so much has happened this year. I left Beijing after six years of living there, said goodbye to many friends, and moved to Australia in pursuit of a better future—and it truly is.

Yes, this year is mostly about uni, and yes, I'm getting used to slangs in Australian English. Language barriers were my biggest concern when I first arrived. I struggled to use the English I learned from movies and shows and struggled even more to understand various local and international accents.

Thankfully, things are improving. Now that my first year of the Master's program is over, I've achieved an (almost) HD overall WAM and secured a place in the research stream. My English is steadily improving, even though I don't use it as much as I had expected. If you're also working on improving your English-speaking skills, my advice is simple: be confident. Confidence is key to accomplishing anything.

Australia is beautiful. The weather here is much, much better than in Beijing (which I often complained about). The people are warm and kind. I'm so glad I made the decision to come.

More exciting news—my wife is adapting well, and she recently received the results of her first PTE test. Her score is very close to achieving "superior English" as defined by the Australian Government.

Now, as the year draws to a close, here's to hoping that 2025 continues to bring even better things!