England

 “The future depends on what we do in the present.”

Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)

Welcome to Episode 7 of our History Around the Globe Series! Check out Episode 6 (Mongolia) if you haven’t already!

Written by Jeremy Tan

Famous for tea, bloody BRILLIANT accents, and a Queen who’s the literal definition of badass, I thank you, our readers, for tagging along to our exploration of England.

Overview

Apparently England was inhabited more than 800,000 years ago, and though I wanted to interview someone from that time, unfortunately they’re all dead. England’s been through a lot, though. The Romans CRUELLY INVADED England in 43 AD. But after 5 centuries of rule, the Romans CRUELLY DITCHED England (leading to the start of the Dark Ages), leading to the Anglo-Saxon settlement of England. That was, until 1066 AD, when the Normans CRUELLY INVADED England. Too cruel life, too cruel.

England later rose to become a global power, becoming the centre of the British Empire – the influence of which can still be felt today. There is a reason why English is the most commonly spoken language in the world…

MythBusterz

Not to be confused with a certain MythBusters, MythBusterz is here to debunk some history myths (though we don’t really do science experiments here, sorry).

• MYTH: London wasn’t always the capital of England.

London became the capital of England, replacing a city called Wincester, in the 12th century.

• MYTH: England has bad weather.

I think anyone who talks about England (or the UK in general, for that matter) ALWAYS mentions the bad, rainy weather. It’s not as bad as people think though. The entire west coast of England (which includes most major cities) only receives around 500~1000 mm of rainfall every year. And the weather is usually quite mild. At least England has snow unlike 99% of Australia.

• MYTH: King Arthur was real.
  
  Nah, probably not. Historians have speculated he may have existed, though his deeds were certainly not as mythical as believed. Honestly I don’t know who King Arthur even is, but I would recommend King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017) because there are some good-looking guys there.

Keep your eyes peeled, because the Mythbusterz series may return…

International Exchange

For those interested in international exchange to England (or anywhere else for that matter), the UNSW website provides a list of partner universities offering exchange programs. Submit a student exchange enquiry should you have further queries.

On a slightly more personal note, I believe England is a fantastic place to study (probably because of the accents). An example of a UNSW exchange university is the University of Liverpool (pictured below). I would go there if not for the fees… There is a lots of heritage in any English university and each city will bring upon great adventures. So if you’re a current or prospective student definitely check out your options!