A hilarious but heartwarming peek into the lives of an international and domestic student at La Trobe University. Produced by Semester 2 intern, Monty.
At first glance, Bunga and Abigail couldn’t be more different but that’s the magic of La Trobe. This campus has a way of throwing people together in the most unexpected ways: group projects, Clubhouse chats, last-minute events or shared snacks in the Library.
Through laughter, memes, shared deadlines and a whole lot of rice (and Shapes), they found friendship in contrast. Whether you’re 5 minutes from campus or 5,000 km away, the people you meet here might just change your life. Talk to someone new. Be someone’s Bunga. Or someone’s Abigail.
Q1: What was your first reaction stepping onto campus?
Bunga (International): “I got lost trying to find the library and ended up in the Sports Centre. Honestly thought the gym was the library because it had so many people.”
Abigail (Domestic): “Thought La Trobe winters would be chill. Turns out, 12 degrees is a near-death experience for a Darwin girl and also, why is the coffee so expensive here?”
Q2: What’s something the other person would find surprising?
Bunga: “I couldn’t tell if they were saying ‘yeah, nah’ or ‘nah, yeah.’ I still don’t know if I got rejected for that group project or not”
Abigail: “I still don’t understand the obsession with rice. It’s breakfast, lunch, dinner, sometimes dessert. I’ve never seen so many rice cookers in my life.”
Q3: Go-to comfort food during exams?
Bunga: “Instant noodles + chilli oil = serotonin.”
Abigail: “Shapes and 3 iced lattes. Bonus if I don’t spill one in the library.”
Q4: What’s your hidden uni talent?
Bunga: “Finding free food. I have a sixth sense for it now. If there’s pizza within 500 metres, I’ll find it.”
Abigail: “Giving group assignment pep talks while doing zero work until the last 48 hours. It’s a skill.”
Q5: What’s one thing uni taught you beyond academics?
Bunga: “How to open up to strangers – I came alone, and now I have a second family here.”
Abigail: “How to look beyond the people I knew in high school. Some of my closest mates now were strangers on Day 1.”