This week's topic in the newsletter is studying and working abroad. In this blog I'm remembering my own Study abroad semester in Perth last year with bits and pieces from my diary the first couple of weeks.
I felt really welcome at Edith Cowan University, a lot thanks to the student volunteers but also the friendly staff. During orientation and welcome week we got to learn all the essentials about studying in Australia as well as making new friends and having lots of fun!
<b>Wednesday, 14th of February</b>
About orientation and welcome week...
<i>This morning I had to get out of bed a little earlier than usual since it was my first day at Edith Cowan University. We had no lectures but it was the start of Orientation week which is pretty much what it sounds like. You learn all you need to know to start the semester and you have a lot of fun with other students to get to know each other.
I sat down in the big lecture theatre with all the other international students, we were from all over the world. The headmaster had his welcome speech and covered some formalities, but the guy in charge of orientation was a funny man. We just had some heavy information from immigrations when he chooses to cheer things up a bit with an “Aussie Quiz” with silly questions like “What do you call a didgeridoo that doesn’t work?” Correct answer: “A digeridon’t!” We were all free to guess out in the open air and then he threw chocolate bars to us. (At true Aussie manner he called them “choccies”.)
The first day at Uni ended with a get-together in the park with some traditional aussie-barbie.
Tomorrow is the day called <i>Academic Headstart</i> and the idea is to give us a kick-start to the semester with a lot of practical information. But we are having some fun too of course! Tonight we’re going to an outdoor-cinema with picnic and there are other events like this all week long. Can't wait 'til Saturday and the big welcome party for all students! The fun is just about to begin!</i>
Adjusting to a whole new country with different conditions is not always easy, but most of the times really fun and exciting! The heat and the nature were two things that took some time to adjust to in the dry Western Australia.
<b>Saturday, 24th of February</b>
About Mother Nature...
<i>Tonight I’ve been visiting my Canadian friend Nicole in the suburb Joondalup. When I got there I saw something odd, a real bushfire! It was a bit creepy with thick smoke and ashes falling from the sky...
The fire was in the woods right behind her house, but once the fire brigade told us they had it all under control we went inside to have some dinner. However, this one (evil) Aussie told us the fire would scare all the snakes out of the woods and that they would come our way! Scary shit! (We didn't see any snakes though.)</i>
<b>Sunday, 25th of February</b>
About the heat and starting a new university in a whole new country...
<i>I have just lived through the hottest Sunday of my life, or maybe even the hottest day of my entire life. Instead of doing what normal people would do, like stay in the shade, we went to the Zoo.
A pretty bad idea since we were all pretty exhausted because of the heat. (The animals too...)</i>
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Lazy kangaroo at the Zoo.
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Me and my housemate Anou in a café down by the Swan River.
<i>Tomorrow is the real thing, University. I’m very excited! I’m like a seven year old girl going to primary school after the summer. I have new pens, a new bag and I will for sure put on something nice for my first day. I'm slightly nervous, what if I get any difficult questions that I can't answer?...</i>
<b>Monday, 26th of February</b>
About living on a multi-cultural campus...
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Our house on campus.
<i>I woke up this morning by hearing my housemate Karsten from Germany whistling a really catchy tune. I’m just about to brush my teeth when I hear this same housemate yell: <i>Fuck! Animal!</i> from the kitchen. Our Kenyan house mate Marcya is really saving the situation quickly by catching the reason for the reaction, the coach roach, with a brush and a bucket. Really neat.
After class we went for groceries and lovely TIMTAM cookies. It took me and my enormous bags a while to get back home though, many stops on the way to rest my arms. I should get a car...
Frankie popped by to tell me about her lecture and we had funny fruits called Kiwiberries, some kind of strange berry that looks like a mini kiwi.
Living on campus is easy, I’m sharing my unit with five other students from all over the world. Karsten from Germany, Anoushka from Malaysia, Marzcya from Kenya and Sue and Daniel from China. We’re hanging out with people from all over the world, having a good time.</i>
<b>I truly had a great semester in Perth and I made friends from all over the world!
If you have any questions on studying abroad I'd be happy to help you, from a students point of view.
Leave me a comment or e-mail me at member@orbville.com.</b>
