The Social Side

Astley College on Cocktail Night

• As with typical students, clubbing and drinking is a very popular form of activity! However, pre-drinking starts so much earlier as students leave early to go to places as alot of clubs close around 1am. 
•  At VU there are alot of clubs and societies which you can participate in 
• Also there is a gym and swimming pool at then Footscray Park Campus which you can join
• The Uni, ran quite a few different social activities during the semester for example the Great Ocean Road Trip, Healesville Sanctuary, Victoria Market etc
• The Student Village was great at social activities that were not always about the drinking! They did trips and activities such as:
  -  a trip to Phillip Island 
  -  a trip to Sovereign Hill
  - a Coffee Crawl during exam period
  - free bbqs and college meals throughout the semester
  - movie nights every thursday
  - sport events every monday
  - a college outing to play laserquest and go bowling
  - they also ran a cookery class every tuesday for students who didn't know how to cook or wanted to learn new recipes
  - cocktail night 

 

Studying at VU

Studying at VU was very similar to studying at BU in the wya that classes were run and the use of Blackboard. However there were one or two differences


BU Classes

Unlike BU, I had to create my own timetable for VU by looking at what subjects I wanted to take and then working out my own timetable so it all fitted in. This proved to be a nightmare as alot of them clashed or were on fridays when I really didn't want to be in Uni! Also it was very difficult to put this onto the VU website as many of the classes said they were 'full.

The sizes of classes were quite good with each tute only having about 15-20 people in them so very similar to home. This also meant that the tutors got to know you individually.

Lectures
 The lectures normally lasted 2 hours but always finished early.
What was odd was a lot of students walk in to lectures late and when I mean late I’m talking 1 hour! Also they would just get up and walk out when they felt like it!
However, the lectures are very similar to BU and done with the projector.

Students in the classes

As you can choose any subject at any level, a lot of my classes were filled with first years.

At VU there are a lot of International students but in most of my classes I got to learn with Australians which was nice.

Homework

At VU, for each class, homework was given

Assessments

I had 22 different assessments over 4 months at VU!

Grades

Instead of First, 2:1, 2:2, third grades VU has Pass, Credit, Distinction and High Distinction. HD is 80% + and a Pass is 50% +.

SUVU

The Student Union was great as every few weeks they would serve free alcohol and food at Uni! Occasionally there would be candy floss and popcorn handed out for free too J

Different names for things!

English - Australia 
Ice Lolly = Icy Pole
Suitcase = Port
Peppers = Capsicums
Aubergine = Eggplant
Courgettes = Zuchinni
Duvet = Doonas
Trainers = Runners/Sneakers
Binmen = Garbo
Paramedics = Ambos
Firemen = Firies
Geek/Nerd = Dag
Chavs = Bogan
Chelsea Tractors = Toorak Tractors
McDonalds = Maccas
Chicken = Chook
Sausages = Snags
Wellies = Gum Boots
Afternoon = Arvo
Bring a plate = Bring a dish
Right wing = Red necks
Food = tucker
Swimwear = bathers
Flip flops = Thongs
A long way away = Beyong the Black Stump
To cheer for = Barrack
Car accident = Bingle
Blowfly = Blowies
Gatecrasher = Blow - in
Lazy person = Bludger
Red head = Bluey
English people = Poms
Bottle shop = Bottle O / Liquor Shop
Very poor = Razoo
Speedos = Budgie Smugglers
Crisps = Chips
Broken = Cactus
Trucks = Utes
Lorries = Trucks
To be close = Cooee 'Englad were in cooee of beating Australia in cricket'
Sick = Crook
Sandwiches = Cut lunch
Trousers = Daks
Trousers = Pants
Stupid person = Drongo/Galah

Everyday Life In Australia!!!

Over the past few months living in Australia, it has been really interesting to find out what's similar and what's different to the UK.

When you pay for something on your card there are 3 options to choose from: Cheque, Savings & Credit. After all this time I still don't know the differences to explain them!

Shops

• Shops are very similar except that they don't have M&S, Debenhams, John Lewis and shock horror, no Primark!!
• McDonald's is referred to as Macca's!

• Clothes shops don't count how many items you have before you go into a fitting room
• Staff are very laid back and wear very casual clothes 
• Everything takes a long time as they are so laid back!
• They have Milk bars instead of newsagents
• There are 3 main supermarkets: Coles, Woolworths (not like ours) and Safeway
• The supermarkets have liquor shops next to them

Accommodation 

My first thoughts of the student village were 'OMG what have I let myself in for?!' lol however it was the best place I could have stayed as it was sociable and it was exactly what you need for a few months.

Australia tend to live in bungalows or one storey houses unlike back in UK. The gardens that I've seen don't tend to be too big and I haven't met anyone with a swimming pool yet which everyone believes all Aussies to have!

Transport

• Melbourne is very big on its trams and has the 3rd largest tram network in the world or something along those lines.In alot of the cities, you'll find trams and they are a relatively easy way to get around a city although they do take a long time from an outersuburb. 
• Just like the UK, they have buses and trains 
• Transport is realtively cheap - for a allday ticket that can be used on  buses, trains and trams it is only about £3.50

Food

• Australian food is very similar to the UK and they have all types of cuisine as Australia is fairly mulitcultural
• BBQs are very popular with burgers, snags (sausages) and salad. Although they tend to just use bread for hotdogs and burgers instead of proper buns which means that they always break apart! (or maybe I just don't have the knack!)
• A very famous Australian dish is Chicken Parma (Parmagiana) which is basically a chicken breast covered in a napoli tomato sauce, cheese and wrapped in ham with breadcrumbs on the top! Really  yummy although the one I had was huge and covered my plate! 

  

  Chicken Parma

•  Also, fish & chips are pretty much the same although instead of cod or haddock you eat shark!! It is gummy shark and they call it flake. It tastes really meaty.
• How could I forget - KANGAROO!! so yummy!! very tender, tastes like beef! 
• Also you can eat crocodile and emu! Crocodile is a mixture between fish and chicken taste. 
• You cannot find Gammon anywhere in Oz! 
• They have Timtams which are the best biscuit ever and which you cannot buy in the UK! I have 20 packs to take home.
• Iced coffee is really big here!
• Beer sizes: Stubby (beer bottle), schooner - pot - glass - pint. 

Oh the joy of exams!!

It's that time of the semester again when exams take over your life and every waking hour, and in my case sleeping hour, is spent thinking about revision and worrying that I haven't done enough. Every exam time is the same - I always say to myself  'next time I will start earlier!' of course this never happens and the few days before my exams are a mad panic and stress where I get up at an ungodly hour  to try and insert information into my brain! 

This exam period is a bit different though as I am taking exams at VU so  I got to experience how Australians do exams and whether it was any different or was similar. 

The first thing I noticed was that ALOT of the units have no exams and so students have nothing to do after the semester is up - soo lucky! Unfortunately only one of my units did not have an exam so that meant I had to endure 3! 

The second thing is that, like BU, exams are held on an external site which in this case was the Melbourne Showgrounds. A very nice venue to be set at except the rooms are freezing cold! It's not too far away either - 10 mins on the tram and there are  loads of people sitting exams at the same time. 

The third thing is that for each exam you are given 15mins reading time which is great if you have a few texts to read but for my exams I find I've read my questions in  5mins flat and am just willing my brain to remember the thoughts it's come up with as you are not allowed to make any notes during this period. I suppose it is good for international students who don't speak English as their first language but I do think it is a waste of time and I would rather just start the exam. 

Apart from that, the exams here are very similar to BU which is good as I knew what to expect and was familiar with the process.

Only one exam left now thankfully and I can't wait till 5pm to walk out and be free from stress and revision and to enjoy my last night in the Student Village.

Till then - I suppose I better do some revision.

O - Week 18th Feb - 26th Feb

So this is about 2 months late but better late than never!
O- Week is pretty much Freshers but way better! It was more about getting to know people instead of getting absolutely paraletic and sleeping in all day and then doing it all over again the next day. Also I didnt have to cook for a whole week as it was free food everyday!

On the saturday 18th everyone had moved into the colleges - there are 6 and the one I am in is called Astley but there is Barton, Chifley, Dalton, Endeavour and Falcon. I am definitely in the best one! My college is pretty much full of international students: English, American, Canadian, German, Norwegian, Dutch, Mexican etc
The college bought Dominos pizza for everyone and we got to know each other by playing some games and getting wasted. This was the day I was introduced to Goon which is basically boxed wine - cheap and nasty but does the job! It costs about $ 12 for a 4 litre box! 


Anyways, the village organised a number of events for the week.

UNIVERSITY ORIENTATION PROGRAM 2012

Saturday 18th - Get to know the college and play Volleyball

Sunday 19th - Trivia night against the rest of the colleges and free dinner. Went and explored Melbourne too

Monday 20th - Went to Uni and had a welcome talk and then had a Welcome Dinner. In the evening we went to a student bar in the city called Turf and got wrecked!

 Tuesday 21st- International Welcome Dinner where you got to meet all the other nationalities and eat nice pastas!


Wednesday 22nd - Hot Dog Night! Then we went to the Laurel Hotel for Toga Night

Thursday 23rd - Movie night


Friday 24th - Went on the university orientation trip to the Great Ocean Road which was only open to international students. Alot of the people I had already met and became friends with went on the trip. We camped in tents which was interesting.. lol

Bells Beach    

We left in the morning and stopped at Bells Beach where they filmed Point Break or something. Then we went to Lorne and went for a surfing lesson which was so much fun. As it was so nice we sunbathed on the beach. In the evening, we had a buffet dinner at a restaurant and then went to a bar for a few. 

Saturday 25th - We went for a hike in the Great Otway National Park and it was so hot! In the afternoon, there was the opportunity to learn how to play AFL but because it was so hot we ended up going to the beach instead. Then we went to a restaurant to have pasta and then ended up in a club.


Sunday 26th - Left in the morning and drove along the Great Ocean Road stopping on the way at The Twelve Apostles and London Bridge. It was such a good trip!

Twelve Apostles

O- Week was incredible!


xx

Phillip Island

Phillip Island

The day after I arrived in Melbourne, Bill and Shirley took me to Phillip Island which is about a 90min drive from their house. The Island is approximately the same size as Isle of Wight at home. 

We arrived in time for the Pelicans being fed which was really good to watch as they are massive birds!  

After that, we went to the Koala Conservation Centre and saw a few koalas sleeping in the trees. They are the cutest animals ever and I really want to bring one home!

We also went to a beach which I cannot remember the name of but it just looks amazing and had loads of surfers!  
Phillip Island is also famous for its Grand Prix circuit and I managed to get a couple of sneaky pictures.
We also visited The Nobbies which are famous rocks which loads of seals lie on. Unfortunately we couldn't spot any seals as they camoflauge into the rock but the views were incredible  even though it was so windy! 
 

The Nobbies

The best part of the day was seeing the Penguin Parade which is the reason why Phillip Island is so famous. It is one of the only places you will ever get to see hundreds and hundreds of Fairy Penguins come out of the water after a few days fishing and walk across the beach to their burrows. After getting Fish and Chip supper we went to where the Penguin Parade was and sat on some seats. There were hundreds of people there because it is such a popular amazing event.
The weather was so windy and wet but we sat for an hour until 20.45 when the first little penguin appeared out of the sea. Soon after about 50 of them came out and they walked across the sand, as a group, right past us to get to their burrows which can be up to 1mile inland. After the first group, loads of penguins suddenly kept appearing as it was getting dark and waddled their way up the beach having to stop occasionally for a rest. I would say it was probably one of the best things I have ever seen and something which I will never forget. It is a natural event which just makes it extra special. You were not allowed to take photographs but I have managed to steal one off the website for Phillip Island however I must stress, the photo does not even start to describe just how amazing it was!!

Penguin Parade

We also saw kangaroos, wallabies and loads of birds too earlier in the day so it is well worth a visit.
We didn't get back till about 12am so it was a long day but so glad I went :)

Kookaburra

Goodbye England, Hello Australia!!

So on the 7th February I left the UK and embarked on my trip to the other side of the world. The previous week was a hectic blur of packing, sorting out paperwork, repacking, saying goodbyes, having arguments with my bank, repacking again and booking my trip to Sydney! I sent a box to Oz with a load of uni stuff, clothes, shoes etc that I was unable to pack into my luggage which arrived at my family's house before I did! 




On the day I actually left, I remember feeling a mixture of excitement and anxiety which is quite expected when you're leaving all your friends and family for nearly 5months. The day absolutely flew by and before I knew it I was being driven to Heathrow Airport by my boyfriend with my parents and sister in a separate car! The worst part of it was realising that I had forgotten my camera battery and so would not be able to take photos!

Saying goodbye to my family and boyfriend was extremely difficult but I think I was more upset than they were! They kept reminding me how amazing this experience would be and that I would be back before I know it which is kind of true but it was still hard going through security and not being able to see them anymore. 

My flight was at 21.30 with Qantas which meant that I could sleep overnight. The flight was good because we got a pre-departure drink of Champagne which was much appreciated!! 
The flight to Singapore was 12 hours but it went fairly quick as we got a meal about an hour after taking off and there were hundreds of films to keep me entertained. Also I fell asleep for a few hours which made the time fly by!
 I arrived in Singapore about 5pm local time and pretty much got straight back onto the plane for a 8hour flight to Melbourne. 

I arrived in Melbourne about 7am local time after hardly sleeping on the plane! At security we had to wait an hour as all the computers went down which was bit of a pain in the arse as by then I just wanted to get out into Oz! 
Eventually I got through with no problems (thank god!) and met Shirley and Bill who are family. It was so nice to see a familiar face after nearly 24hours with me, myself and I! 

They gave me a tour of Melbourne City in their car for an hour which was great as I got to see how amazing the city was. After that, we went to their house where I had a shower which was soooo nice after being stuck on a plane for so long! In the afternoon they took me to get a SIM card for my phone and a few cooking items. Then we had Roast beef for dinner :) had a walk by the creek and then went to bed at 9pm as I was so knackered as the jet lag had kicked in!!