Time to Get Organized

Along with moving to a new country, comes many tasks and challenges. There are so many things that have to be organized, it can seem a bit overwhelming. The only way to make sure you get everything done is to stay organized, make a to-do list and laugh a little!

Bank

To avoid exchange rates, you have to pick a new bank. Just choosing a bank alone is tough. Which one is popular? Which one has the best student deals? Which one has the most ATMs around town? Which one has a branch on campus? I ended up going with the mainstream bank. Funny story about banking is that when I received my bank card in the mail after waiting a week for it, I signed the magnetic stripe instead of the sticker that is meant for a signature. Awkward. I wish I could say blonde moment, but I'm not blonde. That was a genuinely embarrassing situation. I had to go into the back and explain what I'd done - the teller gasped and put her hand over her mouth. As if I didn't already feel bad enough... I blamed my abundance of things to do for my foolishness. The more I think about it, I probably would have signed it incorrectly if I was in my most relaxed state. Hence the need to laugh to make it through.

Housing

Housing was particularly hard to find in Brisbane due to the recent flooding. You have to be on the look out for mold etc. We ended up finding a place essentially right on campus, which is perfect. It's freshly renovated, which is great for my allergies.  It's always nice to walk to class. We went to a few places where I was questioning my chance of being alive at the end of the semester. No thanks.

School

School, the main reason I'm here, also takes some time to figure out. Just a different online system in general for enrolling in classes, etc. is tough to get used to. I ended up just going into the student centre and getting some face to face help. There seems to be a a lot less class time, due to a combination of the fact that their full course load is only 4 classes (not 5) and some classes are only 1 hour a week. I'm going to be taking a variety of classes: Australian Pop Culture, Australian Marine Biology (mainly for the field trips to places like the Great Barrier Reef!!), some Global Issues class and a PoliSci class on Australian indigenous people. I'm getting ready to really embrace the Aussie culture. When in Rome. I will keep you posted on the school scenario!