Thursday 21.09.06
So this was the first day of the International Students Orientation Programme. The day didn't start off very well - for a start, Justin and I had planned the day before for us to meet at 9:45 cos we read the note and thought that the day started at 10am. But turned out that they did it in groups and it was the grads who were supposed to be there at 10am. Since I live so far away I had already left and was on the tube when I got the message from Justin saying it actually started at 11am. Was kinda pissed off as I was in the city at 9:30 already. I went to the uni anyway and there was a mass of people. I lined up to get the orientation pack and then left.
It was weird walking in there without knowing anyone - you know that feeling you have on your first day at a new school where you don't know anyone? Well I was definitely feeling that but for me, it was worse cos everyone there was foreign - I could hear Americans, Germans, French people and even honkie people but alas, no Aussies.
I had nothing to do so I got a coffee somewhere and bummed for like over an hour. Then it was time to head back to the uni again. It didn't help my mood that Justin was half an hour late - I swear, I've had it to about here *hand to throat* with him - he's ALWAYS late (a note on that later on). Anyway, so he came about 11:30am but which time I was so over the day. The welcome talk by the Dean was filled with the usual "this-uni-is-the-best-uni-you're-so-lucky-you're-here" bull crap so there wasn't anything useful in the speech. Oh another note - I think the English are so used to cold weather that when it's a bit warmer, their air-conditioning systems SUCK. I was boiling hot in the lecture hall where the speech was being made and don't get me started on the tube rides - seriously, two words - no ventilation . . . at all. They rely on natural air to flow through, but seriously, how much air can flow through all the way down to the tunnels?! Ahem, sorry, letting off a bit of steam there (hahaha I'm so sad, bad pun, sorry very much . . .)
Back to Thursday - then it was lunchtime - now I understand that beer is a bit part of the English culture, but seriously, 2 out of 2 times I have met up with Justin we have ended up in a pub. How can u have a beer in the middle of the day?! Luckily, most pubs in London have decent food so I was content.
We then had a couple of hours to kill before out meeting at the Faculty of Laws with all the other affiliate students. Justin wanted to head back to his place as he only lived around the corner so I went shopping for a bit. Not my usual shopping, but I went scouting for paper again (still haven't found any) and I had a look at printers as I feel bad using my aunt's printer as I know the s#$tload of stuff I'll have to print out (this was before I found out I get free unlimited printing at uni - at least that's one they UCL has up on UNSW). So I trudged back to the law building (which is called Bentham House, after a Mr Jeremy Bentham who was a very influential philosopher back in the days and whose body has been preserved and is on display at the uni (gross I know):
His actual body - apparently, he donated himself to the uni . . .So yes, the meeting - there are 52 affiliate law student this year . . . all from Europe except for Justin and me. Did I mention before that Justin and I are the first Australians to do this exchange programme? Yup, UCL law faculty has never accepted exchange students from outside Europe except for this year and Australia's the first non-Europe country and UNSW is the first partner uni. Talk about pressure . . . I really hope that they don't except me to be the model student cos I ain't!! At the talk, the exchange coordinator mentioned this by saying "Welcome to all of you. Most of you are from different parts of Europe with the exception of our two Australians." Was so embarrassing . . . she made another reference to us when she pointed out that students shouldn't miss lectures etc to pop a visit back home, but she was like "But I don't think our two Australians can do that." Argh, wanted to crawl under my seat . . . but was talking to other students and am so envious of the fact that it takes them less than an hour to go home and it's so cheap for them to fly back.
Oh by the way, I had to go into the meeting myself as I had planned to meet Justin at the door beforehand but he msged me right before and said that he fell asleep and that he would be 15 mins late and that I shouldn't wait for him. But it actually was good cos I wasn't stuck with him and had managed to talk to quite a few people on that day. However, I have a feeling that I won't see a lot of the other exchange students as they all seem to be doing core subjects whereas I am doing options (and yeah, I do feel old when people ask "So, are you 2nd r 3rd year" and I go, "Ah, actually, I'm in 5th year").
We had a quick tour of the law building from some of the Law society guys and then they took us to the UCL Union bar for a drink (why are the all obsessed with drinking?!). Again, absolutely stifling hot in this place. I couldn't stand it and had to leave about 45 mins after we got there.
Oh, a mention about my timetable - the gods above must have been on a lookout for me cos I only need to go to uni 3 days a week, which is awesome as some people had to head in everyday of the week. But I have to say that no-one else has to travel quite as far as I have to.
So yeah, that was Thursday in a nutshell.
Friday 22.09.06
I had to go back to uni today to formally enrol. They said that enrolment started at 9:30am so I got there around 9:45 to find a mile-long line for enrolment. ARGH! I had to stand in line for over one and a half hours to enrol. So that was my whole morning gone.
Then I had to register at the Library and then with the IT people to use the computers and to get my user id and password.
By the time I left, I was so tired I didn't wanna do anything - I pretty much went home after that. I stopped by the local shopping centre just to browse what retail jobs were available. The Gap caught my attention, they were looking for people. It's a thought, I dunno yet.
Saturday 23.09.06
Didn't do much today either - woke up pretty late and we all went out to do to do some grocery shopping.
We went to TK Maxx as well (anyone heard Robbie William's song, Rudebox?). Yeah, it's like a discount chain where you can find designer brands. Had a look through, was some nice stuff but didn't buy anything in case it started a flow-on effect, where I can't stop buying.
In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.
- Bill Cosby
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