I just wanted to officially tell everyone that I got into my Australian abroad program! I will be going to Monash University in Melbourne from July to mid-November. I can't wait, and I'm so excited!
The one drawback is that I have to pay per megabit for the internet. I think it's 12 cents/megabit, which means that there will be very little internet surfing. I might very well go crazy, what with no internet, no TV, possibly no cellphone. I'm just a child of the technology age, what can I say? But even despite that, I'm incredibly excited.
Australian 'Rackers, we should try to plan a get together, especially since I'm going to be trying to get to Sydney at some point during my stay. Also, does anyone have any advice/suggestions for a college student going abroad? Anything you wish you had brought that you really missed? Anything that you thought you would have needed, but ended up never using? Any customs I should know about? I'm interested in anything you can tell me.
But still, I'm so excited! Australia, watch out! Here I come!
[ May 03, 2007, 01:52 AM: Message edited by: Evie3217 ]
Posted by Zevlag (Member # 1405) on :
Evie, All of the public libraries have free internet access. The large state library in the city is a nice place. Most GSM (uses a SIM card) phone should work for you down there, and you just buy the card, with a phone number, and credit, and you're good to go.
I'd recommend bringing a lot less than you think you need. Buy it there if you must. It really is easy to live on a little.
July - Novemember are the winter months. Weather will be crazy, you probably won't have central heating. Space heaters are expensive to run, you'll want a nice pair of sweatpants/sweatshirt. These are bulkier items, so if you want to save space, just buy them there.
Which Monash campus are you going to be on? What are you studying?
Posted by Morbo (Member # 5309) on :
You can prevent images from loading to save bandwidth. And a text-based forum like this shouldn't take too much bandwidth anyway.
Posted by Evie3217 (Member # 5426) on :
Zevlag, thanks for all the amazing information. I seriously jumped up and down when I read that public libraries have free internet access.
I'm going to be studying at the Clayton campus which, if I'm correct, is the main campus. I'm studying anthropology, so it's a perfect place to learn. It'll be amazing to learn about different cultures while I'm down there, both aborigine and mainstream Australian. I can't wait!
Posted by imogen (Member # 5485) on :
Congrats Evie! I hear Monash is really nice.
Melbourne is fantastic - you will love it.
As Zevlag says, the weather in Melbourne is crazy. I'm not sure if you'd be familiar with the band Crowded House - but their song, Four Seasons in One Day is joked to be the Melbourne anthem. It will go from freezing and clear, to rainy, to sunny, to a thunderstorm in the space of a day.
It's not nearly as cold as parts of the US can get though. And it's not as hot as other parts of Australia, so you should be fine.
Oh, and start learning your AFL . You're going to be in Melbourne in September, you'll need to know about footy. Pick a team to support, and as long as it's not Collingwood, you'll be fine. Posted by imogen (Member # 5485) on :
(Technically, September is the start of spring here. So you could get warm weather. But given it's Melbourne.... )
Posted by Phanto (Member # 5897) on :
12 cents a megabyte?? That means watching the latest issue of your favorite show would cost more than $60!
Now why would you want to go, again ?
Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :
Melbourne's WiFi HotSpots Posted by Dragon (Member # 3670) on :
Congrats! Have fun!
Posted by Evie3217 (Member # 5426) on :
You guys are amazing. This is why I love Hatrack. So, is it really winter all the way until November? I heard that by about August it gets a lot better, temperature-wise.
The WiFi spots help a lot. I just don't know how many are going to be near my campus, especially since I'm not going to actually be in the city. But still, it makes me feel a lot better that I'm going to have access to internet. That way I can keep up with my daily portion of Hatrack whenever I need it.
Phanto, I'm just going to have to find another way to watch all my favorite shows. It's going to be difficult. Or I can just wait until I get back, and then catch up like a madman with my multitude of shows.
Posted by imogen (Member # 5485) on :
Evie!!! How are you going??
I figure you have been here for a couple of weeks now - how is Melbourne?
I meant to do this earlier, but I'm going to email you my phone number - I'm in Canberra, but if you get stranded or broke or anything please give me a call and hopefully I'll be able to help.
(Also, if you got the snow recently - that is *not* normal.)
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
*laughs* I loves imogen.
How's it going, Evie?
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
I'm broke...can I have your ATM #? Posted by Artemisia Tridentata (Member # 8746) on :
What! This is not a Snop Dog thread. Oh, now I remember, I've seen it before in May.
Posted by Troubadour (Member # 83) on :
Missed this thread when it was posted - I'm in Melbourne, and in Sydney one week a month. I'd be up for a 'racker get together.
Posted by imogen (Member # 5485) on :
quote:Originally posted by Kwea: I'm broke...can I have your ATM #?
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)