Decisions, decisions, decisions. ＼(º □ º l|l)/

 

 

Well, I couldn’t get back soon as I had promised. I’ll admit, I was drowning in the sea called Assignments and it certainly wasn’t pleasant. Furthermore, my first winter here has been too kind, so I decided to go on hibernation for a week, occasionally responding to my mom’s messages letting her know I’m alive and breathing. Because we all know what happens if we don’t do that. (⊙_⊙)

 

 

As you all may know by now, I procrastinate. Like a lot! I mean, I used to be a fairly organized person but I guess that part of me is on an indefinite hiatus for reasons unknown.

So, let me tell you a little bit about my emotional journey until now. Honestly, the UniMelb offer letter came knocking at my door just a few hours before I was going to send my acceptance to another university. And I’m glad I procrastinated responding to that college or, I would’ve totally blown away my chance at UniMelb. But hey, I’m pretty meticulous when it comes to ‘adulting’, I’m just trying to make my story sound a tad bit dramatic for some…flavor.

 

 

However, it is true that I almost accepted the offer from another college.

I was free for almost two months before my semester started at UniMelb and I was on Cloud 9. Although my life was in a state of pandemonium between 2017 and 2019, I felt some faith being restored after I received the offer from UniMelb.

28 days prior to flying to Melbourne I was losing my mind. Reality hit me like a firetruck. Like, I was going to miss my room, my bed, my music album collection, my library, the walls, the fan, the weather and most of all… my parents (yeah, I was getting there okay? (ﾒ` ﾛ ´)  )

I wasn’t ready. I knew I wouldn’t be able to come home in another two years and at some point, I remember considering turning down the offer from college (real mature, huh?). I mean, I was freaking out okay? I hadn’t been away from home; especially moving to another continent, as far as Australia hadn’t even popped up in my wildest dreams. And most of all, I knew I was gonna have to face her.

 

Responsibilities. Ever heard of her? Oh, we don’t see eye to eye. But we’ve come to a compromise now. No, I can hardly get along with her so we’re not friends. Please don’t misunderstand. But I’m trying. She’s an annoying brat who starves for my attention. And I get yelled at by my parents because of her every.single.time.

Anyways, the next steps I had to follow after receiving my offer letter was enrolling and registering for classes, finding a place to stay, figuring out a way to earn a living and so on. And I had absolutely no clue where to start. Then, I came across Stop 1 on UniMelb website, a team catering to student services online. They really saved me. All I needed to do was drop queries and they got back to me with solutions to literally every single problem. Trust me when I emphasize on “every single problem“. They’ll help you with the matters that might seem trivial to you. So, if you want to shoot questions, just head to Stop 1 online on the university website and you’ll thank me later.

And that’s how I got Melbourne/UniMelb ready in a span of 28 days.

I had an early flight to Melbourne from Abu Dhabi (my home *sobs) and I remember it clear as a day how I was sitting on my bed, clutching onto my suitcase tightly, feeling anxious, excited and empty all at the same time about leaving home. I was travelling alone so this whole situation was overwhelming and I remember crying to my mom saying “Maybe, this was all a bad idea. I’m not going. I’m scared. Please let me stay”.

 

 

Of course, she smacked me back to my senses.

Sometimes, chasing your dreams can be terrifying but it’s okay. We’re not alone. You’ll soon realize that everyone who has chosen this path are a bunch of brave, scaredy-cats just like you and I. °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°

Now we can all panic together and worry about the responsibilities lying ahead of us. Huehuehue!

 

 

I know that moving away from home can sound frightening at the moment. Let me tell you, it’s just a matter of time. You will move on from the fears that you experience while making decisions and anticipating about the future. A piece of advise for all the small bubs out there is, don’t let your fears come in the way of your dreams. The issues that you may consider as the first-world problem may not be as life-threatening as you imagine. And you’ll know that only when you face it. Besides, you’re not alone here. You’ll find friends who’ll become your family. UniMelb is not an intimidating place tbh. The uni really provides numerous services to help students feel at ease. They even help you with your assignments. This is not a paid promo, it’s real.

Also, don’t get influenced by random Google articles about Australia. I’ve major arachnophobia (I’m not sure if this is the right spelling but I’m not brave enough to google it. Basically, spiders and I can’t stay in the same room). And those silly Buzzfeed articles said this place was infested with them and my friends shared terrifying posts about the serious case of those creepy crawlies on Instagram and I swear to God, I came here all equipped with spider-repellent sprays. And they’re still waiting to be used in my closet. Touch wood. I don’t want that sh** crawling up my legs at night.

 

 

ANYWAYS, come to Melbourne with an open mind, free from pre-determined stereotypes or assumptions. Let the place surprise you, okay?