Destination: Melbourne!? – Bella

Well, I hope uni has been going well for everyone so far, and you’re all enjoying the mid-semester break. I submitted my first written assignment on Wednesday – I was quite nervous!

Now, I feel it’s time to reflect on what were three awesome days at the start of this year…
Destination:Melbourne took place at St Hilda’s College in late January. Basically, you and around 100 other students get to spend time at the residential college, participate in many activities and enjoy making friends and learning tips about uni before it all starts. It was great because the directors and hosts (group leaders) are all uni students just like you. Here’s some highlights…
Gelati crawl: We headed down to Lygon St on the first night to explore the local area surrounding our university. We were treated to some free gelati, which made for a fantastic outing! There was an interesting flavour… Vegemite… only one person was game enough to try it!
Trivia Night: We all dressed up (I was Hermione) and played a big game of trivia in the dining hall. We had to come up with a team chant and perform it in front of everyone, make up jokes and more! There was also a lip-sync battle which included a heartfelt rendition of “Let it Go”.
Amazing race: We had the chance to adventure into the city and discover even more places to go near university. There were definitely some challenges not for the faint of heart – some things our group did were: dyeing our hair, the boys waxing their legs, starting a random queue, dancing with a busker, performing a flash mob, singing Let it Go in Fed Square…
Exploring campus: We went on a scavenger hunt/amazing race around the campus. It was then I learnt the difference between the buildings Redmond Barry, Richard Berry and Raymond Priestly, and for that, I am forever grateful.

BABY ANIMALS! JUMPING CASTLE!: Our surprise activity on the last day – enough said.

Great advice and information: Most importantly, we were lucky enough to listen to speakers from various areas of the university: Academic Skills, Disability Liaison Unit, Study Abroad/Exchange and more. Our hosts also gave us tips on being prepared for lectures and making the most out of university. Comment below if you’d like some tips in a future post.
Not a highlight: getting woken up by bagpipes at 6:45am to exercise on the second day… I was so tired… funny to look back on though!
I highly recommend this program to everyone – if you’re starting university next year, sign up! If you’re a current university student, sign up to be a host! Obviously I’ve only got room for a brief overview of the experience – but it sets you up for uni so well – I’ve caught up many times with my amazing new friends I made from the program!
Bella 🙂
PS – We also got to wear fabulous yellow shirts.