Today's topic will be moving out of home and adapting well to a new home and a new life! I am personally from New Zealand so that's about three and a half hours to four hours plane ride away! At first it was incredibly daunting moving to a new country, but I knew that I would be able to find a place that I could call my second home. In order to help me feel more welcomed, I chose to live at a University College. Living at a college is a great way to meet new people and get that sense of community. It is a high price to pay financially, but there are plenty of scholarships on offer and I can assure you that the community feeling alone is worth the price. I also can't cook very well, so catering is a big bonus!
I've got some general tips for those moving out of their homes too! First of all, I found bringing a couple sentimental items with me really helped reduce the amount of homesickness I felt. Some of these things were homemade items that my mum made and photos of me and my family. Another thing that really made my room feel like home was DECORATIONS! These could be anything! Posters, photos, fake plants, real plants! Putting in the effort to decorate your room can really make a big difference.
All in all, I hope anyone hoping to come to Unimelb is nervous but also excited! This time of your life will be a new experience and moving out of home could be part of that experience. To those who are already at uni, I hope you've found something useful in this blog post and I hope to see a few more decorations up in your rooms!
Like all of my assessments, readings, lecture recordings and other work, I have put writing this intro post off for the maximum amount of time possible and instead have been watching sit-coms I’ve already seen in all of my spare time. I have also had to spend 3 hours a day on the bus and driving though, which I think is a valid excuse.
I'm Chelsea and I’m studying a Bachelor of Arts as well as a Diploma of Languages (politics, media and French are the vibe). I’m from Melbourne, but literally from the most middle-of-nowhere suburb so I’ve been loving coming into the city more than my usual twice a year.
I’ve spent the first few weeks of the semester trying to find the best study spot on campus, buying minimum two coffees a day (from 7/11 I love them so much), walking through the city for at least 45 minutes a day and taking pictures of everything ever. I have also signed up for way too many clubs, told myself I would read the recommended readings and then didn’t even make it through the compulsory ones, consistently left all of my French homework til 8:40am on Monday morning for my 9am class, and spent (considerably) more time at Savers buying clothes for uni than on my uni coursework. I must say I am loving uni so far, but am about 3 weeks behind on any sort of uni work and have many, many impending assessments, so I am not loving that.
I’m excited to record my experiences this year, partly because I like writing (blogs, not academic essays) and partly because I think it will be really funny that my silly little words will still be on the uni website in 10 years time, amongst all the past and future first years’ reflections—it’s kind of cool in a strange sort of way.
It’s a bit late into the first semester, but hello to you anyway! I’m Elizabeth, a first-year Bachelor of Science student deciding between Computing and Environmental Science. I come from New Zealand and Vietnam — I move back and forth between the two a lot. While that does create some identity crisis, I’d like to think this has shaped me well enough so that by the time I’ve arrived in Melbourne, I’m ready to roll.
It’s quite late at night, but I’d rather be writing than math-ing myself to tears. I secretly like the process of suffering through multiple Organic Chemistry Tutor YouTube videos and rereading notes (this is not an advertisement but shout-out to my Calc 2 lecturer Anthony for not making math classes a lullaby) to make math concepts click, but I’m not awake enough to do it right now.
So, what do I often do when I’m dead inside? I write. We do a little bit of (non-physical) self-dissection around here.
To be honest, Melbourne the city and the university have been so much better than anything I could have imagined. This was more because of my self-perception than my expectations for the university.
Before beginning uni, I harboured much hope but kept myself grounded as I thought of myself as an introvert (which I now realise is a “meh” mindset, because you shouldn’t limit yourself to a single word that describes how people recharge their energy). As a frequent lurker on university Reddit pages, I’ve read how big universities are and how the experience is very much sink-or-swim. I feel that’s somewhat true, and I expected it to be true, so I exerted myself in taking part in social events, minus parties because I’m not much of a big party untz-untz-untz person. I found close friends in the most unexpected places, so just keep exploring events you find interesting and you’ll eventually notice who you click with. Keep in touch with them!
I still have much nostalgia for the places I’ve lived in before and I occasionally get melancholic in this new city. But sometimes, I could almost feel the nostalgia of the moment just before. That’s one of the many feelings that keep me rolling.
Studying at the State Library is a magical experience
“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid ”
- Albert Einstein
Starting university can be a scary but exciting thing. Making sure we know our own capabilities and believing in ourselves is essential to keeping us motivated and happy ; or at least it did for me !
Hey ! My name is Alice, and I’m doing a Bachelor of Science, majoring in neuroscience here at Melbourne University. I love playing the piano, journalling, going out with my friends and learning. I am very excited to share my experiences (good and bad) with all who are reading this !
This semester I'm doing three subjects : introductory biology, compulsory science class, and a psych class! Although there is a lot of content in university compared to high school, I'm enjoying it. I originally did have 4 subjects as I was taking a finance class as my breadth, but I dropped it just to take things easy. I didn't want to stress myself out too much! Since joining university, I've joined a couple of clubs, and highly recommend other people do too ! It is such a great way to meet new people and to also get some occasional free food !
I’ve lived in Melbourne my whole life, and always had the intent of doing university here, half because of the pretty campus (! Hogwarts!) and half because it was the only university that offered neuroscience as a major. I hope I’ll get through all the content to be able to do this major !
The brain and the nervous system, filled with billions of interconnected neurons and is the most complex system in all of the human body. Even though the brain is the most fundamental to survival, we don’t even know much about it. The brain is like the deep sea; mysterious and unknown. We only know about 10% of what goes on in there. Since there is so much left to discover, I hope that I can make that 10% to 11% (or even more!) in the future.
I feel like a lot of people talk about how good university is and also the hard work that is needed. While all that is true, life does have its ups and downs, and it is almost guaranteed that something unexpected, big or small will happen when you're in university, so I intend to keep it real with my university experience, and give advice on how to juggle multiple things in your life at once. Even though wearing a lab coat to do experiments and researching neurological processes does make me feel cool (yes, I can be a bit of a nerd), university can be a challenge. For example, I wasn't expecting to get lost as many times as I have (even the “lost on campus" app can’t help me), but some things just happen.
Thanks for reading my blog, and to wrap things up, I am so excited for the year ahead and for keeping you all updated on things that go on, while also giving some advice and recognition on the things that aren't as talked about !
Hello? Hello hello? I’m elisa or as my username states elifont. This is my very first blog post and I’m thrilled to be one of your first-year bloggers!
Aside, from the fresh new air that smells different with a twinge of cold picking at my nose hairs and drinkable tap water that rattles my skull to figure out whether the pipes are separated and cleaned, I’m excited.
Before I arrived in Melbourne for the first time on official business (that doesn’t involve stuffing myself and indulging at every shop I can see in a 20km radius) I was shaken. I hadn't even begun packing the morning of the day I was meant to leave AND I only had 20kgs. Can you imagine having to fit your entire life into a suitcase with the weight of an undernourished child? (Real, 2023)
It was 5 in the morning, my hair ran through by my hands for the 20th time that hour and I had just opened the sweetest goodbye letter from one of my friends, did I stop and noticed that this wouldn’t be my room anymore. This box painted blue wouldn’t be where I’d spend my moments of serenity, bewilderment or agony. (can you tell I’m dramatic?) It was a sudden wave that shook through me, manipulating my vibrations and leaving me unsteady. But my friends’ obnoxious voice rang through my head and he was screaming “POSITIVE ENERGY”. It was always something we said to each other that reminded us to push, to aim further to (as cheesy as it sounds) try. So I channelled more ‘positive energy’ than I did during my IGCSEs and flew here from Michelle Yeoh Land.
I'm currently undecided on my major but I am a Bachelor of science student, like the 4000 other students on campus. I'm not the most out outgoing person and I listen to sad music religiously. Probably will on graduation day too--however, ironically upbeat music only for my funeral. My guilty pleasure is book-to-screen adaptation although, insert every book-to-screen reader's catchphrase "the book was better" and I mean it (looking at you Shadow and Bone).
So I guess what I’m saying is I know it’s different and I know it’s going to be hard but just try. Campus is lovely and the freedom that suffuses the air is unparalleled. Behind on assignments? So is everyone else. Didn’t do as well as you expected on your first test? I bet a lot of people didn’t as well too. Overwhelmed and watching Netflix on your bed? same. Also, stay hydrated because the tears lost crying over assignments need to be replenished one way or another and sadly we can't photosynthesise.
X,elisa
image description: you flying off to uni. (or out of your house if you're a domestic student)
FYI, I just said sup to be different from the other bloggers who said a boring ‘hi’ or ‘hey.’ I reckoned that the trade-off between uniqueness and cringe was worth it.
So sup! I’m David. I’ll be honest with you straight off the bat…I’m definitely not the most extroverted, outgoing person out there. I guess I would class myself as a ‘conservatively outgoing’ (to be generous). So you’re probably not going to find me writing about how I’ve been spending all my waking hours and nights partying drunk and hanging out with my best mates. That’s also kind of because I actually just moved to Melbourne from New Zealand about a month ago…
But that doesn’t have to mean my first year, or this blog, is going to be a bore! I’ve already got plenty of hilarious, gut-wrenching, cringeworthy experiences…and I’m only a month into this new life. I’ve actually got my stuff together too…you know, in terms of time management, productivity, studying well. I read up on a bunch of that stuff the last couple of years, so you’ll be hearing about how some of these techniques and tools play out in first year (Jordan Peterson is the GOAT).
So what am I studying? A Bachelor of Science, and potentially majoring in either nutrition or food science. Yes, I like to cook and make desserts! I am proud to say I ate cake (almost) every day last year! But almost exclusively ‘healthier’ versions of stuff like chocolate cakes/brownies, since I’m a bit of a nutrition nerd. Healthy baking can taste good, trust me! If you want a taste, and you somehow find me on campus eating something that looks like baking, I don’t mind sharing!
I also really like to read and write. If you’ve stumbled upon Amy’s blog already, then you might know that her best subject was English Literature in high school. Well, so was mine! I could analyse poems and Shakespeare in my sleep! I liked English and writing so much that I was tossing and turning between a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing and a Bachelor of Science! But I’m sticking with science for now (I’m low key soldiering through 3 hour bio and Chem practicals right now…but that’s a story for another time). I’ll typically read crime, mystery, adventure/thriller, and every now and then read some deep, existential, philosophical classic that makes me question my life…
I also play the clarinet. If you don’t know what it is, it’s the thing that squidward plays in SpongeBob (I swear the clarinet sounds better when it’s not squidward playing though). I’ll also go gym, go to some event every now and then, too.
Anyway, that’s all from me. If you’re wondering why you would want to stick around to read my blog…well, for one… entertainment?! I hope you’ll get a kick out of the dry jokes I like to make, and the experiences I’ll be sharing throughout the year. But remember I’ll also be sharing with you some EXCLUSIVE tips and tricks related to uni life, productivity, time management, and general first-year stuff.
Hello everyone, I'm Steph, a local Melbourne girlie. Despite living here my whole life, I still don't know my way around the city (even with the assistance of Google Maps) or my own neighbourhood for that matter, so I doubt I'll ever know my way around the uni campus. I am the last person you want to ask for directions when you're lost. My only advice to my fellow poor navigators is to download Lost on Campus. That app has seriously been my lifesaver these past couple of weeks.
Anyways, getting a little sidetracked (typical me). I'm one of the many Bachelor of Science students taking BIO10008 and CHEM10003 on top of the science compulsory. My breadth for this semester is Business Law (don't worry, it's not as intense as it sounds). No one prepares you for how fast the content is taught, my brain is running in circles from the difference in the functions of DNA ligase, polymerase and synthase or how electrons behave like WAVES. It requires a lot of self-discipline (which I lack) to stay on top of all your work and maintain a social life. (kudos if you already inferred that I'm already behind on my work)
I would say my personality likes to flip back and forth between introverted and extroverted. I'm someone who likes to enjoy Melbourne's nightlife with some menace behaviour (which we won't elaborate on). In order to recharge my social battery, I'm an avid reader of a wide range of genres. If I were to pick a favourite, it would be fantasy. Gonna wrap this post up with some book recs:
Greetings from Hogwarts! This is from one of the Ravenclaw recruits this year. Well, not really. The Hat told me that I should be at Hufflepuff because my best quality is clearly being compassionate towards others. Should I listen to The Hat or follow my own heart? Isn't that the reoccurring question we ask ourselves every day, trying to find our way through this chaos we call life?
All jokes aside, I am happy to be here, where I can trim my skills and make mistakes as many as needed. Being a student after so many years of full-time working is not only a change of lifestyle, but also a chance to take pause and look at my life from a different angel. It’s not a choice many would make, and I am both terrified and excited to find out what will happen next.
So, a little more about myself (I’m trying to not over-share here). I was born and raised in China and I used to have my life painted for me. I was told to be a good student, to find a steady job, to marry a decent man and to float through life. It’s not a terrible way to live, but it always feels wrong to me. Then I heard this saying from a movie, “Floating is for boats, not people.” And it resonated with me on every level. Life should be lived with passion and enlightenment, not just earthly tasks to kill our precious time.
Then, here I am! Learning arts! This is probably the first time for me to listen to my heart instead of my head, and the joy it brought is quite surprising. Come share this joy with me on campus one day, but be very careful! Because this is only the beginning and still could be full of twists. Is your heart beating as fast as mine? I can’t wait!
Phew, that’s a lot of information, even for a blabber like me. Let’s take a deep breath and let me just calm down. Slowly but surely: all shall be revealed!
Hi !! My first blog post of the semester and I'm writing it because I don't want to work on my actual assignments- haha. Anyone who said doing an Arts degree is easy was probably right but it sure doesn't feel like it sometimes.
Not really sure how to start introducing myself. I'm sure if we run into each other you'll recognize me since I've never met another Amity, and I have a very strong American accent. (It's really awful, I'm sorry) I went to high-school in New York so now I sound like I was born & raised there. For better or for worse. I'm staying at one of the colleges on campus right now since my family lives back in New York, which has been a really great experience so far. I've been doing my best to explore Melbourne in my free time, which has mostly just been late night snack runs in the CBD, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. My friends and I are paying each other in soft serves and fries from McDonald's.
Right now I'm studying a BA majoring in Creative Writing and Linguistics so if my blog posts are poorly written its extra embarrassing for me- but I've never claimed to be a good writer, I was hoping the degree would make me a little better at it :)) Although I've already had two people tell me my linguistics degree will never get me a job so we'll see how that works out. I think that means I have to thrive out of pure spite. Right now I'm taking Language, Creative Writing: Ideas and Practice, Arts Discovery and Principles of Marketing. I was NOT aware marketing was a commerce class when I enrolled, I thought it was a psych class. I'm hoping to do a masters in library sciences or screenwriting but three years is a long time and when I was a freshman in high-school I thought I wanted to be a homicide detective so things can definitely change! Maybe I'll transfer into Ag-science!
Unsurprisingly, I love reading and writing. I also adore listening to music, if anyone is a Blink-182/Set to Stun fan our wedding is next week. I have it all planned you just need to show up. I also love fashion and food, two things that obviously go hand in hand. They both start with 'f' and that's good enough for me. I do have a ton of clothes which was a pain moving into college and will be a pain moving out. If anyone wants to help me move it all out at the end of the year or the mid-sem break, I can pay you in cheap chocolate and gratitude.
I signed up to be a part of this blog because I've already embarrassed myself a million times over by being the idiot American who doesn't understand Aussie culture so I thought maybe other people would get a laugh out of it too! I'm slowly learning the slang and how nobody here can seem to finish a whole word. I mean seriously, 'arvo'?? Just say afternoon it's like a two syllable difference you aren't going to die.
That's enough from me for now. See you next time!! And recommend this blog to your friends/family, they'll enjoy it and the other first-years this semester are really lovely people. I'm sure you'll love their blog posts as much as you (obviously) loved mine. ;)
Hey everyone! My name is Amy (one of many you'll likely meet, no, seriously, there are like a million Amy's here at uni). Nice to meet you all :) This is going to be an introduction of sorts and a get to know me. Let's get all the boring (or not so boring) facts out of the way. I'm studying a Bachelor of Science with the intention of majoring in Data Science. The subjects I'm taking in my first year include Today's Science, Tomorrow's World (a compulsory subject for all first year science students), Calculus 2, Foundations of Computing, and as a breadth I'm taking Accounting Reports and Analysis. A little side note is that my best subject in high school was English literature. So you never really know where life can take you!
I'm from New Zealand, and no, I'm not your typical Auckland girl, I'm from Wellington. Shout out to all those from Wellington, we are a rare species here in Melbourne. Woop, woop!!! I have moved out of home and am currently living in a Residential College.
And now for all the fun stuff!!! As for my interests, I love playing and participating in sports. These include golf, volleyball, badminton, table tennis, basketball, to name a few. Honestly, I just love the spirit and energy of being in a team, it's a blast.
Other than sports, I love to binge K-dramas and anime. So any suggestions in the comments would be more than welcome ;) I also stan many K-pop groups with my ultimate group being Twice.
Also, I'll just quickly add that if you love cats, llamas, whales, turtles or ducks, then you have great taste in the animals that you love.
That's it from me for my first blog post, but there will be many more posts about many other topics that will hopefully either be funny or interesting or informative!
