Pre-Departure: What are your goals for your international experience?

◦ What do you hope to gain and how much research have you done on your host country and culture that will better prepare you for this experience?

The preparation for study abroad was very difficult. You only can prepare for an experience like this so much. This is pretty difficult for me when I myself am a huge planner. I was watching non-stop YouTube Vlogs and reading Blogs so I knew what to expect or at least tried. I even tracked down people who had studied abroad in Newcastle before, just so I had an better idea.

◦ What are you most excited about? What are you most scared or nervous about?

I’m most excited about emerging myself into the culture of Australia. I have always wanted to go to Australia and the idea of living in another country is exhilarating. Having always wondered if I could just get up and move to another country, and now I have the perfect excuse.
I am quite nervous to try and find somewhere to live. University of Newcastle is very competitive when it comes to on-campus living. Currently I have no place to live once I arrive, and according to student services I should wait to find a room to rent until I get to Australia, in order to see the house in person. So, as of now I’m going to get off the plane and say “Now what?.” I know I will be more organized then that, but at the moment I don’t feel like it. Must be the nerves talking.

 What strategies have you implemented that will allow you to overcome these challenges and take full advantage of your opportunities?

To prepare for Australia I have set up my hotel for the first three days in order to make sure I have somewhere to go once I arrive. I also have tried to make a check list of things I need to do once I arrive.
– Find somewhere to live
– Set up bank account
– Buy Sim Card
– Get all student info and identification