Settling In For Real

So this week was a bit of a breather. I definitely kept busy, but it was busy in a different way. Monday I officially became a Melbourne Uni student, walking on campus to pick up my student ID, my student union membership, bought a reading pack for one of my classes from the bookstore, checked out the library, and generally got used to the idea that this is where I'm studying for the semester. There were a lot more students around, especially because this was the University's orientation week, so it felt much more like an alive student campus, a feeling that increased each time I stepped on campus this week.

Pretty pier filled with restaurants in the Docklands

I also finally finished enrolling in all my classes, or subjects as they call them here. I'm taking Sociology of Youth, Sexual Politics, Australian Politics, and Food for a Healthy Planet. The last two are intro level classes, which means huge lectures and lots of freshers, which will be a big change from what I'm used to, but I'm excited for the change. The way classes work at Melbourne is one or two lectures and then a smaller tutorial. What all the students keep telling us is that it's only important to go to your tutorials and lectures are much less important than I think. I have a friend with two lectures scheduled at the same time and they told him it doesn't even matter! I'm skeptical, but we'll see.

Look at that sunshine!

Wednesday was my busy day this week. I went to the free Faculty of Arts bbq (the Aussies love their barbie), and then my friend Maddie and I decided to go to the Docklands, based solely on the fact that we had never been to that part of the city. The neighborhood was only a few blocks from the city center, but it felt miles away. There wasn't a lot there, a few restaurants and an outdoor mall, but the harbor was very pretty and we were there on a sunny day. That night we returned to the night market, which was wonderful again. Paella and sangria in hand, I was a happy camper.

 
Today I was on campus again for a student club fair. It weirded me out a little because you have to pay to join all the different organizations. I guess I'm just used to Grinnell where basically everything, once you pay tuition, is free. At Uni, I have to pay for clubs, to use the gym, and to be a member of the student union. Because of that, I only signed up for the Food Interest Group (free food and discounts? yes please), but I might join the University choir (it's non-audition and my roommate is really trying to get me to try it out).

Alright, a little bit of a long post. Monday is the first day of class and also the Oscars. Yes, I can in fact watch the Academy Awards live in Australia, which means instead of 7:00 Sunday evening, I get them 12:00 Monday afternoon. More news as it comes!

A teeny slice of the Night Market. People are vicious for those chairs!