I did expect to have higher grades but not quite as high as they have been.
Surprisingly, I have done pretty well.
So, my grades are alright.
I think I expect my grades to be a little bit better.
I kept thinking I was going to be a literature major.
Perhaps get a PhD in literature and that sort of stereotypical thing, but I actually hated it so much
and actually dropped it mid-semester.
A lot of people that I know have changed their course.
So if you feel like you need to do that, that’s absolutely fine.
I’ll go to the tutorials.
I talk for a bit, make some stuff up.
I’m told, “Oh yeah, that’s a good idea.”
So I’ll make a note of it to write it down.
Additionally, the socialists running around the university and try to grab you as you’re desperately late for class.
It’s certainly an interesting culture.
There are so many food options here, which definitely surprised me.
A really interesting thing about tutorials is that you don’t have to go to all of them
if you don’t want to.
I guess it’s a lot more independent than high school was so that was also a bit challenging.
My move to Melbourne was so easy that way with language…understanding English…
English for me…When anyone asks me what my first language is, English is my first language.
So it’s a big misconception that we speak in our mother-tongue.
But we don’t.
We study - our schooling is in English.
Everything is in English.
A lot of cooking.
A lot of cooking skills have been gained.
You learn how to cook.
I didn’t know how to cook when I moved out of home and I’ve learned so many microwave hacks
You just prick some potatoes, put them in the microwave for 10 minutes, and you’ve got this whole meal sorted
There is something happening every weekend.
There's always something to go out to do each night.
I did sign up for all of them and found that I didn’t go to half of them.
Like, I signed up for the O-club, I never went.
And a whole bunch of other clubs but I’ve definitely picked my favourites and kept with those.
In terms of events, we actually went to quite a lot of parties in the first semester of uni.
And then it got cold.
The first, I guess, uni event that I went to was Science O Camp and that was really awesome.
It was pretty much just a 3-day bender.
I’ve joined the University of Melbourne Animal Protection Society.
It’s allowed me to fully embrace my inner eco-warrior and you know, justice warrior.
So I contributed to Farrago Magazine throughout my whole first year.
It’s just one of those things you just have to be brave and actually send in a pitch.
A few of my pieces got rejected but you know, I got 3 pieces published.
And it is the most exciting thing to see your name.
But I didn’t really get involved much in terms of student elections and all that.
I kinda tried avoiding all of the campaigners who would like come up to you and force you to vote.
I got really confused as to what’s all about.
There’s so much going on and you have people handing out flyers just everywhere
left, right and centre.
A ghost in the machine, almost non-existent.
I’ve joined no clubs, no affiliation with any political parties at the university.
I did not vote.
I did vote this year.
Someone kinda came up to me and was kinda like holding an umbrella for me.
And I was like, “Sorry, I already voted.”
But they were like, “It’s all good.
I’ll walk you to class anyways.”
And I thought that was pretty cool.
It’s good that we have some connections from high school.
Although we didn’t keep contact with the whole cohort.
I don’t think I speak to…I can count them on like, two hands.
You kinda find that, maybe some of the people you were friends with in high school,
it's because you might have seen them everyday.
With technology, with Skype and internet, it’s been easy to keep in touch.
I don’t feel like I’m being left out of my friends back home in India.
It’s a little bit different than a uni friendship where it’s quite new, especially in first year
And it’s good to keep that balance where you’ve got your new friends that you hang out with,
but at the same time you have that old group that you can rely on.
Personally I think it’s a lot harder to maintain friendships with people you meet in class
Because once the semester is over and the class is finished, you don’t get to see them again.
It kinda sucks.
You meet these great people in your tutorials.
But at the end of the semester, you’ll never hear from them again.
The second you’re not forced to be in the same place each week, these things sort of trail off
Bar one exception...
who followed me on a weekly routine, at the end of each Reason tutorial - the Arts foundation.
And that’s survived more than a semester, which is more than I can say for most.
You just make you know…You might make fewer friends, but you make real, true bonds.
So I’m actually moving out in just over a month, which is really exciting,
to a place near uni actually, which is exactly super convenient.
I’m planning on going exchange possibly to Birmingham second semester next year.
You get to meet a lot of new people and I love travelling
so I reckon it’ll be super awesome opportunity to not only experience a new place,
a new place of study, multiple cultures, go about learning, and university life.
My advice for new students would be to definitely get involved with events, all the societies and groups
Because that’s the easiest way to make friends and meet new people.
Don’t leave it ‘till the end of SWOTVAC, especially if you’re doing science.
Especially if you’re doing chemistry.
Because it’s a really, really bad idea.
And don’t get a Netflix subscription.
Don’t be afraid to challenge your ideas of yourself, and change your mind halfway through
Don’t stress, have fun.
Stress is a really good motivation…Don’t listen to that.
You use stress to get your assignments done.
Especially for international students, just go with it.
Just trust it.
And when you need help, ask.
Take advantage of all the free food.
And besides that, just really make the most of everything that you can.
Although I made a bunch of new friends, unfortunately I have not met the love of my life.
I thought perhaps uni would be like star-crossed lovers and we would have…
he would have come from…some other country or like rural towns in Victoria
and then we'd meet and you know, fall in love at uni.