Bahamas here I come!

Well, it's finally over. Fall semester of third year has wrapped up after a hectic exam break (4 exams in a week....lovely) but I made it through with only slight flu symptoms (which have now caught up to me and I'm battling a full blown flu!) It's off to the Bahamas for me for a week with the fam jam, and then home to prepare myself for Oz!!

But, of course, I wanted to leave a quick update post since I wasn't going to have access to internet for a while. My Oz accommodation is still up in the air - I did apply to an off-campus residence college but I have yet to hear back from them about the status of my application. I also have taken the liberty of looking into a) off-campus rental apartments, where I would rent a place with 2 other international students for 6 months or b) the listings on the UQ website for current UQ students who need someone to rent a room for a couple months. In any case, I'm dealing with the fact that I am not going to be living on campus, and I will have to probably be in charge of my own meals, groceries, internet etc etc if the residence college fails to come through again.

However, all else has seemed to work out, from courses to visas to flights..... I can't really complain. And I know it will be the trip of a lifetime, so I absolutely can't wait!!

With that, I'm off until after I get home from swimming with the rays. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year - thanks for reading!

xoxo Danielle

Danielle = homeless.

Well, last entry was all about whether or not I had screwed myself over with the whole accommodation on campus scenario. Guess what? I DID.

I heard back from International House (finally!) and quelle suprise - I was rejected. Naturally, I contact the other two choices on my list, Union College and Women's College and BOTH ARE COMPLETELY FULL.

So basically, I am not going to be living on campus, unless the other colleges that I madly contacted in a panic get back to me with availabilities. I highly doubt this, but fingers crossed.

As a backup plan, I quickly got together another couple reference letters, an application package and sent it off to Raymont Lodge - an off campus residential college. I should hear back from them in January, and if that doesn't work out, then I will have to look into renting an apartment in Brisbane, making the commute to and from campus and cooking my own meals. Not really what I was looking for, but what can one do?

On the bright side, I have my Visa, and it's all been approved so that's good to go. It was so quick and painless....I wish the accommodation aspect was the same!!!

Exams are coming up, and we got our first dump of snow here, which really makes me look forward to Christmas. I'm going to run and hit those books (since my exam schedule makes me want to cry!) but I will give another update if I hear back from anything.

Thanks for reading!
xoxo Danielle

Am I screwed??

So. Quick update before bed since I am battling more than one infection right now and sleep seems to evade me. Still, I know that I should be in bed and if my nodding head is any indication, perhaps tonight will be a little less restless!

I REGISTERED FOR MY COURSES!!!! Long story short, I basically LIED and put down that my permanent residence in Australia was the International House. I figured, since I haven't heard from them, and I can always update my address once the accommodation side of things is figured out, why not bypass the system and get onto the good stuff? So that's what I did. Sneaky, sneaky, yes indeed.

And my courses are (drum roll please)......

1. Anatomy 1020: Systemic Anatomy for Exchange Students
2. French 3114: Advanced French Language
3. Biology 2-something: Terrestrial Environments
AND
4. Australian Pop Culture. I know, weird final choice but I had to choose another "cultural" course to fulfill study abroad exchange requirements for my certificate, so I thought this was the best option. Better than Australian forestry and predicting clear cutting or something along those lines....

2nd Update: I have successfully applied for my student Visa. It's all done online, and now I have to wait 15 business days before it's approved, but at least it's another check mark off my to-do list! Oh, that and I'm now $540 freaking dollars poorer. Who knew application fees for a Visa were so damn expensive?

3rd and possibly screwy update: I contacted my second choice for residency down under, just in case I don't get into IH (and just making sure I had all the additional requirements completed) and guess what I found out today? THEY ARE COMPLETELY FULL. Meaning, if I don't get into IH, it's down to my third choice, or I AM HOMELESS. Consensus: I am quite possibly screwed. I am literally crossing all appendages in hopes that IH takes me as a resident!!!

On a closing note - I can't believe it's now December, it will be a new decade in less than a month and that means that I am also less than 2 months from leaving Canada for this Australian Adventure!! I AM EXCITED!!

Until more news comes my way,

Danielle ;)

CofE, setbacks and in need of some opinions....

FINALLY.

After almost a month of waiting, I received my CofE - my confirmation of enrolment - to the University of Queensland. This basically means that I now have my own student number (a whole bunch of 2's, 4's and 0's), my own username and email account. All that's left for me do to is finalize my registration online before I arrive in January! That, and apply for my student visa, now that I actually have proof of my enrolment down under!

One glitch: I can't register for my courses until I have a permanent address in Australia. Since I haven't heard back from International House about my accommodation application yet (grrrr) I can't actually move forward. So, I'm really only one step closer to being done all the to-do things, but I still have much to accomplish and it all depends on this stupid accommodation!!! AHHHH! Frustrating!

Other news: I have booked my flights. I officially leave Canada the 27th of January, and my return ticket is dated August 8th, 2010. I can't believe that I will be gone for over 8 months, but I can only imagine how excellent this trip is going to be, and what an amazing experience!!

Help from friends: I need to decide on what courses to take while abroad. I have 2 that I know for sure I want to get into, but I can't decide on the last two. My choices have to do with credits recieved back at Queen's, as well as the requirements for the International Studies Certificate.

Here are my choices so far...

1. ANAT 1020 - I need to take this for the Life Sci degree

2. BIOL 2001 - This will count towards a credit for the certificate, and it sounds really cool (it's australian terrestrial environments)

3. I have to choose between these french courses:
a) FREN 3210 or 3114: Advanced French Language
b) FREN 6350: Language Studies
c) FREN 6364: Cultural Studies

4. My last course (Yup, I only have to take 4 and it's considered a full course load!) is between the following:
a)SPAN 1010: Beginner spanish --> This one can count towards my international certificate
b)RELN 1000: World religions
c) RELN 1510: The supernatural and paranormal
d)HIST 2414: Europe Radical Right and Fascism --> This one can count towards my international certificate

It's a tough decision. I want to take neat courses, but I also want to fufill requirements for my major/minor/certificate AND I want to have a course load that's not too heavy. There is no point in me going abroad and living in a library....Any thoughts and comments would be greatly appreciated!

I must run but will keep you all updated on the accommodation front!!

Thanks for reading,

Danielle

OCASP form sent. Rejected. Re-sent. APPROVED!!!

Well, still no news on the accommodation front. Seriously though, it's a bit down to the wire considering that it's October 30th, and I'm supposed to hear back from IH by the end of the month....I'm keeping all possible digits crossed that I get accepted. Not only is it my first choice so I'm eager to stay there, but being accepted at IH will make my life WAY easier as I don't have to worry about going through another application process for my second choice.

However, as the title of this post suggests, I heard back from the OCASP coordinators and my off-campus safety form has been approved. This, I'm sure, seems like a fairly little feat, but for those who have had to go through the process, this is HUGE. Queen's has this safety policy where all of its outgoing exchange students are required to fill out this tedious, tricky and unmanageable online "safety and assessment of risks" form. Everything, and I mean everything, has to be documented, analyzed and taken into account. For example, I had to go through every possible risk associated with travel and study in Australia, say why it was a risk and how I would manage the risk. Here's an idea:

Issue: In Australia, they drive on the left-hand side of the road.
How is this a risk?: I could be hit by a car and killed.
How do I manage this risk?: I will ensure that I look both ways before crossing the street.

Mundane. Tedious. Boring. Long. All the above. And the best part? I got to do it more than once since my first form was kindly rejected on the basis that I had a) forgotten to include contact information at the university (which I don't have yet!), b) I had to assess risks associated with travel outside Brisbane, c) I needed to include information on health risks etc etc. The rejection criteria list was quite long, but it did provide a useful outline for me to go back and fix the necessary items before it was re-submitted and then approved! Considering the horror stories I've heard (like students submitting forms and getting rejected over 4 times!) I feel that my situation wasn't too bad. At the very least, it's another check mark off my pre-depature to-do list!!

I'm still waiting on my confirmation of enrollment from UQ, which will allow me to register for courses as well as provide proof for me to apply for a student visa. I'm going to give the university another week before I contact them to make sure all is okay (seeing as I faxed my acceptance back to them last week!)

I'm signing out to go enjoy my first weekend off after the midterm hectic-ness, but I'll be back with a new post once accommodation decisions are made and enrollment forms come through!

Thanks for reading,

Danielle

It's OFFICIAL!!!

Judging from the title of this post, I imagine most of you know what it's about......

I RECEIVED MY ACCEPTANCE TO THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND!!!!

Which means that yes, my exchange is now official on both ends! I won't be spending a semester traveling around Aussie (which was my backup plan in case I didn't get in) but instead I will be burying myself in studies down under. Alas. Not really!!!! I'm so happy that everything went through okay, and now that I've finally received this offer, it feels SUPER real.

On another note, the International House, my first choice for accommodation, received my application package entirely. Good ol' Canada Post regular air mail! I was told I will hear back about their decision later on in the month, or by early November at the latest.

This is just a short post as I have to run to class, but once I pick up my acceptance package from the International Office today, I'll write back to let you know what more hoops I'll be jumping through before my departure FOR REAL in January!!

Koalas and Kangas - HERE I COME!!!!

xoxo Danielle

Happy Thanksgiving!

Well, I've finally finished up my 5 hours of classes on the Friday before Thanksgiving and I thought it would be appropriate to have a little update Thanksgiving post. I've made some headway on the exchange front, namely the accommodation side of things which I think warrants a post....

Where to start? I think I left off saying that I had yet to apply to any residences at UQ, but I was in the process of completing applications. These past few weeks have been SUPER stressful, since I found out on Sept. 29th that online applications for my first choice in residences, International House, were due ON THE 30TH. How insane is that? I literally spent the ENTIRE night on the 29th working on this online application, which was not your usual, "name, address, age" etc etc. No, it was crazy, long essay questions, asking me all about my cultural experiences, my community involvement, academics, athletics....you name it - it was on there.

Then, once this was submitted, I had to do a bunch of additional supporting documents like activity forms and more essay questions, mail AND fax them, plus send original transcripts and 4 photos of myself. I was a bit confused about the whole photos of me thing, I mean seriously, does it come down to a beauty contest? At any rate, this past week I've visited Canada Post and UPS stores more than I wanted to.

On those lines, guess how much postage is to Australia? General air mail, at least for an envelope my size was only $4.00. However, since I was on a bit of a time restraint (supporting documents HAD to be in by October 14th) I asked about express post. Price this time? $112.00. WHAT THE?!?!?! Seriously? An increase in the price by $108? And only to save me 4 days of travel time.

What did I do? What any university student would - I stuck with regular postage. Downsides?

1. It is not guaranteed that my envelope will make it on time
2. It's not even guaranteed to make it at all. Meaning, until it is recieved by the UQ end, there is no way for Canada Post to track it or locate it. Yikes. Here's to hoping that Canada Post is more organized behind the scenes!

But honestly, was I going to spend over $100 on mailing an application for an accommodation that isn't even guaranteed? Didn't think so.

That's about all the stressful updates thus far. I've just started to look into flights and timing, since I have yet to hear back from the UQ about my offer anyways. (Wouldn't that be brilliant? Me, not getting into the University, and this whole exchange thing not happening....) I'm hoping that by the time midterms are done (3 weeks from now) that I will a) have booked flights, b) know my accommodation status and c) be a little less stressed about the whole process. At least, it's proving to be quite the exciting adventure, which always makes for great stories!

Thanks for following, and until next time,

Danielle

So much to do, so little time....

Hello everyone!

Exciting news from the exchange front - I just received an email from the International Programs Office stating that my request for an International Letter of Permission (ILOP) has been approved. In layman's terms, this means that the Faculty of Arts and Science has granted me permission to study abroad for one semester, as well as telling me that the courses I take while down under will be the equivalent as 2.5 credits worth of courses back home. This is step number one in the whole pre-departure process, and now that I have these documents I really feel like this is going to happen.

As well, I finally got in to see my undergraduate chair. For those of you who know the Life Sciences department, it's quite the task to get an appointment with Dr. Rose. I've been trying for the last couple months, and each time I was told that "exchange is bad for a) my degree, b) the possibility of me getting into medical school and c) whether or not I want to graduate on time." In other words, I was told by uneducated sources that I would not graduate on time due to the fact that the University of Queensland had no approved courses for credit here at Queens within the Life Sci department. I kept trying to indicate that was the reason behind the meeting, I was asking for approval for the courses I'm interested in taking!! Anyways, I was able to meet with Dr. Rose and all my fears were calmed.

I was told that the two science courses I was looking at, pharmacology and anatomy, would directly transfer over to Queen's credits. My pharmacology course would even count as a 400-level credit, which is extremely rare! I was cautioned against taking this course at UQ, since I have no pre-requisite course in pharm, but I still have to wait until later on in November to actually sign up for courses. So I have time to think about what I want to take....I just wanted to make sure that I can complete my degree on time, still graduate next year etc etc and still be able to go on exchange. The simple answer is yes, and exchange in no way will hinder my degree or the requirements for graduation. Brilliant!!

I'm just in the process now of finalizing my accommodation applications, which entails me trying to describe myself in less than 75 words and other random "get-to-know-you" questions. One thing that I'm a bit worried about is the fact that I need my offer of acceptance from the university to apply to residence, but the International Office here has yet to send out my application forms. Apparently, they want to cut costs by sending both my application along with the second Queen's student's in the same envelope. Since the other student is not as on top of things, I'm forced to work at his/her pace.....which may hurt me in the end. If things start to get dicey, I may just offer to pay for the additional cost of mailing it out on my own!! I've been told that accommodation at UQ is in high demand, so if I miss the deadlines, I will probably have to search for accommodation off campus. Not good.

Until I hear back from the University of Queensland, I can't do much more. I'm going to submit some more safety forms on my end this weekend, and then I'll be crossing my fingers and waiting to hear back from UQ before madly sending out accommodation applications!

Wish me luck!

Danielle

Hello All!

Here's a quick update since I'm now back in Kingston and preparing for the upcoming semester....I just handed in my application form for the University of Queensland! This means that I won't hear anything until the end of the month or so, and once I become an official Queensland student I can then start to apply for accommodation, visas and flights.

There's still much to finish up, but the ball has started to roll!

Until next time,

Danielle

The first post

Hello all,

So, after following a friend's blog from her amazing summer trip abroad, as well as having a few other friends start their own, I thought it would be fitting to try my hand at this online sharing tool. Although my trip to Australia isn't scheduled until January 2010, I thought if I started something now I probably have a better chance of figuring out how everything works before I leave the country!

All jokes aside, I'm super excited to start my study abroad and hopefully will have an awesome time of my own. I promise to try and keep updating everyone on a fairly regular basis, as I know certain members of my family in particular will always wonder about what I've been up to. Until January rolls around, I'll just keep you all aware of my Visa status, applications and all the other hoops I have to jump through before my trip is finalized!

I've been on vacation until today, which translates into the idea that I haven't really worked on anything exchange related. I'd like say I can attribute that to lack of decent internet, but in all honesty it's more due to lack of motivation. It's hard to sit down and organize papers when I have PEI beaches calling my name!

There's much left for me to do before September, as I haven't yet been accepted overseas. I have to submit my application form to the University of Queensland, prepare my accommodation forms, apply for a visa, book flights, organize my classes and get in touch with international contacts. It seems a bit daunting now, but thankfully I have a few months to figure it all out!

I think that's it as far as an intro, but I'll keep everyone updated!

Until next time,

Danielle