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