first steps

i decided that i would blog my time in australia (do hound me if i dont), and my preparation towards it. i will try my best to blog at least once a week. starting from today!

i've done quite a bit of OCD preparation for my study there, like coming up with a 'what to bring', what not to bring, a house checklist, etc.

Accomodation i will be studying in the university of queensland, so ill be renting a place (shared probably) in st lucia or dutton park, which is just one suburb outside my university. i intend to cycle to school (and lose fat!) realestate.com.au and the university's accom website gives great help in searching for apartments. i'll have to drop by my uni and see if they have a noticeboard there. budget: $150 per week fully furnished.

Transport the transport there is pretty expensive (relatively), which is the main reason why i'm staying so close to the uni. transport tickets are in single trip, off peak hours and daily tickets; the good thing though, is that buses and trains are the same company so you don't have to pay twice.

Work i've always thought that a student should be a student and not have to work part time to pay off, and also it would be better to be able to focus on studies (yeah right). but given my family's financial situation i would most likely take up a part time job. that means i have to apply for a VISA where i can work!

dual-living

i am a citizen of 2 locations. home and camp.

at home, my priorities are the things i cannot do in camp; my babe, my bunny and my computer. the problem that results from this is that i stick to my computer when im at home, and im finding it hard to read/study or basically do anything else. i kind of 'leave these things' so that i can do them when i'm in camp. so i lug a thick calculus book to camp one day, and lots of books, but unfortunately somehow i end up not doing the things i intend to do in camp.

yes i am blaming something else for my unproductivity.

i hope i can change my attitude toward these things though, i don't want to be a ADD student when i come out of NS.

seriously, NS does screw with your head. given the choice (and hindsight), i would NOT choose to go there despite the great lessons i have learnt in the army. and i cannot, for the life of me, understand why parents put their kids through 2 years of a pathetic experience just to get a citizenship in a country that is so money minded.