The Final Stretch

This week is for the most part the last week of classes. Then finals "begin". 

I say that because I've already had one of my finals for American Music and Popular Culture. It wasn't too bad, but the listening was still really hard. I guess I just couldn't get used to the style of teaching they have in some of their courses. 

Next Wednesday is my Contemporary Australia final. I really enjoyed that class, I think perhaps because it was taught the way I'm used to. Although we had a lecture and a tutorial once a week, the way the professor engaged the students and made us active participants in class was a lot like NEU. I gave a presentation for the class yesterday and I think it went over well, the Professor wants me to email him my charts that I found from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

My drawing and painting assessments are really soon! I'm actually quite happy with how my final painting assignment turned out and I think I'll get a better grade because of it. Let's hope for an HD, but probably more so a D (Distinction).

After that I really don't have to do much, besides see the city some more, and get ready for Sydney and New Zealand and home. I'm ready to be home. I've been ready for a month. 

And I have at least two interviews in NYC for Co-Op to come home to! All my friends are graduating this year, and of course I can't wait to see my pets and family. So I have a lot waiting for me.

To be or Not To Homesick

Not so much homesick anymore, on and off. I am really ready to get back home, I think its because I'm just excited for the future. 

I haven't written in here in a while because nothing too out of the ordinary has happened. The same old class, projects etc. I'm working on picking up my grades, and going to study pretty much the next week for my American Music and Pop Cult. final. I think for the semester that was probably my biggest concern, keeping my grades up while trying to see as much of Australia and experience it, as possible. So the grades might have slipped a bit.. although I did get that HD on my first paper (A+ =) ), but in the long run, I went and did things, and I'm glad I have more memories of Melbourne besides a classroom.

I've been having to deal with a lot of issues back home. Financially its been tough, my mom broke her wrist in three places and so she's on disability, which means less disposable income, which means less of everything. 

I also had to fix a big problem with Co-Op. It is difficult to get a good Co-Op while abroad. I would recommend not going on co-op after a term abroad, I'm doing it mainly because I don't have time left in my schedule to wait a semester, but I only have one interview because companies don't want to wait to interview me in person. I was kind of surprised though honestly, you'd think more companies would be interested in hiring a student who has been abroad and has had experience with other cultures and what not.

Oh and I managed to break my toe this weekend on top of things. I have to figure out first if you can even treat a broken toe besides icing it, then find a hospital around here, since I'm pretty positive the school doctor doesn't do xrays.

On a positive note, we celebrated 3 of my friend's birthdays. It was a good time and I got to finally go out in Melbourne and really enjoy it.

Right now I'm thinking about finals and projects. My flight home is June 20th, but I'm going to Sydney on the 13th - 16th. Then a few more days in Melbourne before I leave.

On the way home I'm going to  be stopping in Auckland, NZ. I'm pretty excited for it. I never thought I'd make it to Australia, let alone New Zealand. I wish I had more time to travel to other countries nearby too, but I'm only 22 so we'll see!

I'll be seeing the Glowworm Grotto, Black River Rafting & Abseiling, hopefully the Champagne Pool, and ending my abroad experience with a nice trip to a spa/hot springs. I think that's a good way to end it.

of course I'm already thinking about finding a way to do a summer semester in Cambridge, just because, its Cambridge!