Kia ora everyone!
These last two weeks have been packed full of events, fun trips, and of course classes.
Orientation week was packed full of fun events for students like tent city, club day, and the international food festival. These events were for students to get to know the school, become involved in clubs and groups, as well as meet other students on campus. These last two weeks have been a great opportunity to get to know my flatmates. My flatmates and I explored the Otago Museum, the close by Botanic Gardens, and of course the Saturday Market. I was able to go on a blue penguin tour with my parents and watch the penguins waddle up on to the beach as they came in from the ocean for the night.
Going to events, parties, and getting involved with a club leading up to the first week of class and was a great way to get involved with the Otago community. A day at the beach with my flatmates was the perfect way to end the week before classes began. I think we all got a sunburn no matter how much sunscreen we put on.
The first week of classes was hectic like they typically are, as we are all running around trying to find buildings and classrooms. By Friday
we had all figured out the quickest routes to our classes and whether or not it is worth coming home in between classes. Of course, all of the best food trucks are strategically placed themselves on campus so naturally, I had to give them a chance. A few of my flatmates and I joined the AAPES (Animal, Aquatic, Plant, Ecological Society) which led us on an amazing journey to the glow worms about an hour walk outside of Dunedin. The whole flat went, except for our kiwi host who had traveled home to Wanaka for the weekend, and not only was it a fun walk but the glow worms were amazing. In the dark, they looked
like white string lights or stars in the sky. The glow-worm walk was a great way to get the weekend started on Friday night before starting into our second week of classes. Somehow we all managed to survive the weekend without our kiwi host (there may have been a few close calls).
Wish us luck!
Becca