Orientation and Moving Residences

So International Orientation was on the 12th to the 14th August, where I just had to check in my documents, like visas and all the boring (but very important) paperwork, attend some meetings about classes and life here at U of A, and enrol in classes.

My friend Becky, also from UEA, had arrived by this point and we requested that we lived together in our temporary accommodation, which was lovely as we get along really well. We helped each other out with any problems and it is nice to have the comfort around you of someone from home, going through exactly the same thing you are going through.

We decided to get started on our shopping for things for our dorm rooms, like bedding, so we went to catch the bus and go to Target (a big store that literally sells everything). However, we didn’t anticipate that it would rain on us! It is currently classed as monsoon season here in Arizona, which we didn’t know, so it was really unexpected. We got soaking wet! And that’s not all… we ended up on the wrong bus to Target — it was going in the wrong direction, so we had to get off and catch two more buses. What was meant to be a 15 minute journey turned out to take us nearly 2 hours! But we made it in the end and got the majority of things needed for our rooms (and we got a taxi back just to be simple). One of my best purchases was my new mug, so I could FINALLY have a cuppa. Mmmmm…

The day we had to register and enrol for classes was quite a long and difficult day, but we were told that at least some point during our time here some things are bound to go wrong. The classes that I really wanted to take were all already full and closed for enrolling to, so I had to pick and choose ones that I wasn’t as interested in. Some classes were confusing and said that they were available but also said they were full, so I was sent to speak to one department, who sent me to another department across campus, who then sent me to yet another department, where I still didn’t receive any answers — it was definitely time for a nap by this point. By the end of the day I had emailed around all the professors who take the classes I wanted and more often than not, I received a reply suggesting that I could still get on the classes, so it was a positive end to a stressful day!

Also, the 14th was move-in day to my permanent residences, Yavapai! When I first entered my new room, I wasn’t impressed. There isn’t any carpet on the floor and reminds me of a school hall or a kitchen, so it isn’t very homely, but that’s nothing that a rug can’t fix! I also have to sleep on a bunk-bed, which I haven't done since I was about 10. Having said all this, it’s just first impressions and I’m sure I’ll come to love it — I even began to like the temporary accommodation that could easily be described as a prison cell.

This evening I have just been sitting in the communal area with all of the RAs in this hall — they are the resident assistants who are here to help us and tell us everything we want to know about university. They are all so lovely and I really loved just chatting and getting to know them, and finding out about the social life here — frat parties are where it’s all at (apparently).

So yeah, I’m all moved in. My roommate doesn’t arrive until the 23rd and I am also going away on Sunday 20th. I have booked to go on a surfing and sailing trip to San Diego — I’m so excited!! It’s going to be so much fun and I’ve met quite a few people who are going on it and I can’t wait to get to know them all further.

So there we go, sorry it’s really long, and if you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading! I’ll let you all know how my trip goes and I’m sure you’ll get to see plenty of photos on my Facebook eventually!

Love to everyoneeeeee,

Helen x

P.S. Here is a sorority house that I came across in my exploring!