University of Aberdeen, BEWARE.

June 27, 2009. My sincere apologies for the lack of communication lately--I'm going to blame the unfortunate circumstance of sending away my computer for repair (so I can only go online when I am using my sister's), now having a 8-4 job that leaves much less time for leisure activities such as this, and a whirlwind of busy Aberdeen-related paperwork and excitement that may or may not have led me to forget about updating my readers about where I stand. And I tell you, where I stand looks pretty darn amazing. As of Monday, June 15th, 2009, I have been officially accepted at the University of Aberdeen. I had nightmares of being rejected, and although I was told that there was only a small chance that, after getting so far in the application process, that would actually occur, you never know what can happen. It was so refreshing to have that piece of paper in my hand. The tough part about all of this is that now I feel like I did at the end of grade 12 when I was applying to Universities here in Canada. I don't know how the school goes about communicating with students over the summer, or how I am supposed to set up residence, or what kind of orientation activities I will have when I go there, if any. I don't know how they choose courses-- if its online or with an advisor, or their routines for getting to class, or how they mark assignments or what exams are like. I don't know how their meal plans work or how to borrow books from the library, or opening hours of campus services. I also have to choose res choices soon, and I have NO IDEA what one is good/better! There are so many things that I remember being overwhelmed with when I started university, and after a couple months, it all seems so easy, so straightforward, so natural, even. But now that I'm used to those ways of doing things, I have to start again, and try to conform to new ways of living. On top of the questions I had when coming to University here, there are so many more that I have now that I'll be far from home and in another country. I have to make sure that I can use my computer there, and hopefully I'll be able to set up a phone once I get there, too. There's probably lots of laws that exist that I don't know about. There's probably lots of new foods and stores and music and habits that I am totally obvlivious to. On one hand, yes, it's Scotland. It's not Uganda or Madagascar or Indonesia. They still speak English--albeit a wicked accent--and they still drive cars--albeit on the left side of the road-- and do many other things that aren't so different from home. It's not like I'm going to have to dress differently or learn a new language or anything. Still, though these things can seem a bit overwhelming when added up like this, and I remember stressing about them at the end of high school. In contrast, I'm actually SUPER excited about all of these things. Maybe it's because I'm that much older now, and I'm ready to be more independent. Maybe its because I want a change. Whatever the reason, I can't wait to embark upon this new challenge. I WANT to get used to the new accent and learn some Scottish slang. I WANT to try new foods. I WANT to get used to drivers on the left side of the road. I WANT to ask questions about how life is there and get help adjusting to the new lifestyle. There's going to be other international students there, too, in the same boat as me, and I can't wait to meet them, as well as the townies, of course. Long story short, I've sent in my offer acceptance form, and requested a visa letter and other documents in order to apply for my student visa, so I'm just waiting for that information to be sent back to me so that I can get the hard part out of the way. Then comes the packing. Oh, the packing. I haven't even started thinking about it yet! I've never traveled anywhere far enough for longer than a month or so, so I'm going to have to prioritize :) As far as Scotland goes, that's about all my updates. Oh, I forgot to mention how I keep reading the 'Guide to Scotland' that my wonderful housemates bought me for my birthday and every time I open it, I see something cool and get more excited! Oh, and my attempts at finding a Scottish sitcom. Originally I had been told by relatives that Scottish accents are super hard to understand, so I went in search of any kind of Scottish dialogue to help with comprehension...but if any of these shows are indicators of what 'normal', off-screen Scots sound like, then I'll be just fine. After all, I've never had a problem understanding my Great Uncle Al. Thanks for reading, and until next time, Beckers