Student Bloggers
O-Week
Date
March 9, 2020
Currently Studying at: Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
Homeschool: Arcadia University
After countless flights, days of traveling, and constantly living out of a suitcase, you are finally here. You are standing out in front of your flat on a beautiful Wellington afternoon, and it is time to begin the best week of the semester, O-Week. AKA, Orientation Week.
After a day of finally getting settled and moved into your flat, it now time again to start another orientation. Nowhere near as fun as Arcadia Orientation, Victoria University of Wellington Orientation is full of lectures and paperwork. There is one upside though- it is only one day. That’s right. You heard me. One day. All you have to do is get through one day of formalities, and the rest of the week is yours. Welcome to O-Week.
During O-Week alone, I think I have already made some of the best memories of my time in Wellington. After a long Monday of orientation, I went back to my flat and began to plan out my plans for Tuesday. I was going to take advantage of my time off, and I was going to do it exploring. I began my first day off nice and early at 6:00 am. I had myself a small little breakfast and headed out for my first run in Wellington. HILLS! That is all I gotta say about my first run. After my run, I was out the door and began exploring the city. Backpack packed, camera secured, and headphones on, I was ready to find anything in the city.
I spent that first day in cafes reading, working on my laptop, exploring comic shops, record stores, tattoo parlors, film shops, and even finding some time to spend at the beach. I started every day in O-Week with the same mentality, “Go out and find something new.” Between spending time at the beach, meeting my flatmates, going out clubbing with my neighbors, looking for glowworms late at night, or meeting Bernie the Bernese mountain dog, I don’t think I will ever be able to top the memories I made in O-Week.
This now brings me to the first bit of advice I have for future students studying in Wellington. Take advantage of O-Week. Whether it is exploring all over Wellington, clubbing every night, or just hanging out with your flatmates, make sure you take advantage of your time before classes start. Your time abroad is the time to make memories, so why not start during O-Week?