International Orientation Programme Summary Part II

Hello All!


In my last post I talked about my orientation week but could not get through all of it because there was so much. I will finish it off starting with Wednesday!

Wednesday:

So if I remember correctly, I skipped a couple of the morning sessions because I needed extra sleep from staying up late the night before after Quiz Night. In addition, my shower was not working for the 2nd straight day and had to wait for a friend to wake up in order to use his buildings shower. This process occurred every day until Saturday, had to shower somewhere else and this was very frustrating. Moving on!....

There were more overviews of the school during the rest of the morning including working in the UK. If I get a job during the year, I would only be able to work full-time when school is not in session. During vacation and in the summer, I would be able to do this. Soon I will see what kind of internships are there for international students like myself ^_^

In the afternoon, I took part in a Treasure Trail activity that was like a savenger hunt all around the City Centre. Going from place to place, it was a way to teach us how to get around on our own. There were many groups participating but not everybody. In total of the orientation, there were at least 300 kids! It was interesting, some of the objectives was to ask how much does a stamp cost at a certain place and then we had to take some pictures in various locations. Our team did pretty well, we guessed on maybe one or two things at most.

City Centre is quite a far walk from where I live in Endcliffe, for some of my friends, you guys are lucky living in Opal!
Moving on to the night!

Wednesday night first consisted of Drinks and Karaoke, where us students got a chance to hang out in the Raynor Lounge. It was pretty awesome being one of the first groups of people to use the club rooms, the uni had just refurnished a good majority of the Union this year.

I sang 'Get Lucky' and 'Wake Me Up' with some people on stage, it was fun. Other songs were played and the crowd sang along to a variety of music. Afterwards they had opened up the dance floor at Fusion near Bar One (the uni's bar on campus). Global Intro Party kicked off around 11PM and I enjoyed my first dance party in the UK. After a few hours a clubbing at school, the night was practically over.

Thursday:

A visit to the Chatsworth House was the main event during the day. In our Orientation Booklet this is what it said about the site:

"One of England's most beautiful and best-loved houses, in a splendid setting on the banks of the River Derwent in the Peak District National Park. Chatsworth is famous the world over for its unrivaled private art collection, state apartments and the garden with cascade and fountains. The present House was built in 1678-1707 for the 1st Duke of Devonshire, with additions by Wyatville for the 6th Duke between 1820 and 1830".

Pretty neat, right?! Yeah there was a lot of artwork I was able to take pictures of and the weather wasn't bad like the previous days, rain off and on and windy. The gardens and areas around the House were really nice. There was quite a lot to see and there was even a maze. Unfortunately, I did not get to see the middle part when I was with a group.






In the evening we had a movie night, which the Union auditorium played Despicable Me 2.  It was a good movie, I enjoyed it. What did impress me was the projector and sound that the theater is capable of. The quality of their movies and everything are topnotch. Also to watch movies during the year, it costs £1.50 . A lot of student organizations and events here cost money, which is different back home with the fees paid before the year caps off. It makes sense having the school having you pay for the events you want to go to and not overcharging students at the beginning of the year like certain schools do. Either way, universities being run by student organizations and societies really make up college life and I am fortunate to study at schools that have such a emphasis on student involvement, as it should be.


Friday:

Almost done...phew!

So Friday was the last full day of activities and part of me had hoped that the following week I would still be able to catch up with friends that I met at Orientation. Football was in the morning and since I was sick, I just wanted to take some cool photos of some matches going on. I managed to meet some more people and had a good time on the sidelines, even though I have been dying to get into action!

Later on this day, we would all have a nice formal dinner together and celebrate what had been a great introduction to the university and the City of Sheffield. I was dressed sharply, hungry and in the mood for some dancing again! The table I sat with had people from around the world and had the opportunity to greet the Lord Mayor of the City of Sheffield, Ms. Vickie Priestley, when she came to our table.

It was a fun-filled night and great way to welcome us to the start of a great year. I am glad I found students that will also be studying abroad here and staying for the year like myself. The next couple days were about moving in and getting essentials for the room. It was quite a busy time.

Next post, I will go over my room and the start of Intro Week! Happy reading guys, and thanks for the support :-)

'Till next time~