The balancing act
Chapter 3
My new flat was super funky. Share accommodation was something the agent had schooled me on. I knew I would be given cupboard space in the kitchen and possibly a shelf in the fridge. One was required to buy all their food and sharing was not encouraged. It was the Western way. If lucky, you might find an ensuite bedroom where you get to have your own bathroom and toilet. If not, there would be a common toilet and we would all chip in to buy toilet paper, cleaning liquids and rotate in the cleaning of the common spaces. It is necessary to carry your own weight when sharing accommodation. Personal space is the greatest lesson learnt here.
Lucky for me, I had a relative who had stocked the flat I would be staying in. My food supplies on arrival consisted of milk, plain flour, cooking oil, eggs, bread, ham, apples, bananas, yoghurt, weet-bix, coffee, sugar and salt. Tap water was fine to drink. These would be my go to foods for a few months as I figured Aussie out and learnt how to cook. Remember, going overseas right after boarding school meant I had never cooked a single meal in my life. Here I was, with only an ability to make pancakes. Fast forward and I am now a self-proclaimed Pasta, Mahamri and Quiche expert… Oh Lord!
Food is quite expensive especially when you are using the Kenya Shilling power against the Aussie Dollar. I was advised to carry a fruit in my bag daily, as well as ham sandwiches which I would eat in between lectures as opposed to buying snacks at the school canteens which were quite pricey. The sandwiches were my daily bread and butter until I found my first student part-time job and yay!! Subway & KFC to the rescue! Plus many unnecessary kilos.
Having a flexible job can be quite helpful while you are a student. It is important to be able to reschedule work around big exams and study sessions. The fact that you are a student should be proof to your employer that you are a student first, but your job is still important to you. I later learnt that finding an employer who has dealt with International Students can make the transition seamless but if not, being clear about your working hours from the start can also do the trick. Students in Australia are allowed to work up to 40 hours a fortnight. The visa rules are very clear and there is no way around it. I have a few anecdotes on those who chose to ignore the visa regulations. It never ends well. Those tales will be addressed in future chapters.
Now back to the transition. I woke up and caught the bus to Uni. It was my first day and I had unfortunately missed orientation week which is a way for students to meet other students, become familiar with campus services and register for classes. Here I was, classes had now started and I had no idea what classes I was meant to be attending. I had carried a list of contacts at the Uni and I knew the first place I would get help from was International Student Centre. This department, with friendly staff who attend to all international student issues would always be my first point of contact whenever dramas popped up and trust me….they popped up. They were able to explain the academic structure very clearly discussing areas such as how to select electives, the assessment methods etc. I met a fellow Kenyan who was attached to the TAFE College doing foundation studies, when he was clearly meant to be in University owing to his remarkable high school performance. This was rectified quickly at International Student Centre and he was able to go right into his undergrad at the University. This department solves almost every issue, we as International Students might have.
Overall, I learnt very quickly that there was just a lot more activities cramped into a smaller amount of time. That is the university life and we had to learn most of it on our own. There are some practical things students can do to balance a life of school, work, sleep and some fun.
Creating a schedule for classes, work, important events and deadlines, at the start of each semester is a must. Having a schedule is one thing. Sticking to it is the goal. Juggling your classes and a part-time job is no easy task, but it is definitely doable. Knowing what your priorities are is key.
This is the first time most students live on their own and become responsible for managing finances and their well-being. Juggling new relationships, old friendships, missing family, culture-shock can all be a challenge. This is an introduction to adulthood and it can feel stressful. Learning how to manage stress is so important and this is what makes the university years such an opportune time to begin practicing work-life balance. Join me next week, as the journey down under continues.
