"the rest is still unwritten." Natasha Bedingfield

As a first year uni student, exams are always a scary prospect. But like anything these days, time passes so quickly that all of a sudden I’ve finished my first semester of university. This means a semester of Law complete and a major underway.

I didn’t really know what to expect with uni exams, but I found Bond provided all the students with exceptional preparation time and the lecturers were more than happy for people to use the consultation times right up to the exam. Week 13 is a study week, which provides students with an opportunity to finalise outlines and notes taken during the semester, as well as ample time to sit practice exams to perfect technique. The study process is also made better, with easy access to many past exam papers. This meant that no-one walked into their exams, not knowing what to expect. I was partly nervous about not knowing what to expect; however, my nerves were calmed when I realised the practice exams were a perfect guide for what to expect.

I have finished one semester, and only have nine to go. Considering how quickly first semester passed, I cannot imagine it being too tough to get through the next nine. Quite the opposite I think. I believe it will be much more like school; before you know it that period of your life is over and you’re moving onto the next stage. But for now, I am enjoying my three-week break and making the most of family time. I am also getting ready to travel to Adelaide with a great friend I made at Bond. We are visiting two of our other best friends, spending time in Adelaide and at Kangaroo Island, before flying back to Bond together for part of the May semester O-Week. This is just a glimpse at the sort of travel that is possible with friends at Bond. I’m sure this is just the beginning of much travelling this group will do during our time at Bond. For now what the future holds remains unknown, and the rest is unwritten.

Currently the National Art Gallery in Canberra has the Renaissance exhibition showing. This is 15^th and 16^th century Italian paintings from the Accademia Carrara, which was in Bergamo. Caro (my best friend who I met at Bond) and I, being absolute renaissance art junkies, decided that a trip to Canberra for the weekend was very much justified. So we boarded the one and only flight from Coolangatta airport to fly interstate to Canberra airport at 9:30pm. Arriving just after midnight, we crashed into bed.

That day, we walked back in time, admiring the romantic art that adorned the walls of the gallery. Not only were we captivated by the stunning colours but also by the artistic perspective and unique interpretations, of the Madonna and child or Christ’s redemption, adopted by the artists. The paintings were beautiful. It’s quite breathtaking to stand before paintings that required such skill. A part of us hoped to walk out and find ourselves in the streets of Italy…

However, our journey back in time didn’t end there. After leaving the gallery, we ventured north to Taralga. This was to be our stop for the night. Family friends had recently bought a pub that had been built in 1870. This pub was nothing but a shell. There were no beds - just one dining table and a couch in front of an open fire (which was welcomed source of heat for the cold 7°C evening). Caro and I spent the afternoon exploring the old town. We spent a good hour walking the streets, feeding horses and attending a country town mass in a very old church. The old pub definitely had an interesting history as well, which was a great ‘by the fire’ story. Even though the pub was empty and falling apart, the food was definitely filling and there was a lot of it. After drowning ourselves in hot tea and devouring close to a jar of biscuits and brownies, we decided bed sounded delightful.

Sunday was our last day in New South Wales (NSW) but we made the most of it –bike riding around the town. This was a great way to get some fresh air and to soak in our surroundings. We flew down the great big hills surrounding the town with the wind in our hair - literally. Following another cup of tea, or three, and some biscuits (the number shall remain undisclosed), we drove back to Canberra Airport to catch our flight. It was as if hopping back on the plane signified us stepping forward in time - but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Due to day lights savings in NSW, we gained an hour landing in Coolangatta only 45 minutes after the take off time.

All in all it was a thoroughly enjoyable and relaxing weekend. It was a chance to satisfy our artistic cravings and to learn something about Australian history. We spent no more effort stoking the fire than making a cup of tea, a welcomed change from the busy campus life. However, I, for one, could not wait to return to Bond and pick up where I left off. While I may know a bit more about the past, what lies ahead is still unwritten…

Last Thursday was the Business vs Law Rugby competition. It is held once every semester at the Bond Rugby playing field. There was live commentary (four very hilarious guys who definitely made the night) and plenty of food and drink to go round. The Cheerleaders performed at half time. The Bond Cheer team and Rugby team are examples of the many sporting teams you can join when you come to Bond. Its both social and great for your fitness. 

This Thursday, there is the North vs South Footy competition. As you can tell, Bond loves their sport. And the Best part is that they make the sport into an event for everyone to attend!! Bond also has a footy team, which trains weekly as well. This is a team open for anyone to play in. It is a great way for first semester students to meet student from all different faculties and years.

There is also the USA vs Rest of the World Basketball competition. Clearly, Bond is accommodating to all sports and all cultures. This, again, is an event run once a seamster. It involves American’s teaming up against everyone else. And the American’s always dominate. Again, the Cheerleaders perform at half time, which is always a great spectacle!!!

All in all, these events are incredibly enjoyable. As true Aussies, we get our complete fix of social and sporting activities!!

USA vs Rest of the World:

On top of all the fun activities, my week was also filled with assessments. Not only is my Australian Legal Systems Client File due next week (my first law assignment) but we also had the Public Speaking Friends, Family and Memorable Moments speech. Public Speaking is a core subject, taken in conjunction with you course subjects. It aims at teaching us confidence and competence when speaking to large crowds in different forums.  Friends, Family and Memorable Moments was an amazing night. This was an opportunity to speak in front of a much larger crowd (roughly half a lecture theatre). The speech could only be one minute, however it had to be about a family member, friend or a memorable moment in your life and within this time you had to evoke an emotion from your audience. It was truly incredible to hear everyone’s speeches. Some were sad, some hilarious and some just plain gruesome, but each had a message that taught us something unique about that person’s life and made people think about important things in life. It was definitely a rewarding and memorable experience. That’s all for now, but as always, the rest is still unwritten… 

Last Friday I had a chance to be involved in my first mooting competition. The Law Students Association (LSA) ran the Brian Orr Mooting Competition to give first and second semester students a chance to find out what mooting was all about. Bond has highly competitive, very proficient and extremely successful mooting teams, and it is for this reason that it is awesome to start out in smaller competitions to really get a feel for what mooting is all about. The moot consisted of a designated problem where you and a partner represent one side, either the appellant (a person who applies to a higher court to appeal the decision of a lower court) or the respondent (the defendant). We had to work out the legal issues from case law and apply these to the facts provided within the scenario. Ultimately, both the appellant and respondent presented their cases to a judge in a pretend court trial. To experience what it’s actually like to have a client and a case – and to defend my client - gave me valuable experience and insight into practicing as a lawyer.  Even though I was so nervous beforehand, I now know mooting is definitely something I am keen to pursue in the future.

As a Victorian girl, I’d never played Touch Rugby - let alone touched a rugby ball. So I found it quite amusing that I’d been roped in by the boys to compete in the Inter-Bond Mixed Touch Rugby Competition on Saturday. Although I was so nervous about making an absolute fool of myself on the field, it turned out that I wasn’t the only one who had never played Touch before. I ended up having an awesome day; not only was there free food and drinks all day, but there was a DJ (courtesy of Red Bull). It was awesome to see our team progress over the day, from hardly being able to throw the ball to eventually making it to the semi finals. Unfortunately we were almost completely annihilated by our opponents and - pretty disappointingly - knocked out of the finals. We were all pretty impressed to have made it as far as we did in the competition though and all credit goes to our team manager, Andrew McNaught, who was patient enough to teach us the necessary skills, tactics and game plan. All in all it was an incredibly fun day, and touch is now definitely a sport I enjoy playing!

Photos from the day:

Wednesday is arguably one of my favourite days of the week – and not because it’s hump day! Wednesday by the Water is run weekly by the Bond University Student Association (BUSA) from 12pm to 2pm. It gives students an opportunity to hang out with friends across all years in a casual environment, while listening to chilled out music and eating free food (in true Bond style). This week brought a change to the usual sausage in bread or fried egg and bacon; instead it was a Mediterranean infused Wednesday and to top it off, there were milkshakes!

Mid-Semester Bash was Thursday night which gave over 18’s a chance to let their hair down after mid-semester exams. Even better, the Humanity Students Association (HSA) followed Mid-Sem Bash with a rest and recovery session by Bond’s awesome Olympic Swimming pool. And not to disappoint - eggs, bacon, donuts and milkshakes were on the menu… who doesn’t enjoy a free brunch, on Friday? There was also an inflatable obstacle course in the pool, which made for an awesome end to the week! 

As Orientation Week for May draws closer, I thought I’d reflect and share some of my experiences of my first O-Week with you.  Orientation week was filled with activities that immersed me in the Gold Coast lifestyle and the amazing atmosphere that Bond is. We played games of laser skirmish, beach days with close to 300 people attending, open air movie nights by the lake and for those who are 18 and over; there were plenty of opportunities to have the true college life experience. There are also many opportunities to contribute to campus life and to get involved with uni activities. There are Student Associations and the Student Ambassador Program (to just name a few), which provides an opportunity to meet current students and to simply give back to a uni which already gives us so much. 

I’ve always been motivated by keeping a balanced life. While I make time for study I also find that maintaining a healthy lifestyle helps me kick goals in other areas of my life. Currently there is a group of about ten of us who are training for the Gold Coast Half Marathon on Sunday, July 1. It’s this sort of teamwork, motivated and supportive atmosphere that you can expect from Bond. And this transfers into our study. It has been the most incredible experience living on campus and having new friends to work out the ins and outs of uni with. It’s been here, living on campus, that many of us have formed study groups that no doubt will last right through to the end and we have the supportive environment where if there ever are difficulties, there is always someone nearby willing to help. For this reason, I’ve never felt like the small fish in the big pond, but like someone who belongs. And Bond is an environment where we all push each other along and encourage one-another, just like the ten of us will be doing on July 1.

I’ve always been independent, goal oriented and have been known to push the limits of my comfort zone. So when I got accepted to Bond University, a 22 hour drive from my home, I couldn’t wait to start the next phase of my life! Bond has a campus filled with likeminded students who are all driven towards a goal. Being situated on the Gold Coast, Queensland, gave me the perfect opportunity to spread my wings. I moved up in January 2012, the semester is seven weeks in and I am loving it. Sure, moving out of home is a scary prospect for anyone – but you have to find those things that make you feel at home; like my favourite café, Blackboard, which gives Varsity a Melbournian feel; decorating my new room with old and new photos; and finding my favourite spot to hang out on and off campus. I’ve made some of my best friends in a matter of weeks, and the best part is that you meet people from not just all over Australia but all over the world. So all in all, my first seven weeks have been incredible. Every day something new happens and life at university is constantly interesting. Each day is so enjoyable, yet so unique, plus the opportunity to be independent and to be mature, is what brings us Bondies closer together. Right now I am the happiest I have ever been, about as happy as waking up the day after your final exam. I wouldn’t change anything for the world.

Blackboard shop, Caro and I at Blackboard (as usual), Blackboard: