You Know Me, I'm A Planner-Aheader

Having finally decided that this will be my last year in Thailand, the time has come for me to get cracking on my plans for next year. France is off the table, and I'd rather prefer to stay abroad a bit longer than go back to the US right now. Graduate School being next on my to-do list, I had begun thinking about where I would like to go; it needed to be an English-speaking country, and with crummy weather and snobby "we-invented-the-language-so-you're-obviously-inferior-to-us" Brits over there in England, the most obvious choice was AUSTRALIA! :D

As excited as I was about this option, researching schools to attend was still a frustrating process for me. I would start out really motivated and sit down at my computer and start my search. I would be happily looking through course descriptions and campus slideshows..but that would soon wane as I looked through tuition and fees, admissions requirement lists, and waited for course handbooks to download. I would get bored/discouraged/distracted/frustrated, and end up watching tv instead. So I wasn't making much progress. Then, last Thursday, as I was looking through one of the universities' websites, I checked the dates for the "come talk to us when we're in your country", and found the IDP Education Expo going on that Saturday and Sunday at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok.

I called Tolu and talked her into going with me on Saturday, so we met up at the mall for breakfast at Starbucks, then took the MRT to the convention center. Found the expo ballrooms, filled out a few info forms, and then took our goodie bag things in with us to talk with all the representatives.

*Did I mention we were the ONLY westerners at this event? Not that that should surprise me..I mean..who else would be going to an expo in Bangkok besides Thais? lol

I didn't realize that ALL the universities that would be there would be Australian universities, but was overjoyed to be surrounded by potential options right there at my fingertips, just waiting for me to sit down and ask all my questions. And ask I did. I asked about admission requirements, masters degrees vs graduate diplomas, varying tuitions, climate, visas, campus locations and amenities, public transportation, application times and competition, and degree program options. I had already decided to pursue a Masters in International Public Health, so it was a good starting point as I sat down at each booth. Unfortunately University of Sydney and University of Western Sydney were not in attendance, so they have fallen down on my "list". My top choices are, in order: University of Queensland(Brisbane), University of New South Wales(Sydney), University of Adelaide(Adelaide), and University of Western Australia(Perth). Got tons of info, and am so glad I went. Not to mention I am now so much more motivated to make this happen, and it seems so much more..REAL..now.


A little excited. A little terrified. :D