Beach Orientation!

I will tell you to study abroad at Deakin for this lone reason, beach orientation. If there has ever been a better idea than beach orientation for new students, I have never been privy to such idea. Putting 140 international students in the small town of Lorne means one thing, rich adventures.

The trip starts with a two-hour bus trip from Melbourne to Lorne. Sit on the left side of the bus. Always sit on the left side of the bus. Once we arrived, we had our brief orientation. After a few hours of powerpoint slides, I gathered this, “Work hard, play hard, meet people, and swim between the flags.”

Hanging at the hostel

Our first day there, we had a fair amount of free time. The only real scheduled event was dinner. What do you get when you combine decks, students, warm weather, and nothing to do? Many cheers and drinks to good health. After dinner, the entire group headed over to Cuda Bar, quadrupling its attendance. The night was grand.

Here is a story of Australian hospitality at its finest: While at the only bar in Lorne that stays open past 10pm, a sudden event changed the lives of a hundred international students. At first, it started with a few murmurs of free drinks at the bar. Then there was talk about some man named Simon. Minutes later, everyone in the bar had libations in hand without giving more than a tip.

Well, a millionaire satellite developer was just passing through Lorne and wanted to make sure all of these international students had a night they would not soon forget. So, why not put down a $5,000 bar tab? (That soon ran out, so without delay, he put another $1,000 down). Thank you Simon. I will remember, however, some will only remember the night through the tales of others.

Next up Days 2 & 3

About these ads