Day 125 (LaTrobe University) - Bendigo, Victoria Australia

I still get excited when I see that it's 11am or 4pm because that means The Price is Right or The Ellen DeGeneres shows are on…even though I haven't seen either for the past five months. Some things just never die no matter how long I've been without them, they're implanted for good!

Just finished taking my first Australian exam. It was so different. A big group of us (like hundreds) waited outside of Osbourne Hall/Phoenix Center/The Garden Room until they let us in. This big hall is connected to my res hall, but I have only stepped into it once at the beginning of the year when Res Services introduced all of the staff to us. So basically all of these students are coming to the same building that they most likely have never been to to take an exam. There's a posting on the door where you have to find your student ID number, and that tells you your seat number. When you walk in there's all of these neatly placed desks and chairs in long rows. There are numbers telling you what row corresponds with what seat numbers. I counted eight rows of 20 desks on my side of the auditorium, and I'm assuming it was the same on the other side facing the center, which is where a bunch of old, stern looking people, stood directing everyone. Once I found my seat I had to place my student ID in the corner of my desk, fill out this small slip of paper (which was collected once the exam started), and listened to the PA system as this guy explained the rules. The room was freezing, even though there had to be at least 300 people in it - taking one of three different exams. The exam was already sitting on my desk and we were given 15 minutes to read through it. I made the mistake of holding my pen in my hand during this time and one of the guards came up and told me to put it on my desk. During this time you have to ask any questions you may have as your lecturer is present, and once you officially start they peace out. After reading time we began, having two hours to complete. We couldn't leave during the first 30 minutes, or that last 15. I think if you had to pee one of the workers (I don't know what their official title is) escorted you out and back - I was too scared to ask if I could use the toilet. My desk was too small for me - I couldn't sit with my feet flat on the ground because my knees wouldn't fit under it, so I was super uncomfortable the entire time.When I finally finished I raised my hand so one of the guard people came and took my exam, then I exited. The whole experience felt so official, and I really didn't like the environment, it made me anxious.It felt so old school.But I'll have to go through it again next Thursday…