Great News - I'm going back to uni!

[silvinator]

G'day folks! I have been sitting on this news for two weeks and have now just drudged up the courage to tell you all - I am going back to uni! :cool: :atom:

I have been so excited since I got the news. I've been accepted into ANU (Australian National University for those who are unsure :D). I'll be deferring for a full year as I'm still working full time and it's a horrible time at work to leave now (this is our most busiest time of the year! Talk about timing...)

This means I will be moving down to Canberra very soon. I need some advice about accomodation. If anyone could give me some info, it would be much appreciated. I have to stress that I do not want to live on campus - no way am I sharing a shower with you blokes :P And there is absolutely no way I want to share a kitchen either - I cook alone and without an audience :P

I just need to know things like where should I look (online, newspapers? :confused: ), what suburbs are quiet, etc. I've been told to stay away from certain places/suburbs/streets.

I'll be bringing my scope down with me as well of course. Is Canberra very light polluted?

Oh yeah, if you're curious, I'm going to be studying a Bachelor of Science, and I hope to major in Astronomy & Astrophysics. Something I should have enrolled into in the first place.

Thanks for reading about my good news. I'm extremely stoked! :stargaze:

[Striker]

"WoW".....congrats Silvie.....

Sorry cant help with advice on accomodation......but all the best.

[Starkler]

Great news !

Congrats Silvie :cheers:

You should visit our master astrophotographer Bird and his superdoopertemperatureconfangulated imaging scope :D

[Starkler]

click here (http://www.iceinspace.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=555&highlight=dark+skies)

[jackenau]

Congratulations Silvie on the acceptance and the decision. Is a major decision in ones life. Obviously you are a very loyal employee based on your decision to defer for a year based on work load and commitments.

Good luck!!

Only advice I can offer is that it gets !!!!! cold in winter.

Ken M

[rumples riot]

Congrats Silvie, you are now on your way to become one of the learned. University is a great time, learning and conversations with interesting people; very stimulating. There is of course the parties and the booze and the parties and more booze.

I am sure you will have a wonderful time at Uni, and you have picked a great subject; hope your good at maths and physics.

Good luck with it all.

[Comet Hunter]

Congrats Silvie!! Well done and all the best, look forward to you edumakating us in all that is astrological :P :whistle:

[Sounder]

Congratulations, Silvie.

:thumbsup:

[RAJAH235]

Congrats Silvie. Rug up in the winter. :cold:

[[1ponders]]

Congratulations Silvie. What a buzz it must be. Studying your hobby Woohoo:cool2:

[ballaratdragons]

Well done Silvie, Congrats.

Canberra is as hot as Sydneys west (often hotter) but the winters are long and freezing. Same weather as here actually.

My mate here comes from Canberra (ex Raiders player) and he said the weather is identical between Ballarat and Canberra so believe me, it's cold.

But on the good side, very cold winter weather tends to bring crisp clear sky! and even if where you will be viewing from is a bit light polluted, it's not <b>smog</b> polluted.

Canberra is a very nice city - except for pollies.

I understand there is a big building there with a big Aussie flag on the roof. Maybe you could find accomodation there. I think the managers name is John Howie or John Howden or something like that. :P

[iceman]

Awesome silvie! Good luck with it!

Things to do when you get there:

1. Make sure the place you stay at has an internet connection, you can't miss out on the IceInSpace community.

2. Find a nice dark site for some observing!

I'd love to study something like that, but my maths and physics skills elude me.

[rmcpb]

Silvie,

Congrats.

One point, just make sure that the place you live in is insulated well and has a hell of a heater.

Cheers

[Jonathan]

Congrats Silvie.
Now you will be able to translate the scientific techno babble into basic english for the rest of us!:P
All that I know aboout Canberra has already been said...:cold:
Say G'day to Johnny for us!

[silvinator]

Thank you for the well wishes everyone :D

Geoff, I'll be sure to hunt down bird/anthony, but don't blame me if his (lol) scope goes missing :whistle:

Paul H, I hear you mate. Been down that road before actually, that's why I'm going back to uni after years of partying too hard and not enough, ahem, studying :ashamed: I actually loved maths in high school, not as great with physics but I still like it and I think I can handle it. *gulp*

:lol2: comethunter. I'll definitely be re-educating you all - now kids, the sun goes around the earth :D (edited, I actually had it the other way around the first time without even thinking! :doh: )

Ken, you sure do crack me up lol :D

Mike, never you worry, I don't intend to stay disconnected from this place for too long. What can I say? I'm bloody addicted! :D I can't wait to go hunting for dark skies - I get to do my homework and observe at the same time! Yay!!!

I've heard Canberra can get quite chilly :( Which probably means a lot of fog and dew problems. But yes I'm looking forward to the crisp clear skies a cold climate is supposed to bring.

Thanks again guys, I really appreciate all your comments. Now if only the canberrans would say something...do you think I've scared them off now that I've told you all I'm heading down that way? :P

Clear Skies all,

[ving]

on ya silvie :)
best of luck with it!

wear warm clothes at night... even during summer

[beren]

:) .....Congrats Silvie , great news and well done :D

[gbeal]

Congrats as well Silvie, I did 3 years at secondary and cut a track. Lived to regret it ever since.
Gary

[wavelandscott]

Congratulations!

[Brendan]

Congrats Silvie,
mmm accomodation probs heh, My parents own a rental property in Latham (about 20min from ANU) i will ask them when the current lease runs out etc. and get back to you by PM.

you should have fun me thinks my sis went to canberra uni and enjoyed the experience.

brendan

[silvinator]

Thanks guys :D Really makes my day.

Gee thanks for that Brendan, please PM me if you have any info. I have no idea about suburbs in Canberra. When you say 20min, do you mean walking or driving distance?
Also, does anyone know what public transport or traffic in general is like down there? I really despise Sydney traffic and just cannot wait to get away from it all.

[Striker]

They don't have public transport in Canberra Silvie.......still using horse and carrige.....bit like Tasmania.....this should get a few members going....lol.

[ballaratdragons]

Traffic? What's traffic.

None here and none there. Not enough people to cause traffic!

I seen some traffic last time I was in Melbourne. Terrible stuff.

[silvinator]

:lol2: Ah Tony, it wouldn't matter if there was a public transport system there anyway, I'd be used to it since Sydney's system is practically non-existent :D Besides, I reckon a horse and carriage would go faster than Sydney trains...

You lucky bugger Ken. Le and I face peak hour traffic every morning going to work. It can really drive you insane. I reckon Sydney drivers are the worst, don't need to travel to other states to confirm this :P

[ving]

ditto!

[ballaratdragons]

It has actually been confirmed through statistics that Melbourne drivers are the 2nd worst in the world.

Paris came out on top.

Sydney came in somewhere about 25th I think.

When getting around Canberra the only bad part is all the circular streets in the heart of Polly land. Very confusing. Have a look at a Canberra street map and you will see what I mean.

[silvinator]

:jawdrop: You're kidding? Sydney at 25? My goodness you melbournians must be really bad drivers then! I can agree to Parisians being the worst - they have no sense of direction you know. They just drive around all over the place, it's purely amazing how they stay on the roads.

I've been to Canberra a few times actually (you know, good old science trip to Questacon, parliment house for social studies or whatever subject it was, all NSW high school students know the drill) and everytime I've been there, it's like a ghost town. Just wondering if that was the norm :confused: I went to ANU's open day last year in August as well and it wasn't as packed as say a Sydney uni or UNSW open day.

By the way, how many canberrans are there in this forum? Haven't seen em on the map yet.

[ballaratdragons]

Only one member I think.

Hey, the country has it's down sides too if you can call them that: I just killed a snake on it's way up our front steps! (10 minutes ago) But what do you expect when my town is called 'Snake Valley'.



Edit:

Sorry if that scares you Silvie, That is only the 2nd snake at the front of our house in the 3 years we've been here. It's not normal.

Plus, Canberra ain't exactly out bush!

[De-Gen]

Make the most of your time in uni congrats btw :)