Preconceptions/Lessons from this semester

Preconception time! Let's see if I remember most of these...
Warning, they may get a little sappy. I'm definitely reminiscing about the past semester right now.

1. I would watch a lot of Aussie Rules Football- Hmmmm, nope. The game is really difficult to follow, and actually quite boring. The compilations you see on YouTube are the best of the best, and have probably come from 100+ games. Plus, the cheap tickets are for Port Adelaide, and that team is not very good, so it's not really worth it to go and watch.
2. I'd make friends with mostly Australians- Negatory. Australian students already have their groups of friends. It is the international students who are so keen to go out, meet new people, and explore. It's actually really great, because now instead of just knowing people from 1 country, I know people from dozens. Maybe this means I'll have dozens of beds to sleep on during a round-the-world tour? We can hope :)
3. I was going to be super chill with meeting people- I honestly thought I wouldn't make that many close friends here. Considering I wouldn't see anyone after a year (at the latest) it seemed like a smart plan, but emotions have this tricky way of getting to you even if you try to build a wall. Eh, whatever. It's been worth it. I hope some of the people I've met here will be life-long friends, but even if that doesn't happen, I am glad I was able to put my heart out and make some real connections with people
4. Australians are super nice- Now, this one is tricky. I've met plenty of lovely Australians, but seeing as I am living in a city, I feel like I am surrounded by the nastiest, most negative people alive. I see so many people swearing at each other at the top of their lungs, making rude hand signs, etc etc. This might be because most of them are drivers, and driving brings out the worst in anyone, but it's still left a bad impression on me. Sorry, Aussies.
5. The wildlife would try to kill me- Considering I haven't seen much real wildlife at all, I'd say this myth is a bust. We will see after the surfing trip, though- it's going to be jellyfish AND shark season! Maybe I will have to be careful then.
6. I was going to focus really hard on schoolwork- I had originally planned on doing some research in Adelaide. Gosh, was that a mistake. For some reason, I guess I had assumed that I didn't really want to explore much. People, this is false.
7. I was going to get HDs all around- Lulz. HDs are extremely rare here, at least that is what I hear from the professors and other students. When they hear my scholarships require an average of 85 in my classes, their jaws drop and they usually say something along the lines of "I'm sorry." I've had the humbling experience of not automatically being the top student in any of my classes. I think it has been really valuable.

If I had to give suggestions to someone about to study abroad, I would say to work on school in moderation and make sure you leave enough time to explore your city/country/possibly even continent. Failing shouldn't be an option, but you will be learning so much that is not academically based, and you shouldn't miss out on those opportunities because your head is buried in a book. And don't worry about money! Trips will probably run you a pretty penny, but they will a) be worth it and b) be more expensive when/if you ever decide to do them at a later age. Plus, you never know if you will ever be back in the country again. Don't let the opportunity pass you by.

Second piece of advice to study abroad students- don't freak out about grades. Try your best, but if you don't do as well as you usually do, there are probably reasons for it. Take them, learn from them, but don't let them get you down. In the end, a story about the leadership skills you learned while abroad might even impress an interviewer more than some bragging about how you've gotten all As in college. And, as a (eh, I guess I'll say he's wise) man once said to me, "A 4.0 is failure." Push yourself! And don't look back!

Third piece of advice- meet as many people from as many different places as possible. I know of some groups here who hang out with mostly people from the same nation. Usually, the countries have large groups of students here, which is nice in the beginning but I can imagine that it would hold the students back. You can meet other Texans/Americans/wherever you're from back at your home uni. Take this opportunity to meet people who are different from you, and you might be surprised at what you learn :) And if you are worried that you won't have much in common, don't be! Conversations might be a bit awkward at first, but after a few weeks you'll find your best friends.

This is a long post! But I figure that, since some friends are studying abroad next semester, this might help them out a bit...or confuse them, I don't know.