Paying for it

Today I start to think about my situation. I try to project realistically how far I can get in 9 months and I think about my financial position for my exchange.

I decided that I'm going to put aside money every month for my trip. Working two jobs I can comfortably save half a grand each month until departure. Also thinking about summer work, I can spend more time once I have finished semester studies to dedicate as much of myself as I can to earning money so I don't have to think about it when I'm over there.

It's not easy. I've set my target to be 12,000 for Slovenia in my own pocket. Dad's decided he would help and offered to provide a few hundred a month so I don't hit the deficit when I'm there. I think I may need more but I have to do more research. It's so hard to work out how much money I need to put aside when I have never lived there before. I think this is a good challenge though and I know there are good answers I just haven't yet found. Patience is needed.

This week I spoke to a lecturer of mine in a management unit. As I went to visit her in her office, I noticed a project model done by the student of a colleague of hers that she shares her office with. When he came into the room I asked him about the model and found out he does a construction unit that is similar to the elective that I am hoping to take up at Ljubljana. I asked him if he could have a look at the unit guide for the same subject I want to do at Ljubljana and he said he would. Now I may be able to get more academic credit than I thought.

I've not heard anymore from Mandy or the university. I'm still going around and asking some of my friends about exchange programs. One particular thing I ask them is home sickness and how they deal with it. Some of them have interesting responses but I don't want to elaborate right now. I may put them in a separate blog as I learn a little more.

I've lastly thought about brushing up on my Slovenian. I'm hoping to get text books soon and study a little during the summer period again. It's a lot harder trying to find a Slovenian text book than I thought. In the end I think it will all be worth it.