A New Experience

When I looked out the window whilst eating my breakfast the other day, I suddenly felt worried and excited for the weeks ahead. It wasn’t the stresses of Christmas that caused me to sit bolt upright in my chair, the presents were all wrapped and the Christmas tree was twinkling away in the lounge room. No, it was the realisation that in less than a month I would be jetting to Malaysia on the New Colombo Plan (NCP) mobility grant, and even more daunting, I would have to write a blog post about my feelings beforehand.

To make it easy, here is a recurring list of things going through my head at any given moment:

• Excitement – I am going to an exotic and vibrant country
• Trepidation – How will I get things done in Malaysia?
• Fear – What do I do if I embarrass myself in front of an international audience?
• Optimism – Whatever happens, I’ll push through.
• Excitement – I am going to an exotic and vibrant country……

All things considered, I reckon this will be an amazing opportunity to travel and get to know my peers in the international academic community.

Connor Luckett, Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Enhanced Program for High Achievers) student, participating in “Investigating the history, culture, politics, and science and technology capability of  Malaysia” in January 2017