Been here a week and already a collection of incredible memories.

The first few days were trips to Walmart, unpacking, a drive around the small village of Potsdam and exploring the Clarkson University Campus. And I've been so lucky to do this with a new group of friends from all over the world. The collection of exchange students that are attending study abroad this semester with me.

There are a bunch of boys from Austria, a handful from Sweden, two from Denmark, two from Spain, three from France, a larger group from Hong Kong and Signapore. Then there's six of us from Australia - Melbourne, Sydney and another from QUT. Go QUTies!

We've eaten at a local Mexican place and Italian pizza restaurant - not the greatest food unfortunately.

We've had house parties from day one, been to a Frat already - and they really are like the ones in the movies. They play flip cup and multiple rounds of beer pong.

The parties are inside and the houses are made sound proof and the lights are blocked out. If you were to drive by you would have no idea a party was going on. You're not allowed to take photos inside, or share too much information. Something about maybe competing with other fraternities and sororities.

There are four fraternities on the campus and the rest are around town. They filled by students from the four universities in the distract.

The first night my housemate moved in her family cooked an American 'Grill' - which is a Barbie back home. Trust me I was really confused about 'Grill' to begin with, especially when they pulled out the barbecue instead of cooking the meat in the oven's grill.

Before the 'Grill', us exchange students were treated to a bonfire with smores down by the river.

The sun doesnt set until 8.30-9pm here and it's the strangest feeling ever. Back home, the suns turned in for the night by 6pm at the latest. But just like home, the sun's back up before 6am - shining through my windows with no respect for privacy and brightens up the room like it's the middle of the day.

So much has happened in the past week and today classes start. My timetable's not as full as back home because classes here go for an hour long, if that. At least it leaves more time to try out the clubs at the University - ones like Archery, Belly Dancing and the Outing Club.

I'm taking an economics class too this semester - math! I haven't done math since I left high school three years ago. Let's hope it's a positive experience and not a negative one.

I'll let you know and I promise too, to work on my lame jokes. I swear, my dad has better jokes than I.