A Kominar Chronicle: In the beginning…

Thinking of Bond?

I’m always asked to recount my first experiences with Bond from application to arrival. I’m happy to share my stories and decided that I’d keep a resource so it can all be found easily.

I remember a lot of it pretty well, the reservations, the curiosity, the frustration, the anticipation!

How/Why did I choose Bond

At the time I was a computer science major on a work term who realized he didn’t want a future as a programmer. I expressed an interest to my father that I wanted to attend a law school. As fate would have it Bond was advertising in the Globe and Mail, a national Canadian newspaper and he caught the article.

An information session was coming up in Burlington, Ontario about their law program and my father suggested I attend. It was hosted by KOM consultants, and delivered by professor Eric Colvin.

I opted to use KOM’s services as they have a good relationship with Bond. They ensured that all documentation was in on time and that my affairs were in order. All this came at a one time fee of $~60-80. Apparently, dealing with them also waives some bureaucratic fees that Bond demands.
Ultimately, I chose Bond for a number of reasons:

Fresh out of undergrad, explore Australia for 2 years
Well known, respected Law Program & Dispute Resolution Centre
A selection of IT & Law related courses
Opportunities to develop contacts at an international school
No LSAT requirement for admission

Admission Requirements

As any studious student, I was concerned that my marks might not be up to par for a law school. I asked about requirements at the information session and was told about the process.

Bond looks at the applicant as a whole to determine elligibility. Completion of an undergraduate degree will certainly be held in your favour, obviously a requirement for the Juris Doctor program. I did quite well in my studies but I would not characterize myself as the top of the class. Perhaps I was just humbled by my peers’ knowledge…

Moving my life to Australia

How does one cope with packing your life into two suitcases? What if one wanted to pack a piano?

It was important to realize that going to Bond meant moving any physical belongings with me, and saying goodbye to good friends. I’ve been trying to keep in touch with friends and family via this forum to cope with their absence.

Since I was going, my hobbies were coming with me. I’ve got a few odd ones and some don’t travel well. Juggling, unicycling, and piano playing, only one was relatively easy to transport.

Juggling - Apparently, the nine juggling balls I packed contained seeds that are contraband in Australia. They were taken from me at customs unceromoniously. My torches, clubs, and contact juggling ball made it unscathed.

Unicycling - The unicycle packed well. I took it apart and wrapped it up in a taped garbage bag. The customs official asked me if there was any dirt on the tire. Of course, I was sure to carefully wash my tires and remove all disease harbouring dirt. Because I was so smart and forward-thinking I was able to bring my unicycle into the country.

Piano - My parents graciously bought me a hard covered piano case suitable for transport. I paid excess luggage of ~$100 and had to fetch and return it at each stopover. However, it did provide for quite a memorable first plane trip, and I’m grateful that it’s here.

Australian VISA Application

I registered for my student visa online. Visit the Australian Government - Department of Immigration and Multicultural affairs.

Where Did I Live

For the first semester I lived on campus in the North Tower. I enjoyed my single room and bath and made many friendships there. Since then I moved off campus to the nearby Varsity Shores.

Did I pack everything!?

As for my belongings, I was generally well-set when I got to my room. A few bathroom necessities later I was ready to study. My parents later sent me a package containing some memories of Canada.

Can I work part-time?

In order to keep up my studies I have opted not to work part-time during school. However, it is feasible and many students do it. Check current immigration rules, although it’s likely that you can expect to work 20 hours a week.

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