More reflecting on the past – Week One (Rick)

The Saturday before, we went to the beach at Anglesea. We played beach cricket. I was one of the first to jump in the water as I find it hard to watch the water at the beach and not go for a swim in fairly cold water. One of the guys in our group was throwing sand from a distance at the cricket game, but I was luckily well away. We had lunch at a local takeaway, but almost everyone got too many chips, and so there was a fair amount of waste. The moment I got back to the beach it started raining, and we had to quickly clean up the area and take our stuff. The box (with apples and bananas) that I was carrying broke from the moisture, (luckily close to the bus we took), and there was another mess for us to clean up. Later that night we played a word game in the ‘Games Room’.

Sunday wasn’t at all exciting. Mostly just sat around, finding out what text books I needed and just generally getting ready.

For my first week, being in a Science Degree I only had lectures for the first week.
My very first impressions (these will and have changed) of the subject lecturers were:
– 620-121 Maths A (Advanced) – Found him hard to hear, but obviously interested in the subject and liked his learning style
– 620-131 Scientific Programming and Simulation – He liked to ‘umm’, and ‘arr’ a lot, and was finding it harder to stay completely engaged.
– 433-151 Introduction to Programming (Advanced) – This lecturer was easy to listen to and seemed to understand her stuff quite well.
– 640-121 Physics A (Advanced) – What a brilliant lecturer. Engaging, and interesting, and usually starts the lecture off in a relaxed manner. (either a demonstration or discussing something like a NASA launch)

During that first week my lecturer for Scientific Programming and Simulation was not able to come to several lectures due to the birth his baby (starting on our second lecture on Wednesday). Our first session with the new lecturer was shocking. He wasn’t fully competent with what was happening, and kept missing things when demonstrating stuff on the computer. This made for quite a talkative and frustrated class. I most forgive him since he only found out that morning he had to do it. The Friday lecture he gave was heaps better, as he gave was much more structured and with a sense of moving on.

In Maths A (Advanced) there was one guy who, on several occasions, ran suddenly out of the room for some strange reason. The lecturer made a joke stating that ‘Maths is a scary subject.’

Several times during the week I went into the book store – it was packed with what I would guess would be 20 minute lines. It was hard to move around, and find what you wanted. Huge piles of books towered above you, and over the week quickly diminished. I couldn’t be bothered waiting to get my books at this stage, plus I was still establishing if I could find some second hand books.

The Tuesday of that week brought Paul Mac, and his fantastic band. His grooves are catching and fun, and puts on quite a performance. At the end he encouraged people to dance for the last two songs, and a large crowd quickly gathered, including myself. I enjoyed being part of the crowd of people having fun, jumping and dancing to Paul Mac. I also saw my host from Orientation week there.

I got to go to my grandmothers one night for dinner this week, as she lives in Melbourne. I quite enjoyed going there, and that it wasn’t ages away. I stayed there overnight and thus I had to wake up earlier than usual so I could have time to return to college to save myself bringing all my uni stuff with me.

Finally, on the Saturday, I slept in and missed breakfast – darn. I had my mum over and we went out that night to see some music. It was a benefit gig for a local musician called Andy Baylor who is currently suffering from cancer. There was some good music but it lacked the atmosphere of the benefit gig that we had gone to in December.

On Sunday, we went to the Queen Victoria Market. I found a nice outfit and mum got some cacti. Later our college played cricket against another one of the uni colleges. After what was a dismal innings for them with 27 runs, we didn’t have too much trouble overcoming them, although it did take a while. Myself and another guy name Phillip started off, neither of us being serious cricket players. Phillip went out almost straight away, while I lasted for quite an ironically large amount of time, seeing four other players go out while I stayed. When I was batting, I almost never hit the ball, and was lucky no balls were going for the stumps. Since I almost never hit the ball the other team found it both frustrating that they couldn’t get me out and amusing of how bad I was. (I don’t blame them). After I went out, we had a great batter go out who quickly put our score over 27 and thus we won. Unfortunately I’d forgotten to replenish my wallet with money from the market this morning, and so didn’t go to the pub after for drinks. (I was planning to go back to the hall to get some money and go back, but when I got to the hall I figured it wasn’t worth it. Didn’t think to ask to borrow.)

Anyway this Tuesday 21^st of March brings Ash Grunwald to the stage at Union House. Definitely looking greatly forward to seeing this fantastic one man band. (I know he’s good because I’ve heard him before). Chances are I’ll be there. (I intend to be, and hope there’s no reason why I can’t!)