Review: My Subjects (Bella)

Hi all, here are some quick reviews of each subject I did in semester 1 🙂

Mind, Brain, and Behaviour 1 (Psychology)

Why did I choose it? Well, I need it to major in Psychology… but also psychology = life. I love it. I found this subject a little more difficult than I expected. It was very science-heavy in that there was a lot to understand and remember about interactions in the brain and the human visual and auditory system. However, it was really enjoyable and I liked the frequency of the lectures (3 a week) and the tutorials were fun.

In terms of assignments, there was only one – reflecting on how the world changed as the sun set, and reflecting on The Kaleidoscopic Turn exhibition at the NGV (you should all check it out). I know right, this is an assignment!? It was a lot of fun, and I was stoked to receive an H1 for it! You also have to participate in other people’s research experiments for a minimum of three hours, which is interesting. There is an exam too. I’m looking forward to next semester MBB, as it will cover things like personality and cognitive psychology, which are the areas of Psychology I’m more interested in.

Reason (Arts Foundation)

Why did I choose it? In an Arts degree, you have to choose at least one out of 6 Arts Foundation subjects. The main idea is to cover essential skills one will need to flourish in an arts degree. I’ve sort of gathered that each subject you can choose from has a theme relating to an arts discipline – eg. Reason is philosophy, Language = linguistics, Power = sociology/politics etc.

In Reason, you get to go through a timeline of Philosophy, and learn the art of argument and questioning. I found it very enjoyable overall, although some of the concepts a bit hard to wrap my head around. But in philosophy – that’s all part of the fun!

In terms of assignments, there are two and a take-home exam. The biggest assignment is a 2000 word essay. This was actually my favourite assignment as I was confident with my work and had plenty of time to get it done. The take-home exam – not so much. I thought the topic was a lot more difficult for me to relate to and prepare something on than the second essay topic, and we only had three days to get it finished (two and a half for me, because I had my Psych exam on the Monday!). I was really stressed about it, but I’ve already got my mark back and luckily did pretty well 🙂 Overall, I really enjoyed this arts foundation and everyone in my tute said it was their favourite tute of sem 1.

French 5 (Languages)

Why did I choose it? I’ve studied French all throughout high school, and I want to become fluent. I think the language is beautiful.

I found this subject really challenging, I think after having a break from French study in between Year 12 and uni, it was hard to get back into it. The class, at this level, is taught in French! That can be hard sometimes, because if you want to ask a question, you have to ask it in French. For me, reading/listening to French is easier than forming my own sentences.

However, I feel like my French has improved SO MUCH in the last 12 weeks. I had an amazing tutor, and formed some great friendships with others in my class. It was a really fun class to attend despite the difficulty for me. I also think I just didn’t believe in myself enough!

In terms of assessment, there are many small tests/presentations/debates throughout the semester, and an in-class exam at the end worth 30%. I like this style of assessment, as each assessment is only a small amount of your mark, so you don’t have to worry too much if you don’t do so well on one of them.

Principles of Business Law (Breadth)

Why did I choose it? I thought it sounded really interesting – and I’m thinking of applying for the Juris Doctor course after my Arts degree. I found this subject a good introduction to some legal concepts.

You get to learn about contract law, consumer law, tort law and agency. I found all the information really useful in the sense that it was applicable to my everyday life.

Assessment? There are two multiple-choice, open book tests throughout semester, worth 10% each, and an exam worth 80%. Looking back on my mark, I wish I had studied more for my exam for this. Oh well, I’ll know for next semester!

This first semester at uni has really been a learning curve for me. Now I know what areas I have to work on, and am ready for semester 2.

-Bella 🙂