Uni life can be exhaustingg, OK?
Every once in a while, you actually have to do a lot of work. Especially, if you think of the non-teaching period as an opportunity to learn something new: namely to go travelling and experience Austalia.
So what if my money didn't get me as far as Darwin this time. Thanks to a friend, my mates and I could borrow a car and go to the Grampians. Finally some time away from everything. Nothing's as good as a hike to the top (if you're one of those people who take this as a metaphor of live, have you ever considered arts?)
Living side by side with nature. All the men collected firewood, and all the women put up the tents. Ridiculous, I know. And that's 21st century for you. But it was actually rather nice to simply: be. Not for once thinking about the "further implications of identity as a performance in gender relations".
To be will do just fine for me. At least for a couple of days.
Another thing I liked about the holidays was the fact I had time to read books I wanted to read. I strongly recommend Jonathan Safran Foer, Joseph Heller's Catch-21 and Terry Pretchett's Discworld series. Yes, it's hilarious. And oh so relieving.
A close friend of mine, who's a third year, has so much to do that she reads "romantic novels" (chick flicks on paper). Whatever floats your boat, and makes you relax, I say. Maybe that's why soap operas work.
As I got back to uni, I've tried not to think. But it's like impossible. Reality hits you one way or another. There is so much to think about. Like what subjects am I taking the next semester? Glad to say, I'm meeting up with an adviser. See how that goes.
Hike that mountain! Breathe the air and just be!
Or don't even think about it...
Cheers Olle
Well its the mid-semester holidays (break) yet again! THIS TIME WITH TWO WEEKS! Which is incredibly useful especially since one of those weeks have already passed and I still haven't done all the catching up (with work) that I've wanted to do! Such as this blog, cleaning/painting the house, getting a job, deal with assignments, etc.
I've started a lot of them! Yet I haven't finished one of them, ironically much like this post. I just spent the last 30 minutes wandering around the internet and remembering the Grand Final. Yes I'm that* dedicated.
Anyway! University life is good. I've just realiz(s)ed (I HATE YOU AMERICAN SPELLCHECK) how much easier? relaxing it can become after a semester or two. Well for me at least, for the first semester I was a little high strung with university. Now its all really relaxed, well not so BIG A DEAL as it was in my head. Maybe that happens to all 1st year students or just me, but its definitely a good feeling of eager contentedness I feel. That or these holidays are really really really refreshing for me.
Anyway I leave (while the Saints are leading by 2 in the 4th quarter) with a question....
How are your holidays?
This week at university we had student elections, which were excellent in displaying the power of pamphlet tagging. And while you can despise each particular person for intruding on your day and accosting you every time you go to Union house or the Baillieu (I hate spelling that), you have to admire their determination to at the very least to inspire you to vote.
So I voted, which was fun. Not just because of the accosting but because the efforts of the Student Union (Which I Like) deserve to continue, and while its easy to say "it doesn't matter who I vote for," the parties are different enough in policy to warrant a change of direction in the Student Union. Not a big one, but enough to make university a nicer place. So hopefully if you are reading this at the time of writing you'll make an effort to vote.
And if you have no idea of the policies of each party grab a copy of Farrago (they have an election edition) research it (or bring it into the ballot box) and make an informed decision. Alternatively you can find some pamphlet peoples and dispute each policy thrown at you....Although that could take all day and as it is you've only got ... really 4 more hours till the end of the voting week.
So vote! Please!
Now what else has been happening...
I have.... also realized I need another job, so I've been job hunting away. So far nothing exciting happening there. *Sniff* no replies.
I've also! been playing the guitar (Yay, g, f ,e ,d, d, e, f, g very extreme!). Even though I'm playing it very very slowly, its been pretty relaxing and chill inducing after coming home from university.
I've had a crisis of educational faith in my decision to do Japanese because I'm not a great achiever but rather a clinging on precariously achiever. Which is irritating to say the least, I mean I'm here at university to learn. Yet with Jap it feels like I'm bludging along instead of improving upon it, EVEN THOUGH (As an arts student in particular) I STUDY FOR IT. Comparing it to my efforts on the guitar, its like I'm strumming all the strings but I can't tell if there's even sound coming out.
Huff* but that's all just personal woes. I'll keep it up because I enjoy it, but whats the use of it if my efforts seemingly have no effect on it.
OK MOVING ALONG.
Nothing else seems have happened. Well that's a bit of a lie.
The fact is that at the time of writing this post I've lost the desire to grab the attention of you readers. Case in point, I can only use so many !'s to grab your attention. SO, so, so, so that'll be all for this weekly (or fortnightly) post about Melbourne University.
I'll entice some more!! Next time!
What! A month since my last post! How could that be? Oh well, time flies.
I've been busy. I've been doing this play for Mudfest, and it went really well. A nice turn-up. I was a bit afraid of that. Filling a theatre of 390 people for 4 nights. Good luck!
Read some great books. The Lovely Bones, Downtown Owl and The Ghost's Child. Deeply recommended. And browsed through Rowden White to get my free chocolate on the go. Can't say no to that.
Visited IKEA and felt ridiculously Swedish again. Should have seen the check-out chick, she thought I'd buy the whole store. Swedish much? I never thought I'd miss the Swedish cuisine (it doesn't get spicier than salt and pepper, for most part). Wrong, again. Missed my imagined identity. That's what your nationality is, by the way. I learnt that the other week. From a smart guy called Benedict Andersen.
We all live in an illusion! There's a convenient untruth.
Discourse, discourse, discourse... Michael Foucault really does my head in sometimes! But if you're about to read Self and Other, or any other cultural course, you'll hear ALL ABOUT IT! Just in case you're sick of wordy definitions, try this metaphor:
Think of an egg and a chicken. The ideology is the chicken, the shell is the discourse. Paints up a picture at least, and we all know a picture is worth more than a thousand words. If only some lecturers would realise that...
The only passionate subject I got this semester is Professional Writing. It's so goddamn good. Practical, useful. Everyone writes. In fact, we write quite a lot: texting, emails, occasional Facebook, maybe even Twitter... I'm new to that, but I begin to like it.
Crap, my internet quota eats up my megabytes, it almost 'mega-hertz'. Pun intended. That's why I haven't been here for the last month. Well, I can at least blame the quota for now. Hopefully it won't be another month until you hear from me again.
Cheers Olle
Everything at university semester 2 to finally click.
The Tutorials, fun!
The Lectures leading!
People talkative!
All within the magical 5 week period... I say six because, well, it was only today that everything seemed to work. It must be something to do with the stars aligning and the magical splendor of Prosh week. Well I say magical because I'm pushing for the success of the Art's students who are fairies for this weeks festivities. Also the fact that I haven't been disillusioned by any nude runs swings the whole event as a positive for me.
Well that and the Tuesday dance off. Where people were taught the Hustle, the Twist and of course Shake your Tail-feathers, all with exuberance and joy as a bunch of kinderkids. It was pretty fun.
Aside from that no words are zapping into my brain for your earnest attention. Just some tidbits of headlines, which for now I will leave with you to ponder about.
There was a fiasco (resolved) at the Annual General Meeting for the Uni student Union. 400 student members were needed to represent the union. 25? 30 ? came and so the event was moved back to a later date. WE NEED BETTER ORGANIZATION.
Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade, are still good films.
The Rowden Library is a place for hiding from the rain, comfortably.
Redmond Barry Building has an excellent view from the 10th floor up.
I apologize for my negativity towards Understanding Asia, the tute is really going along well and my tutor is pretty awesome.
Time tells all at uni.
Enjoy the rest of August and the beginning of Spring.
Of late, I feel like I've been constantly running out the door with a bagel in one hand and my shoes in the other, shouting some variety of vale and realising I've forgotten my phone. (Note: not literally. I usually manage to jam my trotters into shoes before leaving the house, and bagels are tricky to eat while driving. Actually, I don't understand the compulsion people have for pushing edible product into their cakeholes in public. What, your life is so busy that you can't afford to sit down for five seconds to 'digest' your sausage McMuffin? The divine prophet Hamburglar appeared to you, and told you to disseminate its fetid odour around the tram? You feel that your fervent, gummy champing somehow adds to the percussive street noise? No. It's disgusting. I don't - I will not - understand.)
Reprocessed piglet-intestine breakfast sandwiches aside, it was quite an intense week. The bulk of it is too boring to document. I am still a pencil-twirling neophyte in the university landscape, but what I have learnt is that assessment arrives in absinthe-like concentration. And like absinthe, the next morning all you're left with is a slight feeling of nausea, burning eyeballs and the futile hope you didn't do anything regrettable.
I do, however, remember this much: I delivered a three-minute speech on dechristianisation and economic legislature during the Reign of Terror in the French Revolution. (P.S. I never did Revs at school. I know, I know, suck it up, princess; that's no excuse, but seriously, before starting this topic I was like, 'What Estates General?'... and then, wham, I'm talking about the scissiparité of the working classes. Granted, I should be more historically erudite, but it's a little overwhelming.)
I also remember going to Elwood on Wednesday eve with Scarlett to check out an open mic night. Venue was like a cave. (As in a nice big warm burrow, not as in The Descent variety*.) We are thinking of conning some friends into joining our band so that we can become rambunctious television-throwing rock stars.
And the pimp that was my globalisation assignment finally gave up the ghost**. I hate all-nighters and do my very best to avoid them, but what can I say. I failed. And thus I spent a marathon evening on Thursday in front of the laptop, ingesting superhuman amounts of coffee, with An Horse on repeat to keep me from passing into some Keynesian-induced coma.
I actually intended to write about the very confusing nature of boys; specifically, those who smile decorously at you, but will not ask you to tea, even when you dress very nicely for them. And also those who stalk you to leave an unexpected note tucked under your windscreen wiper, forcing you to find an alternative car park. But I will save it for next time. Peace out yo.
* I was confused by this film. I mean, confused as to WHY ANYONE WOULD INVEST THEIR ENERGY INTO MAKING SUCH BOSH. I deeply regret having invested my time in watching it. That's ninety minutes I will never get back. Wholeheartedly un-recommended. Go and rent something deeply intellectual instead, like Flipper or Psycho Beach Party or He's Just Not That into You.
** What a stupid expression. And yet other expressions denoting death such as 'putting one's cue in the rack', 'kicking the bucket', 'buying the farm' etc. are similarly ridiculous. Who makes this crap up? Dylan Thomas on one of his benders? Were said terms coined by one and same toolbag, or a multitude of idiots? Does Wikipedia have the answers?
I actually have something relevant to say: I got a job with the University! And it was fairly easy and I’m very excited.
Brief summary of my situation: Living at College, but feel guilty about taking my parents money as income. I do a lot of sport and have College tutorials a few times a week at night. I love sleep (that’s most of Saturday gone) and actually like going out with my friends when I have enough money. But I really wanted a job.
What to do? Look at the University careers website: www.services.unimelb.edu.au/careers
I had a bit of a browse and to cut a fairly long story short, I applied for a job as a tele-fundraising person. And I had an interview and got the job. 3 shifts a week for a month at $23 an hour. Sweet, right? But that’s my job and you guys can’t have it! The point is that the website it really great. And they are aware that university students need jobs and lives.
On a slightly more awesome note: loving my courses this semester. Creative Projects in Digital Technology is my favourite. Anyone else have a favourite subject?
Find it. I double dare you, I triple dare you to find this book at a bookshop.
This is a book you cannot find new within Australia at all. Why? Publishers don't publish it anymore in Australia. Which is really strange because for a book about censorship it's interesting how ironic it is that we don't have it here in Australia.
There's probably some ulterior motive politically based in the publishing business. BUT moving on!
At the Baileu Library you can get this book. This wonderful interesting book. All because I go to university. Read this book and it'll make you happy about our current developed culture and fearful of Twitter.
OK now moving on! Study is ok... Not as awesome as last semester so far (DO CREAIVE WRITING) yet ok. IDF's still seem silly. Example Understanding Asia, Hinduism and Buddism 1 hour lecture on each then a 1 hour tutorial for both. So inside we talk about the religons, the simularities between the two and ... low and behold it became a competition between Christianity and Buddisium. Well a discussion of the two to be fair with an emphasis on Christianity to illustrate the method of the Eastern Religons. Yet nothing seemed to leap out, no spark of really knowing Hinduism or Buddhism. It was all just a postcard teasing us of the destination of the unknown and worse we or rather I accepted this lack of knowledge as merely the way of IDF.
I'm probably taking this a bit too strongly with the reading of Fahrenheit 451 yet why is it we have to rush over something so powerful and big as Asia in a matter of 12 weeks? Too little time for so big a thing.
And five semesters left to go.
So, we start the second half of our first year, and we've a better idea of how university life is:
- We realise that timetables aren't fixed. Tutorials/Workshops/Labs are, but lectures? Who cares, just shuffle them around and attend different ones. So for me, less stress when doing my timetable. I remember semester I was freaking my pants because I was like - "NO, I WANT WEDNESDAYS OFF" and then I realised a few weeks later that the lectures on Wednesday were on Tuesday and Thursday too. Hoorah.
- We sort of know where to go for most of our classes. Although, doing Guitar Riffs, with the lecture in the Land and Food Resources Building? We HAVE a Land and Food Resources building? what the. And I had to pass through the Zoology underpass to get there. Zoology? Wow.
- We realise that holidays are FRIGGIN' HUGE. And over that 2 month gap, as we hardly touch pen to paper, once we're back into lectures writing notes, the first few pages are pretty much illegible.
With that, it's a whole new semester, some new students come in, transferring from other uni's, people are joining clubs, but the atmosphere is pretty much the same as it was 2 months ago.
Along we trudge with our tertiary studies. Hope you all have a great semester, have fun, be merry, and don't drink to the point of having your stomach pumped.
- ASH
[PS. Bloggers - I missed the lunch! Stupid sickness. How was it?]
A week late.....
So far the semester has (for me at least) just started and it feels exactly like the first couple of weeks of semester 1. Minus the O week and getting lost.
Instead we have the awkward Tutorials and the awkward introductions yet again. Not that I'm complaining too hard, its just it feels like a step back to semester 1. Like a Timewarp! I mean we're mature now! We're no longer the naive 1st years of semester 1 we're completely jaded into the university experience!
That's all for now at the 11 pm thought train from me Dan, but there will be more and frequently this time!
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