Helloooooooo readers! My name is Sunnie, and I’m a first year student at the University of Melbourne. Gah!!! It sounds pretty awesome to say that.
In opposition to the mainstream UniMelb student, I am studying a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the Southbank campus, majoring in Screenwriting. Yes! That is a thing you can do here, if you’re determined enough.
So, a little bit about me. I’m freshly 18, a 2001 baby who loves Melbourne. I have lived in Victoria for 5 years all up, NSW for 6 and QLD for 7 - I promise that all adds up. I mainly just read, write and watch television when I’m not at school or working, or I’m forcing my friends to read my writing and favourite books, or watch my favourite TV shows. I have a Harry Potter tattoo!! And I love any and every aspect of world history, particularly anything British. Sometimes I play netball or touch footy to mess this whole nerd writer thing I’ve got going on, and sometimes I just spend whole days in bed. Moving on!
And a little bit about screenwriting - I’m sure you’ve heard of the VCA, short for the Victorian College of the Arts. Theatre kids dream of going there to study acting, musical theatre or dance - it’s pretty well known for it! Well, in the deepest darkest corner of the oldest building at the VCA, where no one sees the light of day, we screenwriting kids take our classes (uni melb - pls give us some windows). It’s an audition only course and I was absolutely astounded and beyond excited to get in, as I had been dreaming of it since 2016. It’s kind of a big deal no biggy tho haha.
I’m very excited to share my first year experiences with you guys, so you can laugh and laugh again and just experience my crazy life. If you’re a year 12 student - drop out now! If you’re a first year - drop out ASAP! And if you’re a teacher - it isn’t too late! I’m totally kidding. I love University and though it can be a struggle sometimes, it’s so far one of the best times of my life. Hi Mum! I miss you, thanks for reading.
I realized I've been staring at my laptop screen for a good 5 minutes wondering how to throw my introduction at you.
Anyways, call me Loey (say low-ee). ٩(◕‿◕)۶
My life's pretty ordinary. Picture a broke international student.
I'm pursuing Master of Global Media Communication here at UniMelb, and Semester 1 just walked out of my door today. Left a stack of assignments on my desk as a parting gift too. So, before going MIA, thought I'd drop by and say hi!
I'm a master procrastinator, an efficient one at that. So if you wanna procrastinate and still get good grades, I've got you covered.
I might make an appearance next week to talk more, give you details about what you can expect from my posts. Perhaps a few academic essays and case studies later, I'll sound more intellectual and organized.
See you soon, fellas!
Hey there fellow readers, I'm here to roll out the red carpet and introduce myself as one of the new first-year writers for the Jaffy Diaries.
As my first semester of university is coming to a close, I figured that instead of buckling down and studying for exams, I would sit here and write a few things about my transition into uni and what you as a reader can expect from me as a blogger.
Look, to be honest, I was pretty honoured when I found out I had been selected to be one of the writers for the Jaffy Diaries. Especially, considering how bad I was at English in High School. But, (Rule #1 of university) we don't talk about our high school grades anymore. Anyway, they told us we could have pen names, which is like super cool, so for the sake of my next two blogs (because that is how quickly I'll want to change my name again), please call me Lia. They also told us we can add gifs so prepare to be GIFted constantly.
So.
About me:
- I am 18 years old and fresh out of high school #living #the #jaffy #life
- My profile pic is spider pig (#TheSimpsons) because why not?
- I'm (stressfully) making my way through my first semester of the Bachelor of Science @ Unimelb
- I love volunteering and donating (blood/clothes/money)
- I'm pretty good at maths and science
- I, like most people in the world, have no idea what I want to do in life
- I have Airpods (shallow, but you gotta flex sometimes)
- I'm actually from a public school (rare) in the west (rarer) and I had a lot of trouble making friends in the first few weeks (not that rare)
- I recently went through a few family tragedies which will be its own blog post
- I have 4 exams in the first 3 days of the exam period and I'm low key bragging about it (odd flex but okay)
- I can't sing but I can absolutely try to belt out Miley Cyrus' The Climb if you ask nicely :)
What I hope to blog about in the next few months:
- Best techniques and tips when it comes to choosing your subjects for each semester
- My most successful ways of connecting/making friends
- Best opportunities to boost that resume at uni
- Grieving/mental health issues and studying (depressing, yeah, but I just want people to know they're not alone)
- Best jobs for students to make money while studying
- Fitting in with/without religion at Uni
So if your a friend, a foe, a stranger, my parents, my lecturer or just someone who can read, please stay tuned for my next edition of Dear Diary.
xoxo Your friendly neighbourhood Spiderpig, (aka Lia)
Hey guys!
So it's only been about *checks watch* 5 months since I last posted, and I'm all about breaking records, so I think I did well!
How're things? The metaphorical kids? Great!
Anyway, I thought I'd talk to you a little about what it's like learning a new language at Uni. It's something I wanted to know more about before I started, so I hope you will find this helpful. (and of course if you have any more questions, just comment them down below!)
First off, a little about my experience!
So, in High School I learnt French for approximately 3 years. I sucked. It was absolutely abominable and sometimes I sit and wonder whether I really learnt anything in those three years. What I thought it had taught me was that I was bad at learning languages.
Never has Dwight Schrute been more right in his life.
I'd been forced to learn French, a compulsory subject at my school, and so there was really no real passion or reason for me to learn the language properly. I wasn't interested! If you're not interested in what you're doing, then it's really not going to get you anywhere, and that's the real truth.
I'd always wanted to learn Japanese though. When I found out I got into Melbourne Uni, I spent a long time figuring out what classes I should take. I had my major of course, but what was I going to take for my extra breadth subjects?
It took quite a while doing the back and forth dance, until I decided to take (at least what I saw in my mind) as a leap of faith. I was finally going to learn Japanese. It was officially a thing.
I was so nervous going into my first class. SO NERVOUS. Knowing I had previously done so badly in French didn't help.
I remember sitting down in my first class like a lost lamb, definitely about to pee itself. Not actually, but I'm building a scene, guys. I was a nervous wreck anyhow even without the pee thing.
My new teacher walked in speaking half to himself and half to the class in full on Japanese and...you should have seen me! It was like Dobby all over again. I was looking at the other people on my table though, and thankfully they also looked equally as scared. THANKFULLY he then started to explain in English. I was still in the general vicinity of my utter confuzzlement from the Japanese, but it was a step back. And then he went back to the start. And I swear to you, it was one of the most enlightening and hilarious classes I've ever attended. The teacher was super engaging, looking at all the students, walking in between our tables and making things as simple as we needed.
Okay, here is an outline of how taking Japanese 1 actually works.
You have 2 classes a week which go for 2 hours each. They're specifically called seminars, not lectures, which (at least for Japanese) means the teachers are more interactive with the students. They chat to you, have more time for questions and they often look at your work during classes.
These seminars are not necessarily with the same teacher. Whatever classes you put in your timetable determine what teacher you get. So there might be 6-8 seminar one classes and 6-8 seminar two classes. You *might* get the same teacher, but the chances are slim.
For Japanese 1 I got two different teachers and they were both amazing. The way the seminar classes work is that the first one goes through a lot of the vocabulary you have to learn and goes through the grammar. The second seminar is revising over that stuff and also looking at Kanji ('a system of Japanese writing using Chinese characters'). In this way, the teaching styles are going to be quite different between seminars, so it's really good. And that's what's really great about having two teachers - if you don't understand what one says, you can just revise it with the other.
Now, this is only my experience with Japanese 1 (and 2), so other language classes tend to be a little different. I've had friends taking German 1 and Italian 1, having completely different experiences. It seems to be that because Japanese is an Asian language and the others being European, the approach has to be different. From the people I've spoken to about German and Italian, the classes tend to focus a lot more on grammar than the Asian languages because the vocab is easier to grasp without having to learn new characters.
In answer to my original question in the title, 'Should you learn a new language at Melbourne Uni?', you need to ask yourself a few questions. Is it something you're passionate about learning? If so, YOU TOTALLY SHOULD. Curiousity leads to great things, and you should explore where that leads to. Learning a language is always great, but you have to be prepared to work hard for it. Are you going to continue to work hard? That's another important question. Like everything else, it takes around 10,000 hours to master something. You've dedicated so much time to your other passions, something that may have started out as a small curiosity or interest and has since become something you can't live without. What's saying learning a language won't become one of your greatest passions? That it might help you in your future career? To help you meet new and amazing people?
What benefits have I had so far in learning a language?
SO, I only started at the beginning of this year, so this is short-term benefits guys. However, I think it's important to note because those short term goals will give you the motivation to continue in your study, making it all seem worthwhile!
In taking Japanese 1 and 2 at Melbourne Uni, I have met so many amazing people. I met many in the Japanese classes themselves (4 classes in total between the 2 seminars a semester), but also online and elsewhere. I found this app called 'Hello Talk' where you can talk to people from other countries, helping to correct eachother's mistakes as you learn the other's language. I've been trying out my new language skills and I've seen how much I've grown. I've literally become friends with people living in Japan right now! It's a long leap from what I learnt in French, that's for sure.
When I buy Japanese food I can often read what is on the packages, and understand basic grammar functions to correct ill-translations on Google Translate. That's such a freeing feeling!
I'm also about to go on holiday to Japan where I can further test out my skills. In my classes I've also learnt a lot about culture, so all that will come in handy when I travel!
So I ask you, do YOU want to learn a language? Don't let anyone tell you whether you should or should not learn a language, it's completely up to you! If you are interested, I encourage you to try. You may be surprised by the results!
Hi all!
It might seem strange to be reflecting on uni life at this point of the semester, but I can't deny, that's what I've been doing. In the thick of semester two, I've come to realise what sorts of things have made an impact on the kind of uni student I am becoming. In particular, joining UMSU collectives and submitting creative pieces to various Melbourne Uni student publications have been central to my uni experience and adjustment.
Being an active participant in events run by UMSU departments has boosted my confidence in communicating with new people and has allowed me to make friends with students of all ages and disciplines! Lunches, trivia nights and film screenings, amongst other types of activities, have all contributed to showing me that university is more than just another stage of education. Although lectures and tutorials do take up a large amount of my time on campus, I guess until now I haven't realised that I've also spent so much time outside the classroom socialising and having fun UMSU collectives have also provided me with safe spaces to meet and interact with students life myself, and have given me the opportunity to learn about the experiences of others and even learn more about myself in turn!
As for getting involved with uni publications, I've been able to foster my love of writing through these student-run magazines. From reviewing films to creating quirky flash fiction pieces, each of my submissions has contributed to me honing my skills, finding my writing style, and trying new genres and topics. Participating in these publications has also allowed me to gain insight into the editing and publishing processes, and has led to me becoming a more active contributor to uni life.
So that's my weirdly-timed reflection on my experiences with campus activities! I guess the point is, make the most of extra-curricular activities!
- Tharidi :)
Welcome back everyone!
I've been meaning to write a new post for a while, but as things do, they got super busy (We all know the drill).
Like I'm sure most of you did, I took full advantage of my break to relax, to refresh and to ultimately prepare for another jam-packed semester ahead. I slept more than I thought was humanly possible (are there competitions in sleeping? I want in), I read a ton, and I binged more TV than is probably healthy!
HOWEVER, I also spent a lot of time thinking about how I wanted to approach my second semester here at Uni.
I love that we have this great opportunity to reflect on exactly what has gone right or perhaps wrong throughout our first semester as Uni students. I found personally that as the semester went on, I got more tense, more stressed and I guess I ended up channeling a lot of that energy into being slightly angry. Not aggressively angry or anything, just the internal kind that builds inside and you wonder if you're actually gonna turn green and need a new pair of clothes.
One of the things I came to particularly love at Uni was taking the language, Japanese. I'm absolutely obsessed with the language, the culture and the country of Japan, and so I was doing some research out of personal interest, and I came across something that Japanese people commonly say. It's the phrase, 'shouganai', which essentially means 'it can't be helped' which you may think of in a slightly negative aspect at first, but it's actually not, and I find the phrase quite freeing! Instead of being caught up by the dumb things people do on trams in the morning before I get to Uni, I'm just saying 'shouganai' in my head, and it makes me feel that much better. Say what you may about it, but it works!
Another thing that I love about the start of a second semester, is it means turning over a new leaf that doesn't feel so intimidating. New Years Resolutions are always so stressful because it's a whole year you have to keep a promise to yourself, and that's really hard! A semester is still hard but it's much easier to work with, and it's the tiny successes one after another that really make a difference.
My marks from the previous semester weren't bad, but I love that there's always room for improvement. To become a better person, better at studying, better at time management...all the like. Don't you find it so refreshing?!
I'm sure some of you are sitting here rolling your eyes, but in my new leaf, I'm trying to be a more positive person. In all honesty, I didn't have the best day today - I didn't perform the best in one of my classes, I was late for a class switching between campuses, my bag broke and I got absolutely poured on (and that's making it look good). Not the worst problems I could have or even have had though, so I'm taking it for the small speck it is and instead I'm just going to keep on keeping on. I've got a lot of things to do (we all do!) so I may as well not spend all that time mulling over - in actuality - such small things!
I'm ready to start this new semester afresh, and I hope that I can encourage you to do that also! Let's make the most of the next semester together and see what it brings.
All the best with your studying,
Jess
Hey fellas! Whatsupp! How's your SWOTVAC week so far? Has it been nice? Well, I hope so! Cause a new week's greeting us in a few days - It's EXAM WEEK! *drumrolls*
This is the time where everyone just gets more tense and "worse" (in terms of looks - oily hair, lifeless eyes, and breaking out skin - well at least, that happens to me all the time!
Well, it has happened to me ever since SWOTVAC :"( , not even gonna lie about it!
Well, during week 12 I've been sort of distracted, but I found the perfect way to study by SWOTVAC week, and am thinking to share this with you guys!
Just a few tips to treat the gaps during your exam week right:
- Be early for your favorite library seats (and books :"))
Make sure to check the unimelb info page for the opening hours of the university's libraries
My favorite ones are Law Library and Giblin Eunson Library as these are where most people are studying more seriously.
Other libraries are too noisy sometimes, moreover Ballieu -_- (no offense!)
If you're an on-budget student, like me, who never buy textbooks, make sure to check the online library system for availability and exact location of your designated books!
Do you wonder why people study at the library? Psychological effect plays its part!
If you see some people studying harder than you, then it's very humane to feel the panic rushing through your mind and we'll feel more obliged to leave those youtube vids or Netflix latest episodes on hold!
Furthermore, you can study together with some friends to discuss some stuff that you haven't mastered yet! Pssstttt! Just be quiet, okay! Cause some people are just too polite to tell you off sometimes ;)
Make sure to set your targets right and don't leave the library way too early just because you have to claim this maccas free Big Mac coupon! The few bucks burger will not compensate the tuition fee you've paid!
- Arrange your favorite Spotify playlist
"Music eases mind..."
Ever wonder why pregnant women are heavily encouraged to spend more time listening to some music? Cause apparently, music can relieve that stress built up due to cramming up of a lot of information! This works for me, especially when doing some calculations.
But back again, it depends on your style of studying! Some people just prefer their surrounding to be quite....super.....quite.....
- Bring all your chargers, pencil leads, pen and correction tape refills, and even your "guilty treats"
It's gonna be very funny when you've woken up earlier to secure a spot in the war-like library, but you forgot to bring your pencil, HAHAHAHAHHA....HAHAHAHA.....HAHAHA....HAHA...HAAAAA....
CAUSE IT HAPPENED TO ME :")
and I don't live near uni, so I had to chat up everyone in my contacts to ask whether they were in uni and if they brought any correction pen that I could borrow!
Not to mention, some snacks! One friend told me that her stuff got removed at Giblin just because she was out buying Momo Sushi! (commerce student feels :"))
- Start befriending energy drinks and coffees
Not a fan of both, but you need that caffeine yow! Find out which works for you - but I don't suggest a continued intake as your body will become immune to it, and it will not work the next semester :")
It's very normal to study very late, OOPS!!! I mean late as in early in the morning of following day...
But just make sure that you have enough sleep, not only for your brain health, but also for your organs to work well and skin to regenerate
FINALLY, my favorite quote of all times - "When you've done your best, let God do the rest!"
Best of Luck peeps!
Hey guys!
After talking with my fellow first year peers (...and occasionally eavesdropping on conversations...) it seems like most of us have sold our souls to the influential force that is: PROCRASTINATION!!!
So is this post going to give you helpful tips to study effectively? Will it outline alternative ways of studying that will keep you focused?
Answer: no.
I'm actually procrastinating right now by writing this post! Maybe someday I'll write a guide to fighting procrastination, but until then, here are some observations, from my own and others' experiences, on what it means to be a first year, labouring away during SWOTVAC:
- Overload your desk with sweet snacks. Tell yourself you need to keep up your energy levels for effective studying, but really you're doing it because at this point eating chocolate is the only thing that adds meaning to your life.
- You have an assignment on the environment. You tell yourself this is the perfect opportunity to watch a documentary brought to you by yours truly, David Attenborough. You swear it will be educational. It's not an attempt to stave off looking for more "academic" sources. Really, it's not!
- Similarly, you'll find a way to incorporate watching films, documentaries and interviews into studying for all your subjects. Will they be relevant? No. Will you be wasting your time considering literary journals are the only "real" resources for your essay? Yes. Will you do it anyway? Absolutely.
- You've been browsing the internet for four hours now. You should stop. Your assignment's due in eight hours and all you've written is a laughably bland intro and one passable body paragraph. You don't stop. Instead, you tell yourself that eight hours if a preposterously long time to spend on an essay. You don't need that much time for 1500 words! Now it's four hours till the assignment's due. You're going to write that essay, aren't you? But you're weak to the will of procrastination. It's almost a talent. What's one more refreshing of your dash, right?
And finally, the one that takes the cake:
- You've been working for a solid half hour. You've written a grand total of 200 words. You deserve a break.
Well I'm off to go study now! Or rather, I'm off to go TRY and study now!
- Tharidi :)
Again. Not representing entire faculty :L just me. #responsibleblogger #misleading titiles
FIRST COMES THE CAUSE:
This is a post. On procrastination *says I as I proceed to close le Netflix tab with The Paradise episode 5 playing* mmm *coughs forever*
So...Recently, depending what you consider recent...I was subtly (depending what you consider subtle) grilled about alllll the work I presented...by a few *coughs* the whole group crit. They basically agreed I was unsuccessful and shallow and confusing. *many adjectives* *is chagrined* *is grillled* is *chargrilled* :L
This had a flow on affect.
It put a halt to my practise. I just stopped. It made me even more uncomfortable to be in the studio because everyone around me was being appraised and I was not. Every time I had tried to re-invent up to that point, it was not good enough. I was so determined to devalue myself (bad habit); to open up my pores with the heat of the moment, and adsorb the adjectives of the day. I moped. Then I procrastinated. And have been doing so for a while. I believe the moping period is necessary, a couple of days BUT....
Procrastination is a form of self-sabotage.
SECOND COMES IDENTIFYING UNHELPFUL MINDSETS
Here is a list of things I shouldn't have ignored:
- Up until the moment of the group crit. I liked and had, had fun creating what I presented.
- My discordance with the sort of people who all happened to be in my group crit. This included being worlds away in things like politics, recreational activities, views and values and ideologies. Very BIG things that would deem them an as inconsequential audience to the sort of work I want to make (and vice versa).
- I didn't like their work either. And though it's contradictory, I still think I can give unbiased evaluation because I know what it tries to do AND because my mind can work in similar ways except I just don't take myself so seriously when it does. I should have IDENTIFIED moment where people have not done the same.
- NO ONE ELSE had let such things affect them. Partially because I'm a black sheep and their work is favoured by different tutors. Partially because confidence and charisma keeps people from devaluing their work. But also partially due to their mindsets of NOT GIVING A *&^#
I didn't observe myself or the environment I was in. I didn't assess the people being productive. How and Why.
BACK YOURSELF HARD. When the sun shines the next day, you don't want to wake up changed for people you don't intend to please for the rest of your life. You want to wake up as you. Oftentimes we feel sad because we are not the best we can be or that we cannot embrace what we are. We do not really want to be other people even though they get praises we would like and who are productive the way we'd like to be, it is more likely we want to know what it feels like to be in ourselves with qualities we see in them. And just as they will get praised by people who resonate with them; one should be patient for their own people to come along.
And if they aren't your people. WHY are they affecting your productiveness and worth. Even if your clever brain can think of reasons. Convince yourself they're excuses, BACK YOURSELF HARD (not up against a wall though). Like get muscles. Do pushups. Work on that back.
THIRD COMES TAKING PROGRESSIVE ACTIONS TO BE PRODUCTIVE AGAIN
Tl;DR. Avoiding procrastination that makes you sit at your laptop all day:
(1) watch that episode and while it's inbetween changing to the next, QUICKLY flick to another tab. (no need to open a book or pull out a canvas...yet...because let's be honest...no.) Minimal effort first. Contrary to tackling the hardest task first.
(2) think of little idle things you can do. like the smallest inconsequential task. checking e-mails or a phone call to RACV that you need to hit off your list. Get that thing up on your screen.
(3) If you can bring yourself to do that thing. do that thing. if you can't. another episode for you. While watching the episode though, tell yourself honestly "I like this but it's bad for me. I need to stop. Stop. Stop. This is not fulfilling me or helping me get the things I need to get done."////something like that. No insulting yourself though, I prohibit it.
(4) After feeling a little pointless and dissatisfied in your procrastination. Do that thing you opened. Then scribble a list of little things to get done in order for you to get done what you want to get done. Include a slight indulgence, and some fresh air. Even if that's just air on your way to the library.
> read the article
> take notes
> form arguments
> COFFEE
>section points off from notes
> TEA TIME
> Write intro etc etc.
>take bus to MC and go to State Library
Location can change things.
And repeat to yourself that you DON'T CARE ABOUT QUALITY. No matter how great a perfectionist you are. Even if that inability to achieve perfection is what makes you procrastinate. KEEP IT DOWN. Ignore it. Just type type type type. Just to get your body onto the train of momentum.
You'll find you indulge yourself a little and have smaller breaks. But repeat, and it slowly builds up your momentum and drive. Breathe deeply and be exited for no reason.
And that's all folks.
Was that helpful? Probably not. #I'mjustalittlegirlIknownothing
GOODLUCK STUDYING FINE ARTS DOESN'T HAVE EXAMS
I'm jokie. we hab folio. I'll do another post after studio assessments :L Hopefully with cats.
Momomomomomomomomomoomomomo
Okay, so this is a kinda funny experience with some moral lesson on it...
You know, most lectures are super quiet as the topic can be either super hard which makes everybody dumbfounded or the lecturer's voice is "extremely nice", it aids people to sleep in broad daylight.
HOWEVER, the aforementioned conditions didn't apply to this particular lecture I attended. The topic is one of the lightest material so far and a lot of people agree that this semester's lecturer is so far the best of all. (Ps: he's that good at teaching y'all!) So personally, I don't understand why there are still some people who would want to gossip on his lectures, loudly if I may comment on it :")
The lecturer was finally fed up with those guys and approached them as they were sitting on the right side of the theatre, "Please, if you guys are talking all the time, don't even bother to come to lecture as people sitting around you are just too polite to tell you that they're actually bothered by the noise you make!"
After that he wanted to resume his lecture, but he forgot where he stopped, "So, where was I? Oh yeah right, I was on the left and now I'm on the right!" LOL!
Around 20 minutes later, there were 2 guys who came late, and furthermore they chatted with each other continuously and disturbed others. In addition to that, they sat in the front row :")! So, the lecturer couldn't stand it again and asked them to leave, "You know, guys! You came late and broke my concentration, so if you still insist on talking please leave!" *door opens suddenly*
"Arghhh!!! Not my days, guys!" :")
Sighing deeply, finally he tried to gather his thoughts and said, "You know, you might not realize that your tiny whispers are distracting enough for other people. So now, while I have the chance to say it SHUT-THE-YOU-KNOW-UP!!!"
Instead of being engulfed in a tense ambiance, everyone just cracked! :") He's a funny guy in general! But, even funny people get pissed at times.
In other words, be good to your lecturers guys. Imagine explaining the same phrases, concepts, and even jokes 3-4 times in a week! It surely needs effort.
*MICHAELA'S LOGGING OFF!*
PS: Have a nice week 12 :")
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