The following program is rated PG for Pretty Good. It contains gratuitous use of the comparative and superlative and mild text scenes. Channel Ben recommends that you read the following whilst wearing 3-D glasses in order that all the letters are colourful, and generally more aesthetically pleasing.
Ahoy there me hearties!
How are we all going? Firstly, I just wanted to apologise for not posting recently. With exams and everything, I really haven’t had the time. However, having completed my exams, I now do.
My exams went alright. Wasn’t very happy with one of them, but at least now I know that that’s a subject I don’t want to take again anytime soon :P
It transpires that I have not posted for one month and eight days, so there is much that I must fill you in on (oh dear lord I am ending a sentence with a preposition)! So let’s start from the beginning, first bar, altogether now. Saxophones, you need to put more vibrato on those high F’s; Trombones, be careful of that dynamic change in bar 284 and please, flutes, it CLEARLY says crescendo, NOT diminuendo. Strings, accent that final G okay? We’re trying to sound awesome here.
*Cue rather inspiring generic trailer music*
*Voice drops around four octaves*
In a land… before time. One man… One mission… One desire.. Everything was right in their lives, until everything changed… FOREVER. NOW… are you ready, for the adventure of a lifetime.. Keeanu Reeves…Morgan Freeman…Drew Barrymore…In the film that will warm your heart… Sool Cpoonerisms (okay, I apologise that was an absolutely dreadful joke)
Anyway, now that my Don LaFontaine impersonation is out of the way (it is so much better when I say it, not type it, but we can use our imagination), we can continue our conversation.
Recently, I have come up with a hypothesis which I think, if I may say so myself, is utterly brilliant. I like to call it the ‘Model student’ theory and if you but give me a moment, I shall present to you my idea. Now, when we are in school, uni or attempting to do magic tricks, we are what are commonly referred to as ‘students’. Good students are referred to as ‘model students’, and that is something that ultimately, we should all aspire to be. However, numerous questions arise. What if a model student were to simply cease being a student? Does that make them a model? Furthermore, what if a model student were to stop being a model, would that just make them a student? You will observe that the word ‘student’ is actually cleverly designed to disguise two words. Those two words are ‘stud’ (supposedly the common vernacular for one who is a student, but clearly not quite an ent) and ‘ent’ (the tall tree guys from Lord of The Rings who love the environment, also known as Environment students :P ). Just kidding. I love the environment too, but being a Science student, I prefer helping the environment to a different ‘degree’, which is totally ‘rad’. This leads to further complications. What are your thoughts? Are you a model, a student, an affable tree or lacking the word ‘ent’ from your name? Although, Brents and Trents wouldn’t…
It’s crazy to think we’re already halfway through First Year. Wow! Time flies when you’re having fun! I’ve enjoyed every moment of it, even in subjects I found hard. From a Science student’s point of view, it’s great acquiring a better understanding and appreciation of how the world works. I have learned many new things, discovered what it is to ‘self teach’ yourself and adapted to the new environment, which is great. From a university student’s/ent’s point of view, it has also been great to meet so many new people, all with similar dreams and aspirations to achieve greatness. First Year is about truly finding your place, finding where your true abilities lie. It is so important to explore all of your options by trying to do lots of different subjects that interest you. In doing so, you can gain a realistic expectation as to whether or not you ought to do particular ones in the future. Don’t try to restrict yourself too much :)
I have especially enjoyed my pracs, with the exception of spilling my iodide crystals in Chemistry >< They are really enjoyable and they helped to give you a more intuitive understanding of certain aspects of the course. Certainly, this was of use in Biology where I managed to label the colon incorrectly on the diagram of a human, which should have been easy, as apparently I am one. Needless to say, I did feel pretty ‘crappy’ afterwards.
So that is that. I am very much looking forward to semester two where I can refill my brain after emptying it these holidays, catch up with my mates and make some new ones :)
In the meantime, I have some books and some entertaining wiki how articles to read and a need to relax.
So, in closing, good luck to all those who are still doing their exams, whether they be VCE, uni or whatever. I’ll blog some more this break to compensate for the last few weeks.
Love Ben xx
This program was brought to you by the letter pi and the square root of negative two. Yes, the author needs to get ‘real’ and be more ‘rational’. We know that. Colon, right parenthesis. (a.k.a :) )
P.S. With regards to the Harry Potter reference, have any of you guys tried Pottermore? Apparentely I am in Hufflepuff, so I'm taking it pretty harsh. :P
Hello one and all,
I know it is the middle of SWOTVAC. I know I should really be studying right now - but I need a moment or two to relax my noggin' before my head literally explodes!
This past week of SWOTVAC I've found myself at Uni more than I was during the semester. Sleepless nights and plenty of energy drinks later, we reach the end of SWOTVAC and I think I am finally ready to tackle my first semester of University exams!
I shall post an update on what I discussed in my last post:
1. The Wok
Sadly, Aa did not take home the Wok this year - but it just makes me more excited for the chance of us winning next year! However, the Aa girl's soccer team did win! So hooray! Action shots below.
2. As a result of the Aa AGM, I am officially on the Aa Committee! Wooo. Congratulations to all the other applicants who made it in, and I look forward to a brilliant term with everyone.
I shall use this time to do some shameless promoting, the Aa End of Exams (E.O.X) will be happening on the 22nd of June! Poster is still being made but keep your eyes on this spot for all the details!
On that note, I have some happy snaps from CSS Dodgeball that have finally appeared online! So here they are if you were at all keen.
If you've learnt anything about me over the last three or so months you know I love me a good camp. I don't suppose it would surprise any of you, but I'm off on another camp this holiday break! I'll be heading to RAA (RMIT Asian Association) Camp where I shall enjoy endless hours of drinking and playing games! Yay.
Anyway, procrastination requirement fulfilled - time to get my study on!
Cheerio,
Jess
So we've arrived at the lovely period of time called SWOTVAC. It's an odd time really, a part of you wants to go out and celebrate the end of first semester or stay at home watching movies and TV in bed all day. After all, the name does have the word 'vacation' in it. Yet, there's that constant reminder that there is study to be done and exams are in less than a week which means endless procrastination is tainted with feelings of guilt. Still, freedom is a matter of weeks away now so we really should keep our head down and get studying.
My goals this week study wise are going to be:
- To go into uni to study instead of procrastinating at home.
- To form a study group for Pysch to go over some questions
- To finish my take home exam by the end of this week.
What are other people's plans for the week?
It's not long to go now until we have a delightfully long Winter break ahead of us! Until then, we must keep focused!
See you on the other side of exams!
Adeshola
1. The Two Cookies for $2.50 'Deal' that you have fallen prey to practically every single day since Uni started. This week of dedicated study is not a good time to re-enforce this bad habit...though of course if you really really think you need them...
2. Using 'But I Need A Computer To Study' As An Excuse to not study when all the computers are taken. You have your laptop and we purposefully did not get the internet at Uni sorted for a reason. You have access to the Portal and that is all you need.
3. 'Oh, so-and-so is free! I must spend some time with them! We need to talk! And buy chips! And play pool!' No you don't. This is what you spent all your lunchtimes this semester doing. You do not need to see so-and-so every day, you do not need chips and you do not need to lose at pool again.
4. The Suddenly Frustratingly Good Weather will come again. This is not going to be the only sunny week of the year...I'm sure it's not.
5. Re-doing your entire study timetable because you started studying 10 minutes later than you originally planned to.
6. Re-doing the colour-coding of your study timetable. Just because.
7. Cleaning your room. Now you know this will take you the whole night. If you can't concentrate just go and study somewhere else.
8. Sherlock. You've already seen all the episodes twice for god's sake.
9. YouTube. No comment required.
10. This. Why is it now, when you actually have other things you should be doing, are you writing a blog post?
Hello readers/other bloggers/Transition and Orientation staff/etc,
Just a quick little update before I get into an intense study session in the Ballieu library! The lovely KHo reminded me that I haven't updated in a while, so I thought better get cracking and feel like I am contributing in some way.
As many have stated, exams are approaching fast. I definitely have to get myself into the right mindset so I can effectively study. With most of my assignments, I look at the grades and think....
Which is fine by me since I know that they haven't been my best work! Though I have noticed an improvement in grades as each assignment passes. If I continue at this pace maybe I can get a H1 for my exams (LOL).
In terms of what has been going on with me, my life currently can be described in three words: uni, work and friends.
I've been working and saving lots of money since I haven't been going out due to a soccer injury. I'd post a photo but it may be too gruesome for some of you! Nevertheless, I am still playing in the Aa Wok Competition against ASEAN (Monash) this Sunday! If you're not doing anything you should come on down! There is boys football and soccer, and then girls soccer as well!
(the poster is huge, so here's a link to the event for details: The Wok 2012 Aa vs. ASEAN)
On another note, I have also just applied and gone through half the process of joining the Aa Committee! Thought it would be a great chance to get involved in Uni life, and the Annual General Meeting is next Tuesday which is when I find out if I've made it on! It is a nerve racking process but am excited for opportunity if I do make it on! If you're not doing anything next Tuesday 12PM - 2PM you should come down and listen to everyone's speeches (including mine :D). Event details here: Aa 2012 AGM
Suppose I should also talk about the CSS Olympic themed River Cruise I attended last week (or was it the week before?). It was my first boat cruise and I must say, I had an amazing time! There was plently of cheap drinks, awesome costumes and not to mention the amazing view from the boat of the city! My two friends and I (Tanya and Maggie) went as the 1st, 2nd and 3rd podiums! Photo below! I would show a photo of the three of us, but I won't lie I think I look absolutely hideous and may have been very very drunk when it was taken!
UPDATE: Photos have just been uploaded so here's a happy snap of the night!
On another another note, I was asked by my school to come back and be involved in a enhancement session about transition from school to university life! Thought this was a great idea since I am a part of the blog, so it will be a good chance to mention it to some future university students! Not really sure what I will say, but I know it is mostly good things! I'll let you know how that all goes in my next blog post!
Anyway this "quickie" has turned into a long and very eventful blog post! I shall end it here and get on with my intense study session!
Until you read again,
Jessica x
So yes, as has been said a million times before (and will be said a million times again), exams (and therefore the work involved in being capable of decent results) are finally beginning to enter into that frustrating portion of my mind that recognises reality and my inability to avoid it. It's becoming impossible to miss the phrases 'and there will definitely be a question on this in the exam' and 'this should be obvious to you by now' during lectures and amongst friends the new back-up conversation topics are how-many-assignments-we-all-have-due-in and I-honestly-think-this-is-more-work-than-year-12 and it-is-just-impossible-to-get-motivated!
Probably both the hardest and best part of university right there. This new independence? It's great, it's amazing, I love it, I'm having so much fun etc. etc. etc. but I just find it really hard to get up and study, especially if there's nothing 'compulsory' to complete in less than a week, or in a few days, or by tomorrow. I've always considered myself a relatively well-motivated person but uni life is definitely testing me in this department. A couple of days ago, I really got my head together and decided I was going to start really getting into being more productive. I decided a study timetable would help with this. Then I spent about 2 hours creating it. It seems I had forgotten that colour-coding was a severe time-waster last year.
But now it's done and I swear I will stick to it! :D (fingers crossed)...let's see how that goes.
Well, the musical's done with...and now I've signed myself up for another one :) seems I'm becoming a theatre kid now which is odd for me...in school I was always the sporty girl. At the risk of being repetitive, getting involved in something like a musical when you start at uni is honestly the best way to get an awesome start. You may think you need the first semester just to get used to the new method of study and different environment than you're used to, but I believe, when it comes to uni, the best thing to do is just jump in with both feet and take as many opportunities up as you can. Then, later on you can decide what you really enjoy and want to commit to. In O-Week I signed up for 9 clubs and societies:
The Book Club, Music Theatre Association, Community Development Club, Chocolate Lovers' Club, Youth Society Charity, Arts Students' Society, Science Students' Society, the Choir, the Mountaineering Club...
HOWEVER, I haven't been involved since in many of these clubs; The Book Club meetings were always at bad times, the Chocolate Lovers' Club haven't sent an email (NOOO! :( I NEED FREE CHOCOLATE!!! ), I've been just plain selfishly lazy in regards to the two charitable clubs, the Arts and Science Societies' gatherings I haven't bothered with either and the Mountaineering Club...ditto. I went to Choir for the first few weeks of uni and I really liked it, but after I got involved with the musical I didn't have the energy to stay at uni until 9:30pm three days in a row. The musical turned out to be right for me this semester and I am so glad I went for it, a definite highlight of uni life so far. :)
So to sum up:
1. EXAMS! eek!...yes, you still have them after year 12.
2. INDEPENDENCE: YES! It is an awesome thing!
MOTIVATION: Current level 43.5%, hoping for a major increase in the next two weeks.
3. SIGN UP FOR ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING!!!....and then ditch a few of them later on if you need time to breathe...and study (gasp!).
P.S. If you're reading this line thank you for ploughing through all of the above. Or alternatively, if you just skipped down to this last line...I don't blame you :P
Wow! Where has this semester gone? It's 10 weeks that have gone by so quickly, with only two to go. Exams are definitely creeping closer and subjects beginning to wrap up as revision is undertaken. I just completed my "Subject survey" for each subject on the LMS and it was a scary reminder of how close exams and end of semester are!
So while this semester has been largely taken up by social events, meeting new people and general orientation, now it's definitely time to keep our heads down and revise for the exams! I'm still not entirely sure what my take home "exam" consists of and thus I guess I should just summarise my notes and have everything organised for each subject. Psychology is my main worry- as it's a 3 hour exam that's going to be packed with the whole semester's content. It's a lot to remember, especially as my other subjects are more philosophical and concepts based. Psychology is also a huge subject so there's a lot of competition, better get studying I guess!
Definitely looking forward to the feeling of having finished all of my exams and being able to truly rest. Looking back though over the past semester so far, it's been absolutely amazing transitioning into uni from the people I've met to the clubs and societies joined and just the whole "uni experience"! Looking forward to Semester 2 to try some new subjects and start fresh!
Happy studying everyone!
Adeshola
Exam's are almost upon us *dun dun DUN!* Blazing fastt. There are only 2 more weeks left of lectures/tutes/pracs and all of that before one week of SWOTVAC (Study without teaching vacation) - which is basically, one week of study by yourself, no school D;
I will literally be living in either Bailleu or Brownless Biomed library for the next 2 weeks. I'm feeling mellow...chill...too chill..need to get more concerned about it to get myself to actually do some proper work. This is actually my procrastination..right now. I should be doing a project..but I am ..waiting until I finish this then I'll start :D anyway, the convenience of a library literally open til 1am in the morning, comfy counches and study cubicles, friends and snacks (I don't think we're supposed to...BUT I am very clean and NEVER leave a mess!) make studying all the more enjoyable.
**For biomed kiddos, a locker is FREE literally for $5 deposit at the beginning of the year (incase you lose your key..if you lose your key they keep the $5) and then when you return the key at the end of the year, they return the deposit to you. Pretty cool hey? The lockers are the in the basement of the Med Building (The Y shaped (birds eye view of campus map) building on Grattan st) - we use our student ID cards to get in (scan it and it shall BEEP and allow you to enter!) It takes a while for the card to actually start working, in the meantime, find a friend that DOES have a card that works, and go in with them to access your locker.
The locker isn't big, I would say it's the standard 1/3 locker, like the ones with top, middle & bottom. My friend and I are just using it to put our lab coats/ safety glasses/ lab manuals and such that are only used fortnightly, AND stuffing it with a LOAD of junk food bought from coles. Chips, chocolate, jelly joiners (ohh my goodness, please try them, DA BEST) berry bliss jellies, sour gummies, party mix lollies etc. When we need STUDY FOOD we go there. Tis very convenient. It is way too expensive to buy a pack of chips on campus from a vending machine. $2, and barely the size of the small ones we ate in primary school.
Back to study
**I've recently found a proper study routine, revolved around studying after at uni. I find that getting home after a long day, I don't achieve very much, so staying in a library with friends keeps you motivated. Science/Biomed subjects are really helpful to study in as a group. Questioning eachother i.e "So, what did our lecture cover today?" - "How does that work?" "Can you explain to me ..." really clarifies everything and packs all that information in!
--
On another note, it is MOTHER'S DAY!! I literally felt like the worst daughter in the entire world when I woke up this morning. I have had all this time to prepare something for my mum, BUT I did not, and well, waking up with much guilt, seeing mum in the morning I just was like BETTER LATE THAN NEVER!
Sooo what I decided to do was stuff money into my hoodie pocket, walk my beloved doggy in the cold, rainy weather hoping that I would find a florist at some nearby bus stop. After walking/jogging for around 30 minutes, absolutely no luck, so what I DID do, was decide to go extra mile (not really, just another 10 minute walk) and go to a nearby shopping centre. My poor doggy had to be tied up for the first time in his life outside in the cold (under shelter, so it wasn't that bad) to a bin (there was nothing else..) whilst I run inside frantically trying to find the right flowers. My goodness, I live in the Westside, so I was so scared that someone would actually STEAL MY DOG. so yes, another reason to gogogoogogo other than the poor soul thinking that I had abandoned him.
So luckily, coles has gone all schnazzy and I went inside to buy a beautiful pink/red/white bouquet, they wrapped it up, ribbon and ready, a magazine mum stopped splurging on a while ago, jelly lollies and a card (:
now I feel like a good daughter again :P
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That's all for now, talk to you in a while
x jane
So uni life feels well and truly in a routine now. I'm sure most first years are finally at the stage of feeling pretty settled into uni life. It's a great feeling to be honest! Knowing your way around campus, having a designated seat in lectures and a great group of friends to hang out with definitely makes uni life so enjoyable! Not that there's not more places to explore and things to know(I for one have not yet tasted each and every one of Castro's flavoured hot chocolates- semester 1 goal!), but uni is at last feeling familiar.
Academically, it's been a struggle to stay motivated with all the social events but in the lead up to exams, it's definitely time to hide away from the bitter cold outside and stay warm with some exam revision. I've got one more assignment due this week and then it's time to get focused on exams. Yes, it's first year and the exam results are not a huge deal, but it's a good feeling to put in hard work and get rewarded with a good exam mark.
I'm definitely looking forward to the mid-semester break which unlike VCE will not be taken up with stress and study. I've been given the previous gift of two take home exams (Hello, open book conditions!) which I am ever so grateful for and just one exam (Psychology) in the first week of the exam period. What does this mean you ask? It means I get a wonderfully long seven week Winter break to enjoy! So looking forward to some time off from uni work, catch ups with friends and just general laziness. It's going to be great :)
Hope everyone is finding the motivation to push through the last three weeks of semester, study like crazy in SWOT VAC and the kick back and celebrate in the Winter Break!
To me - it seems like it has taken me a VERY long time to really get settled in, only 3 weeks left until the end of semester classes, SWOTVAC and exams and I'm feeling the academic stress start to load up. For much of the first half of the semester, socialising was priority #1, everything else came later. That meant cocktail nights, cAMP, longggg breaks between classes to get to know new friends, birthday parties, dinners, movies, ANYTHING other than study really. One can get caught up in the hype and the time flies by way too fast before you realise the first half of the year is almost over. I spent a lot of time thinking a bit too much as to why this transition was harder than I thought it would be. "Is it me?" "Why is it that making friends is so much harder in uni than in high school?"..." I wish I could see everyone more often"..and the thoughts linger in the back of my mind all the time, but don't feel at all that it is abnormal to feel this way. I can finally say that I've settled in, have a great group of friends now that I know I can call and meet, study with and hang out on a regular basis.
This has all come at a cost. Inconsistent study and really only doing work for something immediately due. 9 weeks in, and quite behind, I've gotta rev myself up and get into it. I never thought a study buddy would actually work, finding the right person can be really hard but one bit of advice I can give is to look for someone...just as behind as you. haha. I've tried working with the kids on track, thinking I can catch up, but uni subjects don't work that way. They build and build and build on last weeks' lectures and you almost always need to go all the way back to square one. Anyway, this one partner, revising and doing online work from where you are working aswell keeps you on track, more motivated and have a much more positive outlook on study.
Since after the Easter break, I've felt that I've been really able to turn over a new leaf. Lecturers change, subject content changes and you can start afresh. It's a good feeling, and staying on top of the 2nd half of the semesters work can be enough to keep your spirits up. Uni life is new, it is falling down and pulling yourself back up. But we don't have to feel like we're alone. A few friends found counselling service to be quite helpful - close to campus and a phone call away, Academic Skills can help students create a study plan and give some advice on taking notes, . This is a steep learning curve, a new chapter in our lives and I'd love to come out of it to say I gave it my best shot.
Like Jessica, I also spent a heap of time missing high school. I've grown very fond of my beloved teachers and small class sizes, the interaction and . The whole independent learning thing about uni - I underestimated. Big lecture theatres, sometimes scary prac demonstrators, new labs, confusion all over the place and only one person to blame, yourself ): Had a is uni really for me? phase too - but it all just takes time and everyone settles in at their own pace, once the: Not really knowing what was going on, having to find out everything yourself , no bells to remind you to go to class! (turned up late to quite a few tutes in the first few weeks..walking into the wrong room, wrong tutor, sitting down, realising 10 minutes in and then having to stand up and leave to go to the right one - can be quite frustrating) PART of uni is accepted and handled, I'm happy to say, it all starts falling into place.
Off to do a heap of catch up work, talk to you soon,
x jane
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