Hello,
Okay, so today it became apparent just how rusty my French is having not spoken the language for a few months. Went to the French lunch where we were welcomed and so forth in French. Then something about the 'Euroball' was said. I was translating for my friend, and in my slightly deluded state of mind, assumed that Euroball was some sort of variation of European Handball, and was full on explaining the rules of the game to my mate before it was kindly pointed out that the 'Euroball' is actually like a social/party/dance/extravaganza/thingy. So I was only completely wrong. Oh floor, why don't you swallow people up at the right times... Make like a cell membrane and be partially permeable. Okay, that one doesn't really work.
In other news, my weighty decision to buy most of my textbooks today resulted in my bag being a casual twenty kilos heavier than usual which was fantastic. A great deal of heaving and groaning ensued shortly thereafter, attracting the bemused looks of nearby students and me staggering about with my back on about a seventy degree angle to my legs. And yes, the pain was rather 'acute'. I know that joke was a bit obtuse, so forgive me. It would appear that I found a new way to 'get fit fast' whilst simultaneously encouraging premature back pain/hernias. I am now quite familiar with Newton's Fourth Law: 'Thou shalt not have a mass exceeding ninety kilos owing to your most onerous load lest you wish to have the semblance of a discombobulated fool'. (Look at me waxing eloquent, when the sentence is probably grammatically null).
In a bio prac today, I was once again faced with the harsh reality that science involves drawing pictures; in other terms, art, the bane of my existence. My drawing skills haven't improved much since I was in Prep. Consequently, my diagram of a cell appeared to have the likeness of an egg sunny side up. The hunger induced decision to draw a coffee and bacon was hastily abandoned once it became clear that the sheet needed to be handed in.
Hope everyone had a good day.
Cheers,
Ben
Salutations and felicitations,
My name is Benjamin, but you can call me Ben/Benny/Ben 10/His Royal Highness (circle one) for short. This year I'm studying first year Science at Melbourne, and am very much enjoying the course already (even though it's only the first day). I'm very much looking forward to blogging and meeting the other kind (and hopefully extremely attractive) bloggers whenever that may be.
To quickly introduce myself, I'm a Taurus, enjoy long walks on the beach and can slam dunk... Wait, this isn't my E harmony profile is it? Eh, same thing really.
I'm a Kwong Lee Dow Scholar and used to read this blog all the time (shout out to all past bloggers, especially Jeremy and jinghan), to learn more about uni and to help push myself through Year 12. In VCE I did English, Biology, Chemistry, Maths Methods, Latin and French; the Latin particularly coming in useful for reading the occasional school motto and the French for becoming a more culturally aware person/appearing to be somewhat exotic. To all the school kids out there, keep working, but remember to balance work and play. Isn't there a quote something like: 'All work and no play makes Jack an unhappy boy. But all play and no work results in an exponential increase to your friend count on Facebook.' Or something like that, anyway... But seriously, everything in moderation, try strike that balance, enjoy yourself and you're set for a good year. :)
I have a tendency of getting myself into rather awkward situtations, embarrassing not only myself, but those within a two metre vicinity (friends). My claim to fame would have to be the good old 'Try-overly-hard-to-be-cool-at-Year-Eight-mixed-paty-when-you-go-to-single-sex-school' trick, where I went up to a group of girls and attempted the one liner 'Hi there, I'm Ben. I used to play netball and I've got a six pack. How youse all doing?' Oh, and fyi, both of those fun facts are true (oi, we did netball as a joke at primary school, alright? Just chillax. And know, it's not the type of six pack that is drunk at parties. Apologies.) Needless to say, that sentence resulted in a fair bit of giggling and what I like to call 'apt descriptive words' including "Stupid idiot" and "Brain-dead moron". The word 'dignity' is somewhat foreign to me. Whenever those people see me now, I know that that line is still at the back of their head. Don't judge! What I have is a skill. We call it social ineptitude.
O week was lots of fun, especially the speed greeting activity, where my friend was so appalled by the fact that he was not on a table with this girl he had eyed that he asked me to give him a pretend name. Being that he's Sri Lankan, I thought I'd choose one that would suit his heritage; Vladmir (a Russian name which coincidentally is about as un Sri Lankan as it gets). In his boredom, he decided to spell it 'Vladamere'. As soon as the conversation started, we all gave the impression to the other people that we'd never met before. So of course, I quizzed him on his knowledge of the Russian language (of which I know a handful of words), which city he was born in and other easy to answer questions (note the sarcasm dripping off the screen and onto your keyboard). He weaved a thoroughly unlikely tale with a straight face. Someone asked him "Is your name really Vladamere?" to which he responded, "Obviously, is your name really Sarah?" resulting in me bursting out laughing. This was hastily covered by ducking under the table and breaking out into an extended ten second coughing fit. Oh, and he couldn't give/get the person's details when he was on her table due to his pretend name. Oh what a fun time that was. Good old Vlad :D
Oh, and just to stay somewhat on track, the other thing we did during O week apart from joining lots of clubs was go to some information lectures about how to adjust to uni life and stuff. They were very good and helped me get organised. The most informative thing I learnt though was how to write with your hand after not having done so for such a long time. That was good too. My old maths teacher once wrote 'Reading Ben's writing is akin to deciphering Egyptian Hieroglyphics; it is an art.' Talk about a confidence boost!
Well that's about it! Thanks for reading this narcissistic rant. :) I'm happy to answer any questions/queries/concerns that you may have, so feel free to comment. :D
Peace and love,
Ben xx
Hello! I'm Adeshola, and I'll be one of the first year bloggers for 2012! The Summer holidays have been and gone and it's pretty scary to think that tomorrow Uni life begins.
I'll be studying an Arts Degree with subjects including Psychology, Media and Communications, English Theatre studies and even Flute choir for breadth just to mix it up a bit.
Sadly, I haven't moved from anywhere exotic or even slightly rural. I've lived in Melbourne my whole life and am currently living at home, slightly envious of the non-stop fun I hear college life is all about!
When I'm not studying, I'm spending way too much time on Facebook, reading blogs, magazines and novels and listening to my beloved iPod. I'm also slightly addicted to vintage clothing and skincare products or as mum likes to call them 'lotions and potions'!
I think that's it for the getting to know you post, unless there is anything I've missed? If so, ask away!
Here's to the year ahead!
We're recruiting new bloggers for 2012! If you're a new student at The University of Melbourne and want to share your experiences with others, send us an email and we'll be in touch.
And for our readers, stay tuned for the adventures of our new writers...
That's right, I'll be writing on the second year blog! You can find it on the right hand side-- just scroll dowwwwn and you shall be able to read my posts of awesomeness for 2012! Can't wait to write to you all again :D
I couldn't leave without a proper goodbye. I usually run from those - i.e. never showing up for my last day at the many schools I've been to, or saying I will catch-up with someone before they leave but never doing so... (Maybe I'm just guessing that since this a virtual farewell it shouldn't be too hard.) For those of you who dedicated even one minute of your time last year to read one of my scarce blog entries, a big thank you. Whether it was because you hoped I'd have some good advice concerning a first-year uni student's journey or because my mommy anecdotes were funny (one can only hope!), it's been an honour writing alongside some very insightful, hilarious and smart bloggers. Being part of this blog was indeed a blessing... so much so that it is not farewell - it's a see you soon instead. Truth be told, as I just found out I might graduate only in 2015, I figure I still could have another four years of blogging ahead of me. Hopefully by the end of it my posts will encompass more tales of what-to-do than what-I-should-have-done. From next month onwards, you will be able to follow my academic adventures at Back For Seconds. :)
I just wanted to leave this blog telling everyone about my latest developments as a perpetual (so far) first-year. After all those regrets and fears and self-doubts, I finally decided it was about time to start making good use of all the student services at Melbourne. That's why I decided to stop being silly and go talk to the advisors about my future. I believe I kept thinking that seeking help was admitting I was weak and had failed - now I wish I had done this much sooner. Via the portal I scheduled two meetings - one with an academic advisor and another with a careers counsellor. It was time to figure out, for certain, if Arts or even Melbourne Uni was really for me after all.
Talking to an amazing academic advisor about my difficulties with the subjects I had completed in 2011, I was able to figure out a whole study plan, up to the very last semester of my undergraduate degree! (Yay for a five-year plan - just the way I like it!) While the thought of only finishing a standard 3-year Bachelor of Arts in July 2015 would terrify me under any other circumstances, it actually came as positive news. I was shown the structure I could have with my subjects and figured out I could even complete my Diploma of Languages at the same time. This was something I've wanted from the beginning but ended up sidetracked and didn't really pay any attention to during my first two semesters. I left the room with the certainty that sure, it is still a long walk, but there are people to help me through it every step of the way... even if I change my mind time and time again.
From there I went straight to my careers consultation, being lucky enough to schedule them back-to-back. That was the toughest for me. It was about time to be asked "but what do YOU want out of your degree?", and I wasn't sure I could answer. Having decided a long time ago to follow the artsy route, by choosing to become a writer, I'm not the first or even the last to be conflicted with the what-to-do-for-a-living dilemma. But the oh-so-fantastic counsellor talked me through everything I liked and every single plan I ever had, career-wise. To my utter surprise, I was shown that Arts, or even the first year by itself doesn't have to be a miscellaneous mess of interests. I could narrow down those tangents! Turns out that together we came to a conclusion that was so logical I should have been able to see it ages ago.
Since Creative Writing was the reason I actually got into Arts, I've wanted to do something else that would maybe allow me to have a job that would cover the rent. Writing, as any other artistic career, is something very unstable and even if I was sure to be the best writer on Earth (which I'm definitely not), I shouldn't fall back on. So what to do? What would be something I would enjoy working in, trading a lot of the time that should be spent on writing so I wouldn't be penniless at the end of every month? Translation. Languages. After all, I did come from a Portuguese-speaking background and had already ventured into Italian and Spanish for a few years, without even mentioning the whole transition to English as my beloved second language, or the fact that I actually work as a Portuguese tutor too.
Thanks to the support of an amazing university and its specialised services, I am a very happy, excited and hopeful first-year. It's almost like my feelings right now mirror exactly the ones I had last January, when I first got into UniMelb. Except this time around I'm more experienced and sure that I'm going in the right direction. A semester of Linguistics and two different languages not only sounds way more enjoyable than I ever hoped a semester in 2012 would be - it is also way more me. It's the me I thought I had lost along the way...
Brenda.
I won't go on about how I failed at keeping regular Blog Entries last year. Because while that's a much easier way of opening a post, it gets just a tad boring always spewing up the same thing.
But anyway. HAPPY 2012!!!!
It's hard to believe a year has already gone by. But honestly, this past year has basically been me asking "what day is it?" EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. I have lost all concept of time it's not funny. Perhaps I should make that a New Year's Resolution. Hmmmm.
My first year at uni was... well, it was interesting, to say the least. Full of twists and turns, new beginnings and panic attacks fuelled by all the bloody huge changes that constantly went on.
I tried extremely hard to keep my head above the water. But after enough ups and downs I think it's safe to say I ended up drowning. And it should probably be labelled 'suicide', because I basically single-handedly sabotaged any good intentions I may have had - whether it be doing well academically or embracing uni life itself, I tried, I really did. But in the end did not succeed.
BUT NO MATTER.
One positive trait I have discovered about myself is that no matter how near rock-bottom I reach, I always find a shred of hope deep within my gut. And I get going again.
So it doesn't matter that the first year of uni was a bit of a bung experiment. What matters is that I'm ready for this year. And I feel optimistic enough for it to possibly (finally) be a success.
PLUS.
So I was all 'I'm going into Commerce, yaddah yaddah' and while that is still a huge possibility, I really want to give myself in Arts a second chance. So this semester I'm going to do what I was MEANT to do last year, and that is go down the Media/Comm route and see how I feel. Because writing will always be my main passion, and if that really is the career path I am meant to pursue, then I should at least try and focus my energies on that from the very beginning.
So there we go. Out of something destructive can blossom something beautiful. I've always believed this, and I feel this year could be a testament to that belief.
:)
It's almost Christmas time and everyone is celebrating the closing of their first year of university life. Well, everyone but me. Comes February 2012, I will still be a first year Arts student. Why? I chose to go part-time this semester, doing only one subject - Choir. For Breath. I might as well have taken leave of absence, for my involvement in scholastic matters was almost inexistent. And while I don't regret my decision of taking it easy in Semester 2 and working heaps to save some money, there are many many things I wish I had done differently.
For now, I'll focus on something that's always bothering me in the back of my mind: the fact that, so far, I only wrote four times on this blog. Four times. In a freakin' year. When I was supposed to be blogging once a week. Which would amount to about thirty-eight posts by now. Yeah, not my proudest achievement this year. And what's ironic is that it was one of the things I was most excited about when Week-O was about to start. Actually, I find that that's what happened to most of what I was looking forward to. Honestly, I don't blame uni for it. It wasn't Melbourne, it wasn't my course, it was me. First year was a whirlwind I got caught up in and didn't manage to get out.
I think what I'm taking with me for 2012 - when I'll be a first year student for only one semester and then I'll move on to be a chronologically weird, mid year intake-like second year student - is the knowledge that all it takes to blow out a spark is a drop of water. I thought my academic ambitions were more like a forest fire, but boy, was I wrong! You have to really want and love what you're doing. And even when you think you know what that means, uni life can come and blow it out. Too many readings, essays, new people, deadlines and not enough of your comfort zone.
I found myself longing for Year 12 countless times during the year. I never thought that would happen. Why would anyone want to relive those months of stress and uncertainty and plain fear? Well, at least back then I was in my element. I knew where I was going. What happened with me was that university life (just a synonym for "adult life", I guess) offered me way too many choices, way too much freedom. I'm not a spontaneous sort of person. I like to have a plan. A five-year plan. A ten-year plan. I love diaries and timetables and putting everything to paper and looking down to see what I will be doing every moment, even when I get lazy and don't do anything. It's comforting. But university offers you the world, basically. I think my forest fire turned into way too many sparks, dividing my attention into many different tangents, and they were so weak that soon there was no desire to engage in anything anymore.
And while so far my academic journey is filled with more regrets than achievements, at least they are all life experiences. I happen to like collecting those.
Brenda.
Weoowwww, it's the end of first year! Actually, it's been the end of first year for a few weeks now. I just haven't had the time to update sooner because of... work. Not because I was out celebrating or anything. Pssh, how immature would that be?
Results are coming out in a few days and I'm feeling good about my biology subjects. I've got my fingers superglued and crossed together for chemistry. I've got a baaad feeling about that but all in all, I'm just glad it's all over and I can look back at my idiotic self this year and cackle with glee at the stupid things I did. I didn't even mention some of them on this blog-- that's how much moronic things I do!
But so much has happened this year. I mean, first year of university! It was a huge step. I've taken a liking to the freedom and independence. Then there are the people I met. So much diversity! And sister love, that stuff is everywhere. I can't even start to count all the fantastic people I made friends with and I can't even tell you how fantastic they are. Everyone is so friendly whether or not they attend Melbourne, no-one's afraid to help each other out with exam prep (except for some of the paranoid people in Biomedicine-- that's what I heard) and we all get along like we've known each other for years.
I got a job by myself that I absolutely adore because of all the opportunities I have to work with children, teach them and watch them grow socially and academically. The kids tell me they love coming to tuition and they say I'm their friend. But best of all, they say I'm their teacher and sometimes they call me 'Miss'. I admit I do enjoy the authority.
I met my most favourite author of all time: John Flanagan. He gave a wonderful speech about his writing experiences and made the entire audience laugh like a bunch of hyenas on drugs. He personally answered one of my questions on Facebook and signed every single book that I have of his series. Majoy squeal-ation right there.
I discovered syringe pens and fantastic lab partners, stabbing a dead squid's ink sac doesn't work and it's hard to dissect a mouse because it's so damned small. Spiders are everywhere in labs and the bio demonstrators probably show us videos instead of what's actually under their microscope. I mean, come on. Not a single student finds some alien parasite in a drop of pondwater but all the demonstraters do? It's a conspiracy!
I learned to take public transport by myself. Yeah, that's right. Silvia who started off the year as a naive and sheltered birdy has taken flight as an eagle and knows public transport. Not just to and from the city, mind you, but also around my area in general. I can take buses to my closest shopping centre, I can take buses to work and to the library. I'm a gun at public transport now. But not with trams. I haven't reached the realm of trams yet. Give me some more time.
But most of all... most of all, I can't believe I got through the entire year without buying one freaking textbook! Damn that feels good, although I think my choice will have a very big impact on my exam results. Not that I care. It's not like I want to do second year or anything, pfft.
OH DEAR GOD ALL YOU EXAMINERS OUT THERE PLEASE DON'T FAIL ME I'M BEGGING YOU I REALLY NEED TO GRADUATE AND DO MY MASTERS AND STUDY ANIMALS AND MAYBE LATER GET A PHD SO PEOPLE CAN CALL ME DOCTOR SILVIA BECAUSE IT SOUNDS SO COOL.
This was my first year at Melbourne University.
It was so freaking good.
Besides being full of the stuff that comes out at the other end of my mouth, as some people might say (jokingly, of course) I am also filled to bursting with excitement and squeal-ation because I am going to meet my favourite author of ALL time: John Flanagan, on the 23rd of October!!!
He's going to be at the State Library (which is a ten minute tram ride from uni) and I will FINALLY meet him! I will have him sign my books! I will shake his hand! I will practically cry with happiness because it will be worth the angst I went through :D
Yes, surprisingly, I did have a lot of angst. I had to apply for a day off work and I didn't think my boss would let me-- I'm a tutor and I can't 'swap shifts' with someone else so easily because we all teach different subjects. I contemplated faking some dodgy doctor's appointment or a relative's death (don't tempt fate!) but I just didn't have the heart to do it. My boss is fantastic and if I lied to her, I would have ended up giving birth to a stone of guilt.
I stared at my application for a day off form for ages, wondering how I could possibly provide a 'reason' in two lines. Meeting John Flanagan meant much more than two mere lines! So I started typing on Microsoft Word, thinking maybe there might be something good I could say. It kind of started off as a joke but I ended up writing an entire page and the more time I spent on it, the more I realised I meant what I said. Then, because I couldn't give my boss two lines, I printed off my letter and handed that in.
This is what I gave my boss:
As I am sure the many students I tutor, the other tutors and the receptionists can assure you without hesitation, I am a committed person. I am dedicated and avid, I am devoted and my overzealousness can be proved by my attendance at work: never have I missed a class and, in fact, I have even completed overtime by covering for other tutors! It is blindingly obvious that tutoring is a passion of mine. However, I regret to say tutoring is not my only passion. As stated in my resume and our company website, I enjoy (to the point of obsession) writing and reading so much it is starting to become a fault. I can hear you asking how on earth a hobby could be so disparaging but it is the reason I am asking for the last two hours off on Sunday the 23rd.
My favourite author, John Flanagan, has visited many places overseas and throughout Australia while holding book signings with his adoring fans. Unfortunately for me, John has always sidestepped our city and plowed on ahead to the more iconic places such as Sydney and Queensland. Whenever I find out other lucky admirers have the chance to meet him, a small part of me crumbles and dies because I cannot meet the author who inspired me in so many ways.
But all of that has changed. John is coming to Melbourne for the first time and I, as one of his adoring fans, would love nothing more than to have the chance to shake his hand and ask him the questions that have burned to be answered for a very, very long time. Ever since I picked up the first book three years ago, my mind has piled up question after question and if they are not answered in depth soon, there is a good chance my head will spontaneously combust. I admit some of the tension has been released through John’s last book The Lost Stories in which he answers the many questions fans have asked over the years and provided greater insight into the lives of not only the main characters but also the secondary ones which we all appreciate. I too, asked John a question and he graciously took the time to post a video on Youtube and Facebook answering my question. Yes, John specifically answered my question! He said my name in the video and I am sincerely flattered, so much so that I cannot cease my giggles and squeals every time I watch it. As John took the time to answer my question, I believe it is only courteous, polite and the social norm to thank him in person for his time writing, his effort with his fans and his inspiration to generations of readers. By that, I don’t mean John has been writing a long time, I mean that his books are brilliant enough to have the ability to appeal to a large demographic.
As you have probably already inferred, John has an unbelievably large fan base and simply on his Facebook page alone, he has 10, 635 likers. It is by no means an exhaustive number. Just as there are millions, if not billions of silent readers of blogs, magazines and newspapers, there are potentially several thousands of readers that enjoy John’s books. You must admit, this only adds credibility to the embodiment of amazement we know as John Flanagan. Those who are fortunate enough to be in his exalted presence are blessed with the memory of meeting such awesomeness and fantastic-osity and in what universe can one protest against meeting one as awe-inspiring as John Flanagan?
To see my favourite author with my own two eyes would be the cherry on top of the sprinkles of tutoring complementing the ridiculously wonderful sundae that is my life and to be refused the chance to meet with my idol, my icon, my hero would be akin to refusing me my twenty amino acids and elements necessary for life—my health would rapidly spiral into the blackness of deterioration and I fear I will never be the same bubbly, beautiful and confident Silvia ever again.
So yeah, Linda, can I please take Sunday eleven to one off? I’ve already talked to John (the tutor, not the author) and he’s willing to cover for me =)
~~~~~
SHE ACCEPTED IT!!
I was gobsmacked, but hey, who could argue against a letter as persuasive as mine? ;)
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