Yes, I'm ecstatic! My timetabling troubles are OVER... for this semester, at least.
But I managed to fit all my classes into lovely slots (though Wednesdays are going to be a killer) and I even have a day off, yay! Even better, I'll have time for lunch. No-one misses lunch. It's the best meal of the day after dinner.
I was worried about my timetable because I had a clash... and really, I didn't get much help. The guy on the phone bounced me to the Student Centre and the lady there told me to wait till the international students started signing up so more classes would be available. But yes, everything worked out so it's fine now. And sheesh, I was worried because I was the only one of my friends who had a clash and I was facing the possibility of giving up my breadth D;
AND WHO WOULD WANT TO GIVE UP THEIR INTERESTS, HUH?! If I ever meet someone who was crazy enough to let go of something they loved doing, I'd give them a good slap in the face.
But no more depression now. It's over!
Oh wait, but I still have to find a job, uni and all, food and such expenses. Somebody tell me, why is it so hard to find a job? I thought employment rates were going up. I guess I did read that quite a while ago. All the employed people have taken up the vacant positions and left me with nothing. I contribute to unemployment rates. I'm a statistic. I'm going so far in life. My parents must be so proud.
Yes, that was sarcasm if you didn't pick it up.
Let me tell you, this stuff is horrible.
"Stuff? What stuff?" you ask me.
"Job searching," I answer. Putting yourself out there and hoping a stranger will call and make you an offer. It's not a nice wait and the anticipation sucks.
And the employers! Bah!
Those monsters from hell see your resume and they imagine your eagerness, your shining, beaming face and excitement to provide quality service. They sneer at your naivety and your inexperience and hurl your resume into the paper shredder, slashing your hopes, your dreams and most of all, your potential job.
They don't even have the decency to send you an automated email saying: "Sorry, you failed."
On second thoughts, that's actually pretty decent of them.
Still Doll
Here's one of my favourite songs. Hope you enjoy~
Today was such a ramble. I sincerely hope I'll have something better next time.
~Ouroboros
I could just squeal I am so happy. I finally rearranged a timetable that ACTUALLY FITS IN WITH MY WORK AND THE LIFE I PRETEND TO HAVE =D
*dances*
So I should probably introduce myself before I go into my usual rants. You may disregard my excitement above for a formal introduction:
Hello my name is Shae or Nae whichever, short for my much too often mispronounced first name. I am starting First Year Arts and my major this semester is Creative Writing
Before I forget there is one thing I must mention, THRESHERMANS BAKERY. It is a less than 5 min walk from the Swanston St Tram stop, down Faraday St. It is AMAZING. I CANNOT EXPRESS MY LOVE FOR ALL THINGS PASTRY THAT ARE VEGETARIAN =D
Yup I am Vegie! Anyway this bakery I am not even kidding is AMAZING, best pastry EVER. It’s cheap too!
Anyway, back to me, I live on the Belgrave/Lilydale Line and have about 1 ½ hr commute to Uni each day, less on express trains. (EXPRESS TRAINS ARE AMAZING) (That is probably the only thing I can comment on public transport that is positive)
My obsessions: Mary Poppins, Dalmatians, Schedules, All things rainbow or tie-dyed.
Umm what else, I love the city, being in the city, just in general. It’s fun and I like exploring and jumping on random trams and getting lost! :P
So yeah … OH I FORGOT… THERE IS A SUPERMARKET ON CAMPUS. THAT IS JUST UNBELIEVABLY COOL, probably because you can get chocolate icypoles there for $1.30!!!
(These ramblings will finish soon, hang in there!)
Synopsis: I am excited for uni. Oh and I am a mega huge absolute nerd.
So anyway I am going to go and try and figure out what I will be doing in O Week … hmm what clubs to join … ooh free stuff.
;) Nae!
So hi, I'm Ouroboros, one of the 2011 bloggers, nice to meet you ;)
It's probably best I introduce myself first, so you get a good idea of what I'm like before I plunge into my sad story (so that you'll sympathise with me and not my cruel, cold-blooded friends).
I'm eighteen years old and I'll be studying the Bachelor of Science this year, yay! Who else can't wait? I've been lazing around the house so long (roughly three months) I'm actually desperate to start studying... nerd, I hear you say. Of course not. I'm just that bored.
Of all the eighteen years I've been alive, I don't think I've actually remembered much of it. I'm pretty scatterbrained and I've got the memory of a goldfish. People tell me that sometimes, and I reply, "Those fishies are pretty." And if that doesn't tell you anything, let me tell you now. I've got the mentality of a ten year old- my friends all agree.
And seriously, what kind of a ten year old knows public transport like the back of their hand? I sure as heck didn't know a thing when I was ten and I'm still just as clueless now.
I go to the city by public transport like most of the uni students and seriously, I can only take the train. After that, I rely solely on my friend to read tram timetables and take us to our destination. So when a whole bunch of us head out to Melbourne Central and I have an interview at Melbourne Uni (for this blog!), what do we do?
Oh, they were so kind. They came with me part of the way, then abruptly decided to split up at MC. I asked them pitifully, with huge bambi-about-to-burst-into-doe-eyed-tears-eyes: "But how do I get there?! I don't know which tram to take!"
Their short, curt, frigid answer?
"Take any tram!"
Take any tram indeed. They were adamant I'd have to learn my way around the city because this would be my 'new life'.
Then there were the questions: Which stop was I supposed get off at? Which direction do I walk after that? How do I get back?! And the answers respectively were: Near the Sidney Myer. It's around there. Take the opposite tram.
Well, that helped.
Actually, it did a little. Just a smidge. I got off near somewhere I recognised and cut ALL THE WAY across campus. I'm not joking. From the medical building to the Baldwin Spencer building. A huge frinking diagonal line across the uni map. You know what was the most agitating part? It took longer than I expected. Seriously, the distances on the map is nowhere near the actual distances. The scale is so wrong! And the weather did not help. It had been raining, it was humid and my feet were killing me, courtesy of ill-fitting shoes. And just a side-note, I put on another pair I bought only hours earlier and that killed even more. What the heck?!
But in the end I found the building... then I got lost WITHIN that building. Honestly, it was a maze. A MAZE, I say. But luckily for me, there were many people who did not mind me knocking at their doors and being a total pest. They pointed me in the right direction and even went so far as to find others to help.
Pause.
Let me thank those selfless people. Thank you for not dismissing me like my friends did. You are truly angels.
Resume.
So great, in the end I got through it all and whoot-whoot, great experience. The totally awesome head of blogging man even pointed out to me the direction back to MC. Thank you (I know you're reading this, you did warn me), you saved me many anxious minutes and an anxiety attack.
Well, it did end with a happily ever after. I became a blogger and realised my friends are terrible, they are cruel, unforgiving and they do not deserve my love. But as my love is unconditional, they'll continue to receive it whether I want to give it or not.
Till next time,
~Ouroboros
Just a quick note to say please watch this space as we are in the final stages of the selection process for new 2011 Bloggers. So stay tuned for more new and exciting stories as our new students write about their first year experience at the University of Melbourne.
A little reminiscing story I wrote for the Physics Student Society orientation week Maglet* the ElectroMAG. Thought you might also like to read it. ^^ Enjoy!
Chapter 1: The First Day
Once upon a time there lived a little lab rat named Jingy. One day little lab rat Jingy heads off in what she thought was the right direction only to find that she walked ⅚ of the way around a building when she could have just walked the other ⅙. None the less, she had made it and walks in the door to find a lecture hall occupied ⅞ by little male lab rats and only ⅛ of which were little female lab rats, (less, if you disregarded any lab rats of unidentifiable gender.) When asked by Prof. Lecturer for his motive for choosing Physics Advanced, one lab rat described it perfectly in the words: “To pick up hot chicks.” However, little lab rat Jingy was not at all put off, and boldly sits herself in the front row next to a lab rat with what appeared to be a spike through his ear and a scowl on his face. “Hi! I’m lab rat Jingy! What’s your name!” Perhaps little lab rat Jingy was a little bit too enthusiastic since the Spike-Ear lab rat mumbles something equivocal before moving himself one seat along. But do not fear my friends, as this tale has a happy ending where little lab rat Jingy makes lots of cool (nerdy) lab rat friends with which to make (cool) nerdy jokes, and continues the semester by sitting in the second row and secretly placing safety pins in the back of Spike-Ear lab rat’s hoody.
Chapter 2: The Lecture Demonstration
One day little lab rat Jingy came to class thinking she has seen all the exciting demonstrations that could possibly exist: leaf blowers, beach balls, lecturer-maiming explosive match-heads… (just to name a few). In the front of the lecture hall is an assortment of strange objects, including what seemed to be a tube of rice bubbles. Little did little lab rat Jingy know what was coming for her. Prof. Lecturer pulls out a blowing vacuum and shows the little lab rats how airflow can make rice bubbles rise in a tube. But then, with a glint of evil in his eye, Prof. Lecturer tilts the vacuum up and rice bubbles are sprayed all across the lecture hall. “Ah, the cleaners hate it when I do this one,” Prof. Lecturer says with a tone of satisfaction. Little lab rat Jingy finds rice bubbles in her pencil case all throughout the following week. At least she’ll never go hungry.
Chapter 3: The Tutorial
This shall be a short chapter of the tale of little lab rat Jingy since Not-Quite-Dr. Tutor walks into the tutorial room and starts writing on the board only to turn around and find the whole class assembled around one lab-rat’s iphone reading xkcd.com .
Chapter 4: The Lab
There is substantial experimental evidence to show that lab rats do not survive three hours in a confined lab environment filled with clag and physics devices without something breaking, exploding or being thrown across the room. One day little lab rat Jingy and other little lab rats are called to attention by Far-From-Dr. Demonstrator who (fails to) show them how to put a ping pong ball in a cardboard tube and flick it out to demonstrate the effect of spin. Cricket-Playing lab rat thinks he can do better and takes the tube and ball from Far-From-Dr. Demonstrator. Suddenly, balls (and tubes) are flying through the air in all directions. None of them had any spin. The experiment was deemed a success.
Chapter 5: The Exam
One day little lab rat Jingy walks into a large examination hall with her little lab brain crammed with all sorts of physics. Three and a quarter hours later, little lab rat Jingy walks out of the examination hall and all she can remember about physics are matters regarding safety pins, rice bubbles, xkcd and pingpong balls.
The End
- Will you be starting first year at the University of Melbourne in 2011?
- Do you want to help future students understand what uni’s all about?
- Do you want to be part of an online community, sharing advice (and getting advice!) about how to settle into first year?
If you would, then please apply to be a first year blogger by down loading an application form at:
http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/transition/downloads/BlogFlyer2011.pdf
Fill it in and submit it to Transition & Orientation Programs 2nd floor, Baldwin Spencer Building, or email your responses to
rbaird@unimelb.edu.au
Just a quick not from the First_year@UniMelb team to say congratulations and welcome to the University of Melbourne community. We hope your time here is rewarding and fun. All the best and happy reading.
You wouldn't think it would be too different, but having a holiday as a uni student feels profoundly different to having a holiday after a year of school. I think it comes down to that extra bit of freedom. Clumsily trundling my way out of exam period I found that I could not stand the sight of my room let alone my desk, so I found myself taking any opportunity to escape that came my way. I can proudly say that I have spent more nights away from home than at home.
I have my book open on my lap as the train gets further and further away from Melbourne, but I'm not reading. My eyes are fixed out the window, and there it is! My first sight of the sea. I am travelling down the Frankston line to the south of Melbourne on the longest journey I have taken by metropolitan train; and I could be flying for all the freedom of it. At Franston I change to a bus and go to Sorento where my friend has a family holiday home. I lose the page that I was up to in my book.
A week later, I am travelling back to Sorento after spending the weekend at home. I can't help loving the fact that it feels like I popped into Melbourne for a weekend, rather than that I am going to Sorento for the week. Home, right now, is a restless place that stenches of unfiled study notes; regardless of what you spend your time doing you feel like you should be doing something else. In Sorento, I sit outside cross-legged on the veranda in a hoody and watch the aftermath of the rain drip from the tips of leaves, as sodden birds perched on electric wires preen themselves - and not an instant of time is wasted.
A week and twenty hours of flying later, I am opening all the cupboards and doors in the apartment that I will share with my sister in Rouen, France for a month. Everything is unfamiliarly brilliant and you look at everything twice. Homesickness? What's that?
Five weeks and no longer countable hours of flying later, I'm sitting in my room with papers, diaries (my 2010 and my 2011) and lists all around me. I eat raisin toast and green tea for breakfast with nostalgic appreciation. I strike out "to do list" on the pad in front of me and replace it with "stress-list". Part of me is glad to be back in Melbourne with the familiar sound of summer tennis in the background and friends in the same time zone. Part of me is on edge restless already, cramming things into my diary unsure of whether it makes me excited or stressed that every day I'm not sorting out things for uni and etc. I'm squeezing in time to meet up with people.
I open my new 2011 diary and flick forward two weeks. "TBC: go to Sorento," I jot down - in pen.
Helloooooo out there, whoever may be reading! I see that the tertiary offers are out. If you were going for something, then I hope you got what you were after! (and if you've gotten into Melbourne Uni... You're probably going to love it here. I know I do. Even if I do do a half-assed job of things... Ahem.)
For me, summer semester has been going for two weeks. This means I'm one third of the way through my course, and by next week, *halfway done.*
I have done... Nothing so far.
I know.
I know.
It's a terrible thing to admit. But at the moment, I've been moving around. First week, in Melbourne. Second week, back home in Gippsland, waiting. Third week... I don't know yet. I'm waiting to get someone to sign something so I'm officially allowed to move in with two of my friends. So there's no point in moving back to Melbourne with my granny if I might have to move a lot of stuff up eleswhere... Ugh! Confusing! Annoying! And there isn't a lot of point in commuting from Gippsland to MelbUni. Since I only have about an hour of classes a day, and it would take me 4 hours total per day on the bus. No. Not happening. Plus it's like $12 per day if I did.
I'm in limbo. And it's not very productive. It kinda sucks.
Midsemester test this week, too. This will be... Interesting. Going to have to cram again. I told myself I'd be a model student this semester since I've only got one class. I feel terrible.
Also - I got an exemption for practicals. I don't think the man in the coat wanted to give me one, because I didn't do very well. I passed by 5%, in fact. I don't mind though. I didn't want to have to wear my labcoat in summer. ^_^
I do recommend Summer Semester though. Especially if you fail Chemistry 2! I'm not saying you will... I'm just saying I did. So please don't fail Chemistry 2. This way you can do a fun subject over summer, if the fancy takes you! Woosh! =D
This post is about my new year's, struggling to find an apartment, and OH MY GOD UNI STARTS IN ONE DAY WHY DID I DO THIS TO MYSELF.
So I'll start off with the university-related thingy: summer semester is starting soon! I have to repeat Chemistry 2, which I could have done during Semester 2 of this year, or over the summer semester. I thought to myself: I should do it over summer, it's not like I have much else to do. But god, I'm dreading going back. It feels like I haven't even started relaxing - plus I have nowhere to stay at present. I should probably ring up my granny later and ask if she still has a room I can lay low in for about a month.
My least favourite part of Chemistry is the practicals. I suck at Chemistry. I'll always be the first to admit it. It interests me, but for some reason I can't make connections like others can when put on the spot. Plus my tutor from last semester's chemistry has left me permanently scarred - treated me like an idiot whilst not answering my questions, as if that's what I needed. Sigh!
And looking at my timetable, it seems the lectures go for two hours. TWO HOURS OF CHEMISTRY EVERYONE. *flees*
I've been house-hunting the last two months with a very close friend of mine and her boyfriend, so far unsuccessfully. It seems that it is very difficult for first-time renters our age. One apartment we were rejected for was back on the market afterwards, slightly cheaper. Something tells me we're going to have to be very very lucky to get an apartment... Ridiculous really.
On to New Years! I'll try to paint the picture, in reality this would take a lot longer to explain if I was to do it properly.
Basically, I was going to a Steampunk/Neo-Victorian Ball for new year's, called Euchronia. My two house mates agreed to come - let's call them Jeremy and Gertrude, but another two of my friends from a totally different circle also wanted to come, let's call them Beatrice and Gaylord.
Oh heck, let's cut the story even shorter. Beatrice acted like a total ditz the entire night, spoke to millions of people, and tried to drag me around, even though introverts (read: me) don't exactly party in a similar manner to extroverts (ie. her). She spent the night telling me how much she hated *all of my other friends except the ones she spoke to, ie. none.* and exactly why she hated them, which is because they don't buy expensive clothes. Basically, Beatrice acted like a spoilt brat the entire night and expected me to put up with this.
Gaylord, on the other hand, is a perfectly fun and functioning human being. Except that he has a mega-crush on me. Of the gaping and staring and awkward compliments variety. So even though I think he's quite awesome, and even though I've told him to back off, he still tends to make it amazingly awkward. SO AWKWARD. I'd like to have spent more time with him except that he told me my voice is like ambrosia. And, totally dead-pan, "you're. so. gorgeous." This happened a few times. He was rather drunk the entire night, and was all touchy-feely and for obvious reasons, his company was not too welcome.
So I spent most of the night with my other friends, Jeremy and Gertrude. Which made Beatrice *incredibly angry,* and Gaylord *incredibly sad.* At the end of the party, Jeremy and Gertrude had left, and somehow Gaylord, Beatrice and I had been invited into the member's lounge, where I was lounging and trying to keep my spirits high, which is hard at 2:30 in the morning when you don't drink, and ditzy and drooly are all you have for company.
One guy in a particularly awesome outfit came over to us and started talking to Gaylord and Beatrice, not saying anything much to me but watching me most of the time. He invited us back to some place he was staying where apparently a few other members were going back, for an after-party of the dodgiest description I've ever heard in my life. Beatrice and Gaylord, one being drunk and the other a moron, were like: YAY WOO LET'S GO, THIS WILL BE AWESOME, SHANNON, CAN WE GO, LET'S GO! Needless to say I smiled politely, said I was really tired, and dragged the unbearable duo back to Gaylord's place, where he invited me to sleep in his bed and I may have responded with a very harsh, GOOD. NIGHT, as I joined Beatrice (who actually pushed me off the bed at some point in the night).
People. That is all.
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