Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
1st day of classes
I think I have always managed to make myself seem like a fool the first day of classes. Today was definitely not an exception! Officially, February 22 was the first day of classes. But, I have wonderfully worked out my schedule where I only have classes- Tue, Wed, and Thur. Fridays are absolutely freee!! But there is one draw back to this magnificent schedule. On Tuesdays I have class from 2-8 PM straight. So today was my first day of class on that crazy Tuesday.
I am a junior in College, yet I messed up like a freshman today. This is advice for anyone who decides to go to a new school, and wish to spare themselves the uncomfortable humiliation of stumbling into lecture late.
Mistake #1- Not printing out your course schedule
ADVICE #1- PRINT IT OUT AND GLUE A COPY TO YOUR BODY!
Why didn't I do this? Because I didn't feel like going to the computer lab to print it out. So I didn't. Result: Wandering around the lecture hall trying to find my classES (emphasis on the ES because I looked for all my classes today). On my class list, it has the building number and there is this hall called Manning clark center.
In my arrogance, I thought oh yea I know the building!It's a lecture hall. When I walk in, it's not like wheeler where there is one auditorium - oh noo!! it's 3 auditoriums and 3 theatres. Not remembering what theatre I was supposed to be in, I walked into the first hall and plopped down. Couple minutes before the hour, the professor (lecturer) put up a slide that said computer science. I looked around and ducked out. So I spent the next 10 minutes bobbing my head in and out of all 6 lecture halls. Finally, I resolving to one with Newmedia200 flickering off the projector. My first class in Australia.
I think it's funny how all classes have a pretty similar first day, dishing out the academic policies and the course description. I have to say, the Aussie accents weren't as enticing as they sound...it was a little drag. There before me was a little women with unruly hair, going on about a wiki page. Apparently in this class our main project is a wiki group page and then a couple papers. Doesn't seem that bad. They call their grades "assessments", no Mid-term crap. Just projects and final papers. They also explain papers not by pages, but by words. So I have a few short term paper 800-1000 and a few long ones 2,000 and one really long one 4,0000. That now seems pretty painful because 5 pages is about 2000 so 4,000 is 10 pages (single spaced!) OUCH!
Anyhow, it's the course. So in my media class, we watched a strange video movie using "new" media done in 1929 Russia. Strange first class. After the class, I had no time to run to the library to double check my class location, so I bobbed in a lecture hall and found an open computer to double check again.
The lecture halls are all new and the desks are different, reminds me of the mini-lecture halls in evans. All lectures are recorded =). Anywho, I got to my Democracy in Southeast Asia class a tad late as well. Oh yea, all my class have less than 20 people in them. It's really small courses. So it's really OBVIOUS to walk in late. Great...Anyways, he dragged on about politics and I itched to get to my next lecture across the campus. I picked up a map and drew my destination so I knew where to go. Rushing off, I forgot my map.
ADVICE #2: keep a spare map!
I wandered to the Coombs lecture hall.
I FOUND A LECTURE HALL THAT IS WORSE THAN DWINELLE! I didn't think it was possible, but oh the architectural capability to complicate a building! This little building is probably the most difficult thing to navigate in my life.
It's shaped like a honey comb, with 3 hexagon shaped buildings squished together. The numbering is wrong because it goes from 7,000 to 2,000 to 1,000. I wandered and wandered looking for my lecture. I almost wanted to cry.
Finally, I asked inquiries where the lectures are and he mentioned an extension building. A light went off in my head, OHhhhh yeaaa Coombs extension hall. DAMN IT! So I stumbled into lecture 30 minutes late. I was the best lecture of the day. I'm really excited about my semester. I just have one more class tomorrow morning and then I'm free all week long. No tutorials (section) this week!
absolute glee!
I am a junior in College, yet I messed up like a freshman today. This is advice for anyone who decides to go to a new school, and wish to spare themselves the uncomfortable humiliation of stumbling into lecture late.
Mistake #1- Not printing out your course schedule
ADVICE #1- PRINT IT OUT AND GLUE A COPY TO YOUR BODY!
Why didn't I do this? Because I didn't feel like going to the computer lab to print it out. So I didn't. Result: Wandering around the lecture hall trying to find my classES (emphasis on the ES because I looked for all my classes today). On my class list, it has the building number and there is this hall called Manning clark center.
In my arrogance, I thought oh yea I know the building!It's a lecture hall. When I walk in, it's not like wheeler where there is one auditorium - oh noo!! it's 3 auditoriums and 3 theatres. Not remembering what theatre I was supposed to be in, I walked into the first hall and plopped down. Couple minutes before the hour, the professor (lecturer) put up a slide that said computer science. I looked around and ducked out. So I spent the next 10 minutes bobbing my head in and out of all 6 lecture halls. Finally, I resolving to one with Newmedia200 flickering off the projector. My first class in Australia.
I think it's funny how all classes have a pretty similar first day, dishing out the academic policies and the course description. I have to say, the Aussie accents weren't as enticing as they sound...it was a little drag. There before me was a little women with unruly hair, going on about a wiki page. Apparently in this class our main project is a wiki group page and then a couple papers. Doesn't seem that bad. They call their grades "assessments", no Mid-term crap. Just projects and final papers. They also explain papers not by pages, but by words. So I have a few short term paper 800-1000 and a few long ones 2,000 and one really long one 4,0000. That now seems pretty painful because 5 pages is about 2000 so 4,000 is 10 pages (single spaced!) OUCH!
Anyhow, it's the course. So in my media class, we watched a strange video movie using "new" media done in 1929 Russia. Strange first class. After the class, I had no time to run to the library to double check my class location, so I bobbed in a lecture hall and found an open computer to double check again.
The lecture halls are all new and the desks are different, reminds me of the mini-lecture halls in evans. All lectures are recorded =). Anywho, I got to my Democracy in Southeast Asia class a tad late as well. Oh yea, all my class have less than 20 people in them. It's really small courses. So it's really OBVIOUS to walk in late. Great...Anyways, he dragged on about politics and I itched to get to my next lecture across the campus. I picked up a map and drew my destination so I knew where to go. Rushing off, I forgot my map.
ADVICE #2: keep a spare map!
I wandered to the Coombs lecture hall.
I FOUND A LECTURE HALL THAT IS WORSE THAN DWINELLE! I didn't think it was possible, but oh the architectural capability to complicate a building! This little building is probably the most difficult thing to navigate in my life.
It's shaped like a honey comb, with 3 hexagon shaped buildings squished together. The numbering is wrong because it goes from 7,000 to 2,000 to 1,000. I wandered and wandered looking for my lecture. I almost wanted to cry.
Finally, I asked inquiries where the lectures are and he mentioned an extension building. A light went off in my head, OHhhhh yeaaa Coombs extension hall. DAMN IT! So I stumbled into lecture 30 minutes late. I was the best lecture of the day. I'm really excited about my semester. I just have one more class tomorrow morning and then I'm free all week long. No tutorials (section) this week!
absolute glee!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
feb walkabout
Sorry my readers. I haven't written in a while. My excuse is because 1) I didn't want to waste my uncles bandwidth ( yet I did waste alot watching How I Met Your Mother online )
2) I wasn't feeling the photo uploading crap because it took so long,
3) I'll admit it, I'm just damn lazy.
So there. I decided that it is time to recap my past 2 weeks for you as I sit quietly in my new dorm room for the first time. I have decidedly chosen moments that stand out to me. I will call this my feb 15 day walkabout.
Journey Number 1: I'm in Canberra.
Put it this way: my melodramatic writing on my last post was a result an emotional overload and sheer amusement. My insides were turning, waiting for a chance to explore the land down under. I felt cooped up in my uncle Edo's house. It's not that I did not appreciate my uncle. On the contrary, Auntie Silvia graciously offered me a room and I had a place to stay. My uncle was more than happy to take me around the area. But I felt I wasn't traveling. I was at Telstra Tower for those pictures. It's a huge telecommunication company in the country and it has this tower at the top of Black Mountain. The view is amazing, but there is nothing more to say about it.
So I decided to write something dramatic to describe an intense version of Canberra. Because Canberra is referred to by some as “CAN-BORING”. It is the equivalent of Washington, minus the classical architecture, Obama, Democrats and Republic showdowns and the Washington shenanigans that carry on everyday. Exchange D.C. for Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, multi-cultural embassy displays, gigantic roundabouts, and a glaring Australian flag atop a white spire building.
It's a small city, “in between” Melbourne (7 hours by car/ 50 minute flight) and Sydney (3 hours by bus). I like Canberra. I sincerely do. It's just small. I'm more of a city girl, but I think this might work for me. If not, it's a chance to work hard in school. But UNI will be amazing.
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