Uni’s out for 2008!!! CELEBRATE!
admin November 14th, 2008
It’s been a while since semester hell!
Not to say this semester wasn’t hell or anything; it has been very stressful, especially with the additional pressures revolving around getting into Honours and all that (AKA: passing with a good mark). Nothing was certain, and still isn’t, so I’m going to continue to pray… But for now…
I’ve survived yet another semester of uni! <3
Barely got by with a massive sleep debt (have a jabbing headache as I type), I’m currently lounging around, cleaning my room, and doing things I haven’t done in a while, like sleeping (might do that after this entry)!
So how was uni for 3rd year 2nd semester for me?
- Stressful: a lot of work!
As per usual, but I’m not sure which semester had more work (excluding the overload in semester 1)! Whatever it is, should be used to it!
- Disappointment
I had placed so much effort and haven’t been getting what I thought as “a very good mark”.
For example, I had an advanced literature review to do, 3000 words for 15%… After 2 whole weeks of stress, planning, searching, reading, understanding, writing and editing, an end product came out, and I was proud of it. However…
On the side before finishing this article, I had a mid-semester exam which I studied quite a lot for, quite well I thought… Results weren’t out till I completed my literature review article (which I was so pleased… until went online to saw my mid-session mark and got discouraged again). ARGH!
- Excitement + paranoia
Many things that were exciting, like getting a summer vacation scholarship unexpectedly (supervisor only allowed one place and it was already taken up, but he somehow accepted me as well).
- Oscillating excitement/paranoia/disappointment
With the last two points mentioned, there are a lot of these moments throughout semester, just one after another, and again! Emotional roller-coaster, but not as bad as last semester (where the two variables were motivated/demotivated)
- Better exam timetable
- 30.10.08 - Recombinant DNA techniques (theory)
- 01.11.08 - Human biochemistry
- 06.11.08 - Recombinant DNA techniques (practical)
- 12.11.08 - Molecular cell biology
- 13.11.08 - Immunology
-Though I start early, I end late.
-Though I had more exams than people around I know had, they were quite evenly spread out, and that forced me to give myself a time limit on things, spending sufficient time on each on (no more no less).
-Though I have a back-to-back exam (of which are worth 40% and 55% respectively), I am grateful for the amount of time in between I have to study for it. Even though I had to take a whole day off studying to get ready and attend my aunt’s wedding.
Whatever anyone said, I could officially say that (a) I was pleased with my timetable this time around, and (b) you’ll survive that timetable, can’t be any worse than my timetable last semester! I was so paranoid that the exam times would change, and if it did, I was seriously cursed… however, it didn’t, and I was heaps happy 
Oh and no bombings, no roof tile collapsing, etc. So no complaints here!
- Pressure
Self-induced pressure on myself for reasons mentioned above!
- Supportive and loving family
Always will, always has been. Very grateful for this. Relieves a lot of stress when I know everything’s been done. I’m going to try and make it up now Starting with the dishes ^^;
Anyway.
I found out something, and I just want to remark, “told you, our year’s cursed”. You’ll understand. Ok, here is an excerpt:
Changes to the Academic Calendar in 2009 and 2010
September 2008
The University has reviewed the structure of the Academic Calendar following feedback from students and staff on the 12-week teaching semester introduced in 2008.
At its September meeting, the Academic Board noted the intention to introduce several changes to the Calendar in 2009 with full implementation from 2010. The Calendar will continue to be based on the 12-week standard teaching period model. The key features and changes are:
1. Adoption of “12 weeks in 13” semester structure. Within a 12-week-based teaching period, classes may be scheduled to run in 12 of 13 weeks. For example, lectures might commence in the first week and run until Week 12, while tutorials might commence and end a week later (see the example below). This will allow courses to have ’sequenced’ content in tutorials and laboratories. Schools will determine the offering pattern of classes in their courses within the “12 weeks in 13” framework.
Example of “12 weeks in 13” delivery structure for a course with lectures, laboratories and tutorials
Week 1 - Lectures commence - Prep. Lab. only; no tutes
Week 2 - Lectures continue - Labs, tutes, etc commence
Week 13 - No lectures - Final labs, tutes, etc
2. Restoration of the study break and examination periods to standardised durations (equivalent to pre-2008 arrangements). Saturday and evening exam sessions will be retained.
3. Uniprep and reStart activities held in Week 1 in parallel with reduced teaching activities. This compulsory week will assist students to prepare academically for their studies. Faculty-run activities will include introductions to laboratories for specific courses, OHS training, studio competencies and similar activities. Voluntary activities will include reStart workshops for returning students.
4. Aligning Semester 1 mid-semester break with at least 1 week of NSW school holidays and Easter public holidays.
5. The Semester 2 mid-semester break to fall after the seventh week of classes.
6. Minimisation of public holidays that fall in teaching weeks.
That’s all for now!