The First Week Back

[Dameon]

Boy am I ever tired!!!

This is the first time I've had to sit down and get some breath.

First I had to go into town with my Mum. She needed to give me the cash to buy my text books. So I had to walk to Uni from the bank, which is quite a distance!

Then I had to line up for ten minutes to pay for my bricks! (For those not up with Uni-Lingo, Bricks are big books full of photocopies). But my politics Brick be not available yet. STUPID LECTURER!!! So I paid for the other too.

And then I went looking for the building where I pick up one of my history bricks, but I couldn't find it. So I picked up the other two instead. And then I found a map, and saw the building, so I had to walk ALL THE WAY THERE, and get TWO more bricks! And by now my bag was pretty heavy. Probably a good thing I couldn't get my Pol Sci brick or I might have died. They don't call 'em bricks for nothing you know!

And then I had to go to the bookshop to buy my text books. I had seven to buy, but I could only get three! I had to reserve one and just wait for the others. And *sucks in breath* Even these three alone were ludicrously expensive!!!

Then I had to go to credit union (which is thankfully on campus, right across from the bookshop!) to deposit my remaining cash.

And I've been trying to get in contact with my boss. But he is NOT an easily contactable man, so I'm angry with him because it's super important!!!

So yeah. Now I'm tired! And I have a lecture in a little over half an hour.

But I like my new subjects so far. I haven't had a chance to look through my books, but the covers seem interesting! And the people in my lectures and tutes seem nice.

I have my new Archaeology course for the first time in a mo, so I'll let you know how everything else goes later.

I just started this thread because I needed to vent my frustration about the first week back, and I was just wondering how everyone else is feeling? So...

Have you started school/uni yet?
Are you enjoying your new classes?
Any similar text book problems to mine?
Do other Unis have excessive queueing going on?
Has anyone started a new subject their excited about?

Have a vent and let us all know how you're liking the new semester!

KSL

[Elspethseeker]

I am still on hols!

Watch i'll be in school sometime and you all on hols.

[Blindmouse]

Yeah, I'm back (Monash Uni). First class yesterday, at 4pm. How cool is that? I love mondays that don't require getting up in the morning.

It was a good class too - 3rd year spanish. I thought it was another grammar class, but it turns out to be about changing cultural identities in Spain, which is much more interesting. And the lecturer is a native English speaker, so his Spanish is very careful, and easy to understand, unlike the native speakers who gabble on a hundred words a second with thick Uruguyan accent. It was a really relaxed class, and he got everyone talking at least a bit, not just the frighteningly adept students, which is quite an achievement in a language class.

Mind you I started reading the set text for next class, rejoicing over the fact that there was only one compulsory reading and it was in English, and found that it's thirty pages of complex social theory. So hmm...

I have no classes today, and I have no job yet since losing my last one (timetable didn't fit it this semester), so I have today off. To recover from the early 4pm start.


blindmouse

[~Ethereal~]

I don't go back till next week, but I had to go into my uni this morning to change my classes. For some reason, one of my classes had just been entirely left off my enrolment, and I wanted to switch one of my other classes.
I was expecting a long wait at the faculty office and then and argument before anythign got done. But it was really good. It took me about 5 minutes to fix up and there were no problems. Except waiting for the bus to get home I really need a car......

[Glynnavyre]

I start my last semseter of TAFE on thursday... It's good cause I've only got three subjects. Two on Thursday and one on Friday so my week looks pretty good!

I don't have text books because the whole thing is alot like School... There's only 19 people in my course left so we're never in big lecture halls but little classrooms and I've got all the same teachers as I have had throughout the course...

I tell you what, I'm going to throw the BIGGEST party in December when I graduate... And you'll all invited...

I'll give you an update after I start back at the end of this week...
I hope It's all going well for everybody else!

[avra]

Started back at "real" uni yesterday. For the past week, I've been doing a bridging course where they attempt to teach us everything that everyone else did in first semester all in just one week. The course I'm talking about here is medicine, so feel really comforted about the fact that we fortunately dont do anything terribly important in first semester, so your doctor will still hopefully know what they're doing at the end of it, despite doing the "abridged version".

Pretty much every other course isnt back at uni yet until next week, so fortunately the book room isnt too packed yet. I'm planning on getting all my bricks this week before the chaos begins...

[Emerald]

Yeah i started back this week... back at ACU... It's a nice uni and all but their administration is terrible... For some reason all of the admin for our Melbourne campus is done in Brisbane.. So we all got 2 enrolments and last week we finally got our results after they had been sent to brisbane and then sent back... Dont ask me why!! And someone up there allocates our tutes as well. This semester I'm doing a health and physical education subject at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic center. That tute is at 8:00-9:50 and then they expect some people to get back to uni, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CITY by 10... a trip that takes 20-25 mins by tram...

This semester I have three 8 am starts so i'm not happy! I hate getting up early with a passion!!! Especially when it's still dark outside! it's not right i tell you!!! I could never work in a job that required me to get up that early... So i have to get up at 6am in order to be ready by 6:45 so i can get to the train by 7... on wednesdays i drive in as i only go for half the day.

So i was originally gonna have to go in at 8 on mondays tuesdays and thursdays, but i managed to change the monday tute to a wednesday so i get to sleep in on mondays...yay! and the other good thing is that the 1 hour subject i have to go in on fridays for is only on a few times so i basically only have to go in 3 days, and i managed my work so i work on wednesdays after uni so i have a very long weekend and only have to work all day saturday... yipee

Another good thing is that i only have 2 bricks this semester and only one text book! so the 8 am starts are balanced out a bit by the fact that i only have to go in 3 days and that my uni books/bricks arn't sending me into debt.

So there you have it... *sigh* if only i could get my degree without doing any work...

[Lauren Hedgehog]

i start back at uni (UQ) next week, but i'm dreading it. my advanced studies lecturer conviced almost everyone in my class (including me) to do five subjects this semester, which was fine until i looked at my timetable and couse work load, and now i'm very PANICED!!! All of my sujects require 3, 1hour lectures, 1, 1hour tute and a 3hour prac each week. AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! someones going to be a busy girl this semester. price wise for books its not two bad because i already had most of them but they are all HUGE and i can only fit one big and one small into my backpack and even that is breaking my bag. I have to sew all the splitting seems up about every two weeks. My ranting finished i do find uni lots of fun and i hope everyone else has a great next semester ;D

lauren hedgehog

[shadowkat]

Kayt said:

So yeah. Now I'm tired! And I have a lecture in a little over half an hour.
- KSL

So just as well you're in first week. Still on course outlines, no?

I'll be thinking of you as I'm enjoying my four day weekend. Last exam was this afternoon.

[Dameon]

You just had exams?

That's kinda unusual. What uni be thee at?

How come your terms are so funny?

KSL

[shadowkat]

I'm in year 12 in Tas so I only get three terms. Down here the education system hasn't quite caught onto the fact that 'mid-year' doesn't mean July/August.

[Miska]

wow u no i wouldnt mind that shadowkat!

but GOSH all of u seem to have the worst semester yet! im quiet looking forward to mine this time! i start tomorrow and have 2 days! for a full time, final yr science student im absolutly shocked! im feelin like an arts student! and to top it off it is my last semester since i passed everything! (unless i do honnors -but ill need to pick up my marks for that) so GO ME!!! anyway ive got a busy semester with activities not related to uni work/study but uni clubs! another ski trip, wine tasting weekend and lost of concerts! :S but meh...dont need any books just ogt to learn how to catch bees! :S ...*sigh* but ill let u all no on wednesday how my first week went! hehehe i cant believe 2 days can be a week :S .... i dont want to no how much extra work im goin to have to put into this semester!

[Glynnavyre]

I'm a last semester sports student and only have one and a half days contact... Don't know what to do with myself!
;D ;D

[~Ethereal~]

Well, I had my first day back today. It wasn't too painful.
Miska and Glynnavere had only a couple of days contact, and I'm the arts student and I have 4 days this semester. Only a few hours on each day, btu 4 days nonetheless.....which is kinda annoying because it cuts back on the time I can work. It would be really good if I could switch that 1 hr tute on thursday to another day...I hate having 1 hr days.

[Squarmi]

I don't go back for a couple more weeks. But main campus is back so I'm back at college for Silly Season. I have had clinical placement during the hols though. Finished my practical but still have an assignment to do. The queues will be hell when we get back though.

Squarmi

[Lix]

first week back and i still havent gone into uni yet! god i love part time

[Lol]

I started working at Uni of NSW about a month ago. Suddenly all the students are back... *blink*

I think I'd forgotten how crowded campus life is...

BTW, is anyone here at UNSW? I have a feeling Netty and Maria are, but I haven't seen them around in a while...

[Cat-Eyes]

I'm in my third week back at school... Dodgy... So boring. Some of my new electives are good though.

Cat

[Miska]

ooooo i get less then an arts student! WOW!!!!! well lets say my first day back consisted of fun fun fun! i managed to win a huge toblorone chocy bar!!! (ok my lab partner did but he doesnt eat chocolate!!!) and i spent the morning/lunch time in the bar catching up with everyone from my NZ trip!!! that also happened today! so im kinda happy!!! ok was until i got my a$sesment schedual! I HAVE TO GIVE A PRESENTATION TO THE CEO OF THE COMPANY I AM DOIN A RESEARCH PROJECT ON!!!!! im sooo scared!!!

[Clare]

Three subjects. That's all a second year arts student need do for a full-time study load. I have three subjects. How is it possible that ALL THREE OF MY SUBJECTS CLASH?

No, no... let me rephrase that.

HOW IS IT POSSIBLE THAT ALL THREE OF MY SUBJECTS CLASH WHEN THEY ARE ALL WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHAEOLOGY?

Do I want to spend my first day trawling through the university websites looking for the contact details of the lecturers, composing polite but frantic emails along the lines of "Is there anyway I can complete the course requirements without actually being in class or having to add an extra year to my degree?" Do I want to spend my first day visiting Student Centres, Arts Admin, School of Philosophical and Historical Inquiry (SOPHI... god I love witty acronyms) to be told that there's nothing that can be done about it and the onus is on me to chose my subjects and make the timetable work.

So yes, I had all holidays to do something about it... but sadly all the emails I sent then weren't to the right people. Now why would that be? WHY! BECAUSE NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING UNLESS IS DIRECTLY RELATES TO THEIR OWN LIFE. Nobody tells me that there is such thing as a Degree/Careers consultancy who is actually willing to guide your subject selections should such clashes occur. No, that requires bumping into another student fifteen minutes before the first and only class for the day who had a similar problem and who had stumbled across this amazing woman by accident.

**grinds teeth**

[Miska]

*HUGS CLARE* thats so typical syd uni for u! *hugs more*

[Dameon]

*big hug*

I totally feel your pain!!!

Stupid Uni!!!

KSL

[Elspeth]

Dear Clare, it sounds like you need to go to the Dining Hall and have a rant in Kayt's rant thread. It's just so wonderful when you consult a dozen different people within one organisation and each one has a conflicting thing to tell you. Did you seek this amazing woman out? Has she helped you? Ah, now look at me - I can't rest until I know. In fact, I'm seriously considering writing a very disapproving email to this Department of Archaeology, telling them to get their act together and pull their heads out of their respective archaeological digs.

[Glynnavyre]

ahahahahahahaha lol ;D

You tell em Buneater!
Clare to help you I'm going to shake my fist really hard and say 'D*amn you uni's... HOW COULD YOU DO THIS!?'

I hope that worked...

[Clare]

It did wonders. I'm sure it was your singular efforts that made the department suggest alternative times for the offending class. Now I have to keep my fingers cross and I hope that those alternative times don't clash with someone else's timetable!

In the meantime I've written to the Amazing Degree Consultancy Woman, some lecturer for Anatomy (evolution of human muscles and skeleton) to see if there are any spare spots in the class and have also continued trawling through the handbooks for other subjects I can take.

Apparently if I take the anatomy class, I have to have vaccines and chop up things with a dissection kit. The last dissection I did was in highschool. All I remember is a mashed up heart that could have been put in a tin and sold as catfood. I suppose one has to chop up hearts properly at uni.