~*bitterswt*~

Thanks for asking. So far, it's not too hard to adjust. I like the courses that I'm taking, but I'm sort of going through the typical freshman doubts right now of whether Psychology is the program that I want to continue studying in my further years of uni. Everyone's been saying how first year is all about experimentation, finding out what you're good at & what you're horrible at...so I guess I'm just going to try my best to survive through this year and see how it goes from there.

Evie

That's good to know! Perhaps it's just me [and my perceptions of uni altogether], or is experimentation a bit of a waste of money? I know you can't put a price on figuring out what it is you want to do in life, professionally, but because of the way our courses are structured, we don't get that kind of course experimentation [because each course is specific to the field you're thinking of getting into], so I'm just thinking that's weird / cool 'cos we don't get that. Unless you do, say.. liberal arts which essentially is the course for the undecided.

Are your friends from high school there with you, or have you had to start over [somewhat, seeing as you'd have to make new friends in your classes.. ]?

~*bitterswt*~

For first year of Psychology, the only course for that program that you're required to take is the Intro to Psych course, and the rest 3 or 4 courses you wish to take are up to you. I guess it's good cause then you get to see what you're good/bad at, which will help you decide what you want to major/minor in later on. The reason I picked Psych as my program of study when I applied to uni was because I figured it left me open with a lot of options. If I do my undergrad in Psych, I could always apply to a law school later on. Or I could get my bachelor's degree with Psych, and then apply to the 2 year Journalism program. All the counsellors and profs keep stressing to us that we should try keep our options open, and figure out where we want to go next by using first year as a guide. Cause in high school here, you really don't have a clue what post secondary study is like or what kind of careers are out there until you actually get to university.

There are a few people from my high school who ended up going to the same uni as me, some I knew through clubs while others I used to have classes with, but don't know that well. But I guess this will be the time when I can get to know them better, seeing as though there's always a familiar face from my high school in each one of my classes. Most of my close friends ended up going to unis that are further away, so it's definately harder to see them often now.

What about you Evie? How does the school system work there, do you guys have to pick what career line you want to pursue right away in high school?

*~*Rach*~*

My Uni course is similar to Kay's - I'm doing Film & Media studies, and you have to take 120 credits to pass the year. In first year, every class is 10 credits, so you take 12 different classes (six in semester one, six in semester two) - I did a variety of things. There are only a couple that you actually have to do. I suck at Radio (okay, I don't suck, but I didn't like it!) and live video type stuff. Things that involve working in groups. So in second year I went more for the theoryish side (most classes in second year are 20 credits so you only do six) and did film history and screenwriting, because I know that's the kind of thing I can do.

This year is my last year and I'm doing a dissertation, which takes all year, and is worth 40 credits. So I only need to make up 80 credits during the year - I'm taking two classes this semester and three classes next semester to get my 120. It's a bit scary that I'm into my last year, though! Eep!

*OvErPrOtEcTeD*

Thanks Kay! Aww, that's huge that you've started uni! I remember being so overwhelmed in my first few months - more so by the lifestyle change than the workload. But it sounds like they have you working pretty hard already!

You're probably right. I tend to get on that high everyone gets after the assessment period. Aww. Thanks lovie! I think you're most deserving of your schlubbing time too. Your mum filled me in on how long your days are and what a good daughter you are helping out around the house. Ah, yes!! I'm so looking forward to the Delta's album and Visualise DVD/Kelly concert. It's what's getting me through! Seriously, I'm just like you - I'm a worse procrastinator than you give me credit. I've rewarded myself despite doing little or no work far too often this year. And I'm bound to buy the Visualise DVD the day it comes out and dig myself into the worst hole of procrastination EVER, rewinding and pausing, trying to spot you and I in the crowd. There's no way I'll be able to restrain myself despite my submission date being less than a week away!

It's true that Liberal Arts can be for the undecided. But at the same time, many students with a distinct idea of where they're headed (career wise) will do Arts and study units directly related to say, Journalism or Advertising, and get from A to B as quickly as in any career specific course. I know what Eves means though - it seems our courses are generally more career specific than other countries. It's also encouraged here that you choose a career path prior to choosing your uni course. If you decide you want to switch career paths during a course, transfers are available. I'm aware you can actually study a certain number of units from other faculties as an Arts student. You can add up to two units outside you own faculty - Business or Health Sciences, for example, could aid your qualification if you plan to be a Publishing Executive or Sports Journalist. But as you can see from that example, subject choices are always geared toward one career. If your choices allow flexibility that's seen as a bonus really!

My course choice made for some degree of flexibility while at the same time adhering to a main career objective. It was officially titled Arts (Professional Writing) which meant it was an Arts course but with exclusive pre-requisite units that could only be undertaken by the hundred or so students in my course. I had space to experiment with two elective units per semester. It didn't really matter whether they were directly relevant to your career, but it was advised that you choose carefully. Me, wanting to be on the safe side, always chose subjects relative to a career in writing/editing. I chose Philosophy and Linguistics and believe they were highly beneficial. Funnily enough, the pre-requisite subjects we chose worked the same way as the electives - they could be applicable to your prospective career, or completely irrelative. One of my friends did Script and Fiction writing while I did Non Fiction and Editing. My friend's choices were beneficial to her because she really wants to work in those fields. However, most fiction/script writers are warned to undertake some "practical" subjects aswell because they're going to need to have a "real job" to fall back on.

Funnily enough, my friend is now working in publishing! That's my prospective field and technically, I'm more qualified for it. And yet, she's happily learning on the job - which is what I think it comes down to. Once you've completed your degree, no matter how many weird and wacky subjects you've done along the way, you come out of it with a qualification that says you have a fair grasp of communication (Arts), business. Obviously medical and scientific degrees are a bit different because the subjects you study are set pre-requisites 'cause you need to learn all aspects of anatomy and such. But any other degree is generally a pre-cursor for adapting your knack for whatever skill you've studied (ie. communication/writing/public relations) to the workplace. It's going to be more about how you deal with people and respond to objectives/tasks than theoretical knowledge IMO.

Ooh, just like me! Except I had a year of theory in the lead-up to my dissertation. Our credits are so different from yours and Kays. I recall an Arts degree is made up of 24 credit points. We do 8 units worth one credit point each in first year and 3 subjects worth 8 credit points in second and third years. I'm in my last year too - the last five weeks of it. I'd be more scared if I knew I didn't have a holiday break for contemplating what to do next.

~*bitterswt*~

Good luck with your last years in uni Rach and Kat!

For my undergrad, I'm required to complete 20 credits, so typically five courses over a span of four years.

Evie

Ahh, I see. That doesn’t sound as weird as I thought because the stuff you’ve chosen to do now still counts towards the end result, no matter which way you choose to go [thus isn’t a waste of money / time / effort etc].

Isn’t that weird? That happened to me too. Funny how you become good [well, as much as you *can* be..it’s often still awkward even when you’re both in new surroundings & could benefit from familiarity ] friends with people you barely talked to in high school. Just recently I talked to a few people from high school & in that 30-45 minutes, I think we talked more than we ever did the entire time we went to high school together.

As for the close friends, I lost contact with most of mine, I hope you fair better! That happened to me either because I was lazy [combined with my hating of the phone], or we just weren’t close enough anyway [like, you know them but don’t *know* them, you know? <<haha articulation ] But then, I’ve formed stronger bonds with the ones I do still keep in contact with, which is so much better, imo.

Pretty much. They drone on about the importance of knowing what you want to do as a profession, so you can use the last 2 or 3 years of high school trying to reach the goal of getting the grades you need to get into your specific course.

[That was a waste of time for me though, because I postponed one degree after completing a year {I really don’t think I’ll be bothered to finish that, come to think of it. I doubt I could handle it because it bored me to tears} which was Communications {& its advertising strand}, because that’s always what I thought I wanted to do. Didn’t realise what I actually wanted to do was *Visual* comm {=the current graphic des. degree am doing at the moment}. But doing that made me realise what I wanted {or rather, didn’t } to do. Granted, while it was a wasted year of experimentation, if you could call it that, it wasn’t so bad because essentially I was doing stuff that’s somewhat related to what I’m doing now.. only that was theory based and well..ew.]

Oh god how embarrassing! My days aren't so bad, they're long but you get used to them after a while.

Aw, forgetting that it shot you in the foot in doing so, that’s very cute.

Well, you’ll just have to work really hard leading into the release date so you can sit down for a few hours & check out the dvd. I have no doubt that you can do it, esp. now seeing as you're on hiatus. [WHHYYYY!!!!!! {hahaha theatrics = ]

I totally agree about being about the importance of being able to grapple with communication [somewhat] over the theoretical stuff in your course. That’s something not focused on in several graphic design courses in Sydney. You can get the qualifications but it’s no use if you can’t talk. Half your time is spent trying to pursuade clients to understand your work, but as a lot of the courses out there don’t focus on that aspect of it, heaps of the graduates are left with a degree but no way to go about using it.

*OvErPrOtEcTeD*

Thanks muchly for the luck, Kay!

Well, that means you have a great attitude on top of it. That's something to be proud of, not embarrased.

I'm chuffed my spasticity has yet again passed for cuteness.

Yes, you're right! There's no reason why I couldn't enjoy some Delta DVD downtime on one of my breaks. Although, according to DG.com, the DVD has been delayed till November 6 now. It's probably a good thing that it's one less Delta distraction likely to lure me on here against self-imposed hiatus policy. Awww. I hate it too! [theatrics really do = ]

Exactly, Eves. It's scary how many courses out there don't place much (or any) emphasis on the communication aspect of their fields. I don't believe for one minute that there's a single profession that doesn't require well refined communication skills as a means of dealing with co-workers and/or clients. Good comm. skills widen your options and opportunities. Those who devalue them really set themselves at a disadvantage. Those who do can rest assured they will always have a wide spectrum of career options available to them.

-Kelly-

Warning to Delta fans read this about EBay seller

I finished my HP 5th book last night now I got to read the 6th book *sigh*

~*bitterswt*~

You're almost there Kelly! And thanks for the heads up!

Aww. One of the hugest changes for me this year was the fact that I'd no longer be seeing the familiar faces that I went to elementary school, middle school and high school with on an everyday basis anymore. Me and my closest friends all grew up together since we were kids, so I really do hope that despite the fact that we're all at different unis, we'll manage to keep in touch.

It's actually quite hard to make new friends at the uni I go to. I mean, everyone's really friendly, but since the class sizes are huge it's difficult to see that person again that you were sitting next to in class the other day. I suppose it's easier for the students that actually live on residence to get that social experience.

*~*Rach*~*

I haven't made that many friends at Uni, I have one good friend that I lived with in my first year and I still see her a lot - other than that (and the girls I live with now), I have people to say hi to if I pass them, but that's all. It's a shame, really, 'cause they're all really nice!

And thanks for the warning, Kel! You have to be really careful on eBay because even if they don't say "This is a copied CD", if they don't specifically say "This is a REAL CD" then you could be in trouble!

-Kelly-

Kay I hope so, I'm going to start the book before my Gold Coast holiday

No problem guys I would have thought that ebay workers (site) would do something about it

Evie

I have purchased a bunch of promo cds off ebay, and I don't know..sample #'s aside, can't you just *tell* what looks fake & what looks real? I wouldn't have even contemplated buying that cd.

Aw, that sounds like a tough situation Kay, but I'm sure you'll still manage to make a bunch of new friends.

How long are you going to the gc for, Kel? Watch out for those killer jellyfish Kat encountered during her holiday in the tropics.. they may have migrated to the very beach you might decide to take a swim in..

-Kelly-

Evie - I'm going for 1 week
My parents are spending 3 weeks up there, they won a holiday for 1 week after 2 weeks, I'm going up
We're going to the theme parks
I hate sea water I won't swim in it, I always look for Sharks

*~*Rach*~*

Yeah - for one like that, I definitely agree. A compilation type CD wouldn't be something I would get off eBay at all. For things like IDC and rare stuff that you know actually exists, that's harder, because they could easily word the description like you're getting something real and use a photo of the actual thing, and then still send you a copy. Evil people!