Tag: sydney university

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News

HSC Score Does Not Define You

Preparing for the Exam.Image courtesy of artur84 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Preparing for the Exam.Image courtesy of artur84 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Waiting to get your HSC results is very stressful. Will you get the mark you want? Will you be able to get into the course of choice? Students worry that if they don’t get the mark they need, they will not get into the right university course or other college. This will impact their choices and in turn make them not do what they wish to do or be.

I was exactly like this. I studied like mad, I crammed, I worried, I stressed and I did not do very well when it came to the exams.

I panic with exams. Some I did well at, but when compared to all the other kids in the state, but this exam my mark was scaled down. So I did not get the right mark to do anything I wished to do. I was very upset.

At first I had no idea what mark I did get as Australia Post lost my HSC certificate and my results. It got lost was their answer! This was before you could instantly get a result from a computer. I don’t remember getting the results by mail, and think I rang the HSC help line to find out what my mark was.

To find out was crushing and I cried and cried. I was miserable. My dreams were crushed. I did not join my friends from high school who all went off to university. I ended up joining the workforce.

I wanted to go to Film School at UTS and do a BA in Communications but did not get the marks, I did not even get the marks to get in at Bathurst or Macquarie for the same course. Devastated was not going to cover it. You could not speak to me about this.  I was a moody teenager, but I had my reasons.

Due to not going straight into university or another college, I got a job. I ended up being a receptionist for Film/TV and production companies and that allowed me to learn what I was interested in. I also volunteered at AFTRS (Australian Film & Television & Radio School) to gain experience and knowledge. I did short courses in filmmaking, script writing and production.

I applied twice to UTS and Macquarie for the BA in Communications and did not get in as a mature student. To be a mature student you have to be over 20 I think from memory.

It was not until I met a boy who became my boyfriend who helped me with my third application to university. This application worked and I got into do Communications at UTS.

I was overjoyed, happy and just ecstatic! I got in! I did it! Finally! My life is going to change for the better. Yippee!

This lovely boyfriend was a great help in my life at the time. I was very grateful for the help he gave me,  and the way he taught me how to answer things for university. So a BIG thanks to him.

I had about five years working before I got to do my undergrad at UTS in Sydney. It gave me a higher appreciation of what I wanted to achieve and I felt lucky to be there. Many other students were from well off families that seem to have everything handed to them. This was not the case for me and my friends. I put myself through university, I worked to go there, I used experience and knowledge to get accepted and it helped with doing well while there.

Not getting what you want right away is not that bad. I know it feels miserable and horrible at the time. The HSC is just an exam and if you don’t get the right outcome there are other ways to achieve your goal. I managed to get to where I wanted with not giving up and doing other things that steered me in the right direction. It just took a little longer to get there.

So if you don’t get the mark you need, don’t beat yourself up about it. You can still achieve without the mark you need. I know you will not be able to get into the course you have been drooling about, but maybe in the next couple of years you can give it another go. As a young person your interests and likes change so much, maybe not getting into university or a certain course was a blessing?  Due to being sent in a different direction you might have found your passion for something else.

Don’t stress and just do the best job you can do. It is not the end of the world.

It is just a test that does not dictate the rest of your life. I am living proof of this! I even went on to do a Post Grad Degree in Project Management from Sydney University.

Some great articles from the Sydney Morning Herald about the HSC:

Did you do well in your HSC? If not what did you end up doing?

Did you go to university eventually?  Not getting the mark you needed did it steer you in a different direction and if so are you pleased that it happened?

 

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University Study

Graduation Eve

The gown that I will be wearing to graduate
The gown that I will be wearing to graduate

This week is a busy week. Birthday celebrations for hubby and myself and tomorrow my graduation. I am getting very excited and also nervous about the day. I hope that my dress will not be too cold and that the day all goes to plan. When I graduated with my Communications degree I blanked out any conversation with the chancellor. I was so nervous and excited I knew he was speaking and I just smiled, shook his hand and said Yes to whatever he was saying. Also this time I am not graduating in jeans and a leather jacket. How times have changed!

I have tidied up to the best of my abilities with the time that I had without kids this week, although I still need to give the bathroom a once over and sort out some clothes and extra things. So yes still not done. I wanted to have the house in a semi neat presentable manner so if anyone dropped in for a drink or wishing us well it was fine. Also with going out to the university most of the day tomorrow and having celebrations on Saturday I will not have time to run around and tidy.

What have you all been up to? Are you having a busy time? I did have grand ideas of making dresses for the girls for my graduation but that did not happen. I might finish off the skirts that I have already started for them and attempt to find some tights for them to wear. Hard to find kids clothes once K-Mart is no longer. Maybe a drive down the mountain today is in order, will see what happens today. If no tights the girls can always were some tight pants.

The weather here in the Blue Mountains is getting colder and colder. The wind has really picked up and it is giving us a taste of what winter will be like. Although this is cold it is quite warm so winter will be freezing! It feels so cold now that it looks like it might snow, and yesterday on the radio it said that it was snowing elsewhere. Maybe that is why it feels so icy here!

I am glad that the weather at the university will be 21 degrees so that will be a dramatic improvement from the top of 13 degrees at home. So once I have a dress on, cardigan and my graduation robes on I am hoping that I will be warm enough. Hubby did say that adrenaline and nerves will help me stay warm also.

So tomorrow I will be graduating from my project management degree, I have done a Masters! Yes sounds fancy doesn’t it! Well I think so.  Wish me luck for tomorrow and I will post pictures as soon as I can.

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University Study

Surviving Summer School

Summer School
Me off to Summer School

Found out the other day that I recieved a credit for contracts which was my second last subject university. I am thilled as was so unsure about the exam, finishing early does not fill you sometimes with hope. So that is done, now doing summer school and filling my head again with leadership theory and finding ways to fill gaps within project management with selected theory. Yes it does sound rather boring!

It is interesting when you deal with case studies/real examples to understand how theories are used, but 9 times out of 10 it is boring information in books or on the computer screen. I am now doing my last subject at university and very excited about it. As you can imagine with summer school it is condensed into a couple of weeks rather than months so there is a lot to do.

I am hoping that with the time constraints, kids, house, Christmas pressie shopping, and all other things that I get it all done. Plus the fact that we are going away to visit the in laws starting on boxing day so I want to have most of it done by then. I know a big ask, but if I power through it you never know.

Have you done a subject in summer or winter school and thought how in the hell are you going to manage it? Did you survive? Send in your stories.

Why not continue the discussion on our twitter or facebook pages.

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University Study

Yikes Summer School Starts Next Week!

I have just realised that summer school starts next week. It was meant to be ages away but it is now only next week. In my brain I thought December is a while away but in reality it starts this coming Saturday. It is so exciting that after this subject my degree is all done and I can then look forward to graduation, however I am now getting very nervous about the whole thing.

Firstly I have to make sure that I am all organised with the kids to go and stay at someone else’s place and of course make sure to pack all I need for school, me and the twins.  I suppose I have this time before next Wednesday occurs however there is always other things that come up.

To get to the university in time I need to drop kids at care and then try to get to the station to catch a train to the city. I will never have caught a train from this station before so will need to find out the times of trains for the days next week. Also not looking forward to getting kids up early to get to care but one of the advantages of this child care provider is that they take care of all food needs, so mummy does not need to worry. Although I am worrying and it has not happened yet, will my kids eat the food they are presented? I hope so.  If you don’t know already my girls are fussy eaters so they might not like anything but it could be good to be exposed to different and more choices. Also if they see other kids eat it they might eat it as well. I can only live in hope.

I just hope that my plan to get to and fro from the university works o.k and I am on time, also that the kids enjoy their time at the new centre and they are not too grumpy in the mornings. There is so many variables that need to work. Crossing fingers and toes they all align to let me have a stress free time.

My car also was unwell and not drivable for 2 days and now is fixed, although have not fully tested it so today is the day. I hope it is well as I need my car as I cannot get off to summer school and have the kids in care where they are booked in without the car. So send good thoughts for it to be fine, happy and well.

Do you find that if you want to go and do something that you have to plan and sort everything to the utmost detail so that you can have your time off? It would be nice to have someone else take care of these issues but it is not to be. Maybe it is the role of the mother to have to plan and organise everything. Send in your comments.

Now off to get dressed and ready to drop kids at school and then tidy the house and sort some things out.

Categories
University Study

Swotting Up on Contracts

The more I read the more I feel I don’t know. Have you found this happens when you really need to know what you are reading? It is very annoying. One other thing that is happening is that I cannot keep focused on study. It is the washing, the kitchen, feeling hungry and obviously getting some lunch to end the hunger, putting washing on the line, then putting more washing in the washing machine and finally taking washing off the line. Oh and of course there is the housework which I have tried to ignore and have been rather successful in places, but it has not helped me focus.

I know it is sad that I am at this point with a messy house and trying to cram for my last exam in my degree. Yes that sounds excellent, my last exam in my master’s degree. What a great thing, although I cannot be happy about it due to fretting and the worry of what might be in this exam. As you would already now I am studying contract law this semester. I thought it was a great idea to understand more about contracts so to help with future projects when I return to the workforce. Still a good skill to have for say building our new house, whenever that may happen and my idea to start a home based business I am sure it will help no end. However I am still struck by the issue of when I will ever use this information.

Last semester I had an open book exam and found that hard. I managed to not have some of the papers that I needed and found myself staring at the walls and ceilings while the rest of the exam room madly wrote their award winning answers. I look at other questions and what they were weighted, and then I answered the ones that I could with more marks awarded to those. This was my technique and I think it was a highly effective one that allowed me to gain a credit last semester.

It would be nice to get more than a credit but as this is my second last subject a pass I would be pleased with. Not happy but pleased that I passed, especially with the likes of contract law and being new to the whole subject matter. I always fancied myself as a lawyer and would have loved to have done law. Now after having a full semester of contract law, I think it was good and wise that I never did law as I don’t think I would have done well with a whole degree of law. Don’t get me wrong, it is a great subject and I have learnt a lot, just find it interesting that I thought I could until I did. Still early days though, as exam is still yet to happen and who knows with the course work and exam, it could be a credit or a pass, maybe a distinction if I live in hope.

Some things I do know:

  • The purpose of a contract is to document both parties’ obligations and to avoid or mitigate risk.
  • Contracts don’t have to be in writing, although some do. Deeds and used car sales lay by sales, and consumer credit contracts.
  • A contract can be ended due to frustration – If a contract had changes happen that were not the fault of either party or the contract has changed from the initial agreement. It could cause frustration and best to terminate said contract as the outcome is not what was wanted.
  • There are certain elements to create a contract and they are: Intention to create a binding agreement, capacity to create a binding agreement, offer, acceptance, certainty of terms and consideration.
  • Shops that sell goods are not making you the offer; you as the customer make the offer when you offer money for the goods that you want. The shop owner is giving you an ITT (Invitation to Treat)
  • If you are a professional who needs to have professional indemnity insurance, it is wise to have it when you retire. If any of your work has issues or someone wants to take you to court you are covered. This might help lawyers, engineers, architects and so on.

As you can see I have taken part of the course in and let’s hope that the questions relate to what I remember. I have visions of looking at a question; remember reading the notes and not being able to answer the question. I hope this does not happen.

Does information overload and too many other things to do make it hard for you to focus on things you should be doing? Maybe it is just procrastination. Mentally I have already finished but have not sat the exam. It is hard as this time of year makes me think of holidays, Christmas and going to the beach. Bring on summer. Not a good time of year to be studying.

Do you have any tips and tricks for trying to concentrate when you cannot? Send in your comments and solutions.  My exam is on the 15th so this Thursday… soon it will be over.

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University Study

Summer School Here I Come

More study awaits me. Image by FreeDigitalPhotos.net
More study awaits me. Image by FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Child care is sorted, place confirmed and fully enrolled in Summer School at the university. The subject that I am doing at Summer School is for my last subject ever with this degree, and if fingers and toes crossed I do well. I will graduate next April/May rather than next November, also doing this subject at Summer School allows me to have my year to myself and I can do things other than fuss, worry and stress about study.

It will be a nice change to have face to face lectures as this whole degree has been online and run via Skype and other various networking tools. I am no stranger to face to face lectures as my undergraduate was all done at the campus. Online study is good for kids and helps you fit it into your lifestyle, but I am so over the degree and keen on finishing. And as said, one subject to go, why mess up next year and add stress to coordinating group projects, presentations and assignments to boot.

Not sure how it is all structured and how it works with assignments, it is 2 days one week and 2 days the next. I would imagine that you would have to work with the week in between to get the work done and coordinate with the other group members. We will see.  It all starts early December so not sure how they deal with the course work. It is also interesting that the costs for summer school are the same as normal semester. Why would you not get a discount due to having the course shortened by many weeks, having it all done in 4 days over a period of 2 weeks deserves a price cut in my book. Maybe this is just me?

Now with this all this sorted, I need to focus on my subject that I am still studying and need to gain knowledge quickly to do well on the exam. Mind you the exam is in November but that date is fast approaching.

So rather happy about the organisation and getting it all sorted, now back to reality. What have you organised that you are proud of? And why can’t I concentrate on the subject now rather than graduation? I need to do well to graduate, without doing well no graduation, right? I think I am so sick of the study that I have mentally finished the degree as I only have 2 subjects left. Now brain, I have to do well. Focus! Study! I need to be able to answer and quote things in this exam. Maybe if I think of some songs or phrases that might help me remember some contract law?  Send in your comments.

Why not continue the discussion on our twitter or facebook pages.

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3 years and beyond University Study

Flexible education not that flexible

If you don’t know, I am studying a Masters in Project Management. I have elected to study online as it is easier to fit in with having kids and my lifestyle at the moment. I did start the degree without kids, but chose online as working and finding time to get to class might be an issue, online delivery seemed to be the best way forward.

Last week I noticed that the draft timetable had been listed, it was noted if you needed a remote location for this exam to contact the coordinator. Upon finding out that there was to be an exam, I contacted said coordinator and was told not to worry that I would be able to have the exam at a remote location. Just to explain, a remote location is not at the campus. The campus is in the city, and I currently live over 2 hours away.

Exam room waiting for everyone to sit their uni exam. Wish us all luck!
Exam room waiting for everyone to sit their uni exam. Wish us all luck!

 

I emailed a request to have a remote location organised due to me being far away and commitments with my twin girls. After over 4 emails this was not taken into consideration and I have to come to campus to take this exam.  As you can imagine I am not happy with this result. The university sighted costs and issues with getting my results back in a timely manner.

One of the emails stated that I could have a remote location for the exam under special circumstances. I then cited the fact that I need to drop kids off at pre-school for 9.15am and pick them up for 2.45pm. I need to be at the university for 9.20 for a 2 hour exam. It takes me 2 hours to drive or at least by train to get to the city. The exam is slated to finish at 11.30, then I would have to drive back, so factor in another 2 hours travel time. I think I would miss school pick up in the afternoon as well. If the exam was local could drop kids at school, do exam and then pick kids up. No issues at all, other than the worry about passing this exam.

The coordinator thought she was being helpful to start the time of the exam at 11.30 to let me drop of the kids at school, but then who picks them up? We are in an area with no family or many friends close by. I have made more friends that have said that can help, but I am not leaving them with one child it will be two. Also I am not sure when I will be back.

I ended up asking my husband to take the day and work part of it from home, he was lucky that he could do it. Normally he is flat out with projects and it might not have been possible.  What would have happened if I had no one to ask? Why is it that the university can sight costs, I am paying nearly $4,000 for just one subject each semester, and I am not using any of the facilities on campus? The least they can do is to help me out a bit. I do understand that there is a cost associated with remote exams, but why can’t I double up with another university that is doing the same thing. Would this not reduce costs?

One of the reasons that the university claim that I need to physically be at the University for the Exam, is that they say that I am located in the Sydney Metropolitan area. If this is the case, I should be able to walk to George Street and go to the movies, maybe a spot of shopping at Centrepoint as I am so close and walking distance. What a laugh!

Living in Katoomba it is very interesting that sometimes you live in the country and then the rest of the time you are considered that you live in the city. Interesting, I fully believe that it is structured to benefit the business owner, not the customer. I am already paying inflated fees, and an extra one that they have decided to add for just this year and the remainder of my course.

I also feel that it discriminates against women with children. How do you manage to retrain, have an interest and earn the same or more money for the next job?  A degree or like qualification will help. Doing flexible online study I would think that they would be open to remote venues for the exam, now it has put a whole lot more stress on the day. Thank god I have a husband that can take the day, what if I had no one? Would they have stepped up then? Child care is too expensive, pre-school is costly. To then have to pay to get to the exam by putting kids in care would have really annoyed me no end!

Why can other universities have exams in Wentworth Falls and Katoomba, and mine Sydney University cannot do the same.  I am still annoyed, frustrated and felt stressed out trying to organise how I will be able to attend the exam.   As a mother and a person that would like to do well with her career, I find this unacceptable and this needs to change. University and other educational institutions need to step up and make exams and courses easier to access for mothers and parents. I think they need to consider the individual and then assess from there.

Have you been annoyed at your educational provider? Have they made things difficult for you due to being a mother and having other commitments? Why is it so hard for this to be taken seriously, I think that they did not put any weight into the fact that I am the only person that takes care of my twins during the week, and I don’t have help.   Has this happened to you? Send in your comments.

Let us know your thoughts. Why not continue the discussion on our Facebook and Twitter pages.

 

Categories
University Study

University has started for 2012

I logged onto the university website last night to discover the course content was all there.  This now means that I need to start downloading, reading and researching to make sure that I stay on top of it all. After reading the course outline and skimming all the lectures to get an overview, I think this course is going to be very intense. Formulas, theories, matrixes, and much more that will take some doing to remember.

I have also noted that there appears to be an exam at the end of the course, 2 hours to be precise. Did not realise there was one and as I am an online student will have to travel to campus to do this exam if we have one – have enquired to the lecturer to confirm if we do have one as in some literature it says no and some says yes. I have also asked if there are other areas where I might do this exam rather than travelling into the campus in the city. No answer yet, but only asked late last night.

In case you all did not know, I am nearly finished a masters in project management, I have 3 subjects left to do. This semester I am studying: Project Process Planning and Control. I am rather worried that I will not do well, however this worry is not taken seriously. Every semester I have the same freak out. I will not do well, I will just pass, I might fail, and some other scary thoughts. However at the end of the semester I get a distinction and no one finds that wonderful due to fact that it keeps on happening.

I think the family and friends would be more shocked if I passed, however getting good marks is now an expected outcome (which I think is just strange, but nice). I would like to maintain my good grades as I feel that would help in employment and roles in the long term also will impress people; however I am not great at formulas, calculations or things of that nature. So I think this semester I have to concentrate on reading more, understanding the formulas and theories that are important and seeing if I can recall them.   If asked in an exam about a formula or theory I am afraid I might mix it all up and not get it right, or reference the wrong one.  I find it hard when there are so many to choose from. Why is it that a course does not tell you what are the standards and we can just learn the core, and if you want you can cite extra examples if you wish.

So as long as I pass that is fine with me. After this subject I just have 2 more to do, and as I am doing 1 subject a semester, my last subject is next year, first semester of 2013. Graduation will be in November of 2013 and I am looking forward to it so much. However to graduate you have to get through the subjects this year. Wish me luck, lecturers start on Monday the 5th of March and it is all done via Skype. I have to hope that I have kids in bed by this time or it is not going to work.

Are you studying? Is it something that is a passion or for a work related role?  If you have kids how are you fitting it all in? I try and do most of it in the evening and now kids are at school that will help also.

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3 years and beyond Pre-School University Study

My time to relax

After the girls were dropped off to pre-school, I headed off to return books to the library and check the mail, now the errands have been done it is me time.

I had some lunch, relaxed while watching a show by not being interpreted by the girls, very relaxing I must say. I am getting very obsessed with the new show “Revenge“, it is very interesting. Every character seems to have their own agenda for revenge or something sinister. Then I focused on creating a pattern for new pants out of Lillian’s favourite pajama pants. I have made them a bit bigger and going to add pockets. I am going to make them look unique so keen to start sewing. I am hoping that my new pattern will be good. I am starting off with just 2 pairs of pants to make sure my idea works, then if all good, I will make more. Pictures to come when I have a completed project.

It was very nice to be home alone without any pressure, any demands and to just be. I sat in the quiet for a while. I did do some washing, but there is still lots more to do. However that can be done tomorrow, as there is no urgency on anything currently, and as the weather is terrible for drying I don’t want to have baskets of wet washing to dry.

University semester starts on the 5th of March so I have spent some time checking the university student site. I have done my introduction via the online forum and have looked at other student and staff introductions. I am keen and also a bit concerned about this semester as the unit sounds hard and complicated. I am enrolled in Project Process Planning and Control, so I think it is going to be heavy on theories and data. However, after this subject I only have 2 more to do, so have to get through this one o.k, to continue on. One side of me that is keen to start study as it gives my brain an outlet other than being a mummy, but the other is concerned about the subject and what this semester involves. I am on the countdown to finishing so that is exciting but still feels so far away.

After looking at the uni course I had another “Revenge” to watch as it is so addictive. Then off to pick the girls up from school. They had a great day. Still they could not tell me what they did, however I figured out that they painted, and went out to play until it rained again, and played with puzzles. This week they have been very clingy when I drop them off, they don’t want me to leave. I just hope it gets better as today Julia wanted me to pick her up and cuddle her around the school. I know that is nice, however I am trying to make my exit not to stay there.

It was very nice to have this time to myself. I am hoping that tomorrow I will make time to start sewing the girls new pants. The test batch. I am sure it will work, just need to make sure that the sizes for the girls are correct. I have measured and will add the new measurements into the pants project.

Hope that you all had time to have some me time. What did you get up to?  It was nicer weather, but still rainy so not much you can do in this weather.  What was it like where you are?