Ok. So I was previously a StartQUT student. This means I attended QUT for a whole year before I became a full time student. I had done the train ride into uni once a week for the whole year. Some would say I was a seasoned pro. Alas. First day of Uni arrived and, me being a total and utter navigation-defect, decided to exit the train station in a way I have never done before. Some may ask “why?”. I could say that there was this huge snake on the path that I usually took and being so afraid of it attacking this old lady as she walked by, I ran in the opposite direction to lure it away, and you would all be impressed however that wasn’t quite the case.

I exited the train station and forgot to turn right instead of left to find the stairs that take you through to the Edward St exit. I turned left. And once I’d realised my mistake i was too embarrassed to turn around in the middle of a particularly deserted walkway and reveal my blunder to everyone around, I continued on my path, striding purposefully so I looked like I knew where I was going. I came out onto Ann St… I think. “oh I’ve heard of Ann St! Yay for familiarity! I’ll just follow this until I find another street that’s familiar”, I thought naively.

Wrong. Turns out Ann St leads no where near where i wanted to go.
Luckily I was time-savvy enough to allow myself a good 45 minutes to get to QUT at Gardens Point.
Walking along Ann St and passing streets that sounded so welcomingly familiar I felt assured I was going to end up at Uni. But the further i walked, the more my surrounds started to look less City-like, and far more steeply sloped. My bag, full of books and a pencil case bigger than my head, began to feel a tad heavy and my quite fashionable scarf began to strangle me as I sweated my way up a particularly nasty hill.

I found myself, get this, at the Spring Hill Hotel.

I only then decided, with 15 minutes spare to get from Spring Hill to Gardens Point, that maybe I was a little lost… So, like anyone with a dodgy phone that has no internet connectivity and no bravery to ask someone on the street for directions, I called mum.

After the  embarrassing, “Amelia… how.. how did you get to spring hill? you’ve commuted to uni for a whole year and you got lost on your first day!?” I received a simple yet life saving set of directions and powered off BACK DOWN THAT HILL, toward my class which  started in about 10 minutes.

Next problem… I have an immense phobia of walking into a class late. I always have. And this was the first day, where majority of students try to attend their lectures and I was 10 minutes late and looking like I had, indeed just wrestled with a giant snake.
Using the QUT App to find where i was supposed to go because I still, even when I arrived at uni, was directionless, I braced myself as I stood outside the door to Z411 and turned the handle.
I didn’t even look up at the 300 odd students when I entered. I dived unceremoniously into a seat and just sat, not taking out a notebook or picking up a pen. Just sat and inwardly wept in relief and exhaustion.
Day one of uni: success.

Embarrassing Uni Stories; To Be Continued.

1. No online recordings

This revelation made me cry a little on the inside. Knowing I have to physically be at an 8 am lecture isn’t the greatest thing to hear. I’m just grateful it’s only one this time, which brings me to my next point.

2. Better class times

The timetable gods have smiled upon me. While there’s one early morning start, the rest of my times are pretty decent. It’s probably to make up for the online recordings. If you’re in first year and you didn’t get an amazing timetable, don’t worry, neither did I.

3. Lecturers aren’t afraid to call on you

Maybe because we were first year students they didn’t want to scare us off. I haven’t been the unlucky soul that gets singled out in a lecture. But let me tell you, having one hundred pairs of eyes on you is an introvert’s worst nightmare. I just want to run up and hug the people that have experienced it.

4. A diary is your best friend (or your best friend is your diary)

In my case it’s both. I’m always referring to my diary, and when it fails to help me I ask my friend what’s coming up. I highly recommend you either find an organized friend, or you be that organized friend. Trust me, people will love you.

5. Burning the hand you write with a week before uni is a really bad start to the year

Hot oil is extremely painful. Stay away from the stuff, especially if you’re in a subject which involves a lot of writing (I do Creative Writing and Journalism).

6. Finding a parking spot on campus is as difficult as people say it is

No seriously, I thought people were lying when they said it was hard. Guess who had a nice long walk to their class? No prizes for guessing.

7. You only get better at procrastinating

Writing a blog post will not help me start my assignments. Having Facebook and Tumblr open aren’t great starting points either.

These are just a few things I’ve learnt in my first five weeks as a second year student. What are some of the things you’ve discovered this early in the semester?

It’s difficult to articulate in a professional way just how good you are at everything in the universe and why you’re better than everyone else applying.  HIRE ME BECAUSE I’M GOOD AT THINGS AND I WORK HARD AND I CAN LEARN THINGS AND I NEED EXPERIENCE!!! I am venting my frustration at trying to word the perfect cover letter in order to get work experience or an unpaid internship so that I can get a real job one day. Here is the result guaranteed to get me, and possibly you if you steal it, a job*.

Dear hiring person,

My name is Melissa and I have created a list of reasons as to why you should, and are going to, hire me.

I am knowledgeable in many different things, and I know how to do lots of things, and I’m pretty good at talking about things too.  I am also good at writing things, which is especially important as this is a marketing and public relations position.  I frequent social media too much, indicating my high proficiency in connecting with different demographics through a wide variety of communicative platforms.

I once stuffed hundreds of envelopes for 3 hours straight.  I not only learned that my skin is susceptible to paper cuts and the importance of moisturising, I also improved my ability to stay on task and complete work in a timely, efficient manner.

I don’t do things half-assed, even if I’ve started it the night before.  I once got a 7 for an essay I started 2 days before, which demonstrates my dedication to striving towards a high quality of work, even when under pressure.

Did you know humans and elephants are the only beings that have chins?  If you hire me, I can provide you with many more wonderful and awe-inspiring facts daily to keep morale and motivation high in the workplace and to increase team cohesion.

As you can see, I have skills to pay the bills, and these bills aren’t going to pay for themselves (unfortunately), so I would like to have this internship please.

If you would like more information about my work history or my extensive knowledge regarding felines, please contact me at meow@meow.com or on 1111 222 333.

Here is a picture of a cat to sweeten the deal.

You can’t say no to that face.

Thank you for your consideration.

Yours sincerely,

Melissa.

*not actually guaranteed a job, possibly quite the opposite. I have a feeling QUT Careers & Employment would disapprove of this cover letter.

But seriously… I’ve never been particularly wealthy – for the usual reasons of food, shoes, stationery and books, but now that uni has started I have noticed a marked change in the weight of my wallet and the girth of my account. And I haven’t even bought shoes or books for months!

Paper seems to be rather expensive these days – and doing a design course seems to require a whole hunk of paper… thanks, I didn’t want that $50. I just really wanted that water colour paper…. admittedly it is beautiful… but MAN. And the BookShop at QUT is a haven for stationery fanatics – I have never come across an art shop that sells 0.1 pens… so naturally I bought in bulk… my wallet shed a few tears.

Not only are supplies a nasty money-eating monster, but sustenance is a worse monster! It’s covered in chocolate and smells like coffee and only costs $4.50 for a lovely hug that sends you into a mild state of euphoria. You can’t help but love the yummy sustenance monster… he gets very regular hugs from me. Enough that I will, by the end of the month, have spent at least $54 on him. And you could say that that is worth it, for all those scrumptious munchables but… I can make my own scrumptious munchies at home… for free… BUT THEY’RE NOT THE SAME!

Oh, another factor that admittedly I cannot change but like to complain about nonetheless – transport. I literally had a dream the other night that transport became free. We turned into a city like Whoville and sang in glorious harmony beneath the fluffy trees and the long-nosed birds. I have resorted to dreaming about my lack of money. And I have it easy! I only live two zones away from the city! I cannot imagine the expenses more rural folks are having to fork out for the sake of their already expensive education. *sigh*

And to top things off, you cannot get more shifts at work in order to get more money to have more food or pens or savings that supply your transport because then you won’t have the time for the work you have piling up on your desk yet you are still ignoring!!! LIFE!

I had the thought to petition my parents for pocket money… the thought died with my last gold coin as I bought a rather delectable Hazelnut Late.

*Rant Over*

Sorry for being a sadist and a big hello to everyone! We’re back! I really hope you all had a fantastic break. I spent, but four weeks of my entire holiday, working in the office Monday to Friday; 9:00 am – 4:30 pm. It was actually enjoyable for the most part (and, let me tell you, the moola was great), but doing the same thing every day was draining. So… I’m actually excited to be back for my second year of uni. Can you smell the crazy?

I truly believe working full-time has given me superhuman-willpower which will allow me to actually follow my assignments and study plan this semester (join me as I laugh at my own false sense of security). Nevertheless, I am really looking forward to getting stuck into study.

I am currently writing in one of my lectures and am mildly aware of the people watching me do so. I know it looks bad and they’re probably thinking, “It’s, like, one of the first lectures back. You should, like, really be listening. Like.” No idea why they have valley accents in my head, I guess that’s just how bored I really am. Blogging is probably the most productive thing I can do at the moment. We all know why I’m not paying attention; it’s week one lectures!

I’m not sure why I came knowing that I would most definitely be drowned in house-keeping dribble. I sat in a lecture this Monday morning in which ¾ of the time was spent going through the week one document i.e. who to contact, where to find them, assessment weightings, assignment minder, where things are on Blackboard… information we could all read in 10 minutes of our own time or would surely have been made known in o-week! I get why they’d probably have to run through it in first year core units but you’d think they wouldn’t so much in the following years.

On top of the lack of content, since there aren’t any tutorials; we’re all left with giant gaps between classes. I don’t know if I’m an idiot for turning up this week or just a diligent student. Probably a bit of both.

This lecture isn’t exactly riveting. We’ve spent a whole hour discussing that blasted CATME survey which groups you with “like-minded” people in your tutorial. Now I’m overthinking the answers I’ve submitted because I overthink everything and people make me nervous. Does anyone know if it is actually effective? I’m feeling sceptical about whether having the same hobbies makes people work better together. Maybe the bond of not playing any sport will inexplicably bring us closer to high distinctions.

We have 20 minutes left to go and we’re finally beginning to discuss the actual subject so that’s my cue to wrap this spontaneous post up. I really just wanted to say a big hey and here’s to another year of memorable uni experiences. Hope your week one lectures were a bit more fulfilling than mine!

Nes

One Card to Rule Them All…
Your student ID card is your key to catching the free inter-campus shuttle bus between Gardens Point and Kelvin Grove.  Check QUT Virtual under the ‘QUT Life’ tab for the shuttle timetable.

Your ID card will also grant you access into rooms throughout QUT, such as 24 hour computer labs and other hidden study areas.  Without this card, you won’t be able to unlock the door and get inside, which has happened to me before. Awkward! You can check which buildings you have access to in Virtual under the ‘Personal Information’ tab and clicking ‘View my building and room access’ in the Computer Accounts and Physical Access section.

Plus, Translink officers on trains and buses will check for student ID if you have a concession Go Card.  If you don’t have your ID card on you, you might get a fine.

Have a Staff ID Card?
If you’re a student ambassador or have another paying job within QUT, you can use your staff ID card to get 5% off at the bookshop. Woohoo!

Free Stuff!
Forget buying stationery for your studies.  Orientation Week (held this week) and Market Week, held from 25th of February to 1st of March, are the opportune times to stock up on pens, a diary, wall-planner, stickie-notes, and other awesome freebies.  The guild also sets up a stall with pens, pencils, erasers and other goodies around exam time in case you forget something. Isn’t that thoughtful!

Every now and then there’ll be a van and promotions people outside either GP or KG  handing out free samples.  Last year I got in on free flavoured milk, Oreos, Red Bull, iced tea and more, so keep an eye out for them. Another spot for freebies in the city is Central Station, typically during the morning rush hour.

Free stuff tastes better than bought stuff. Nom nom!

Having trouble managing your time?
The QUT Library has a fantastic website that not many people know about called StudyWell.  It has all sorts of resources to help you throughout your studies, including tips on referencing, note taking and writing assignments. The assignment calculator is a really handy tool I use all the time, as it calculates how many days per task (researching, writing, editing etc) you need to commit in order to complete your assignment in a timely manner.

If you need a room to have a group meeting or study session, you can book a study space in the GP library, KG library, Caboolture or the Law Library (GP) online here. You’ll probably have to book a week or two in advance because spaces tend to fill up quickly.

Got time to kill at uni?
There’s a Gaming Lab in the KG Library free to use! Play against your friends in the latest games on the Wii, PS3 and XBox. You could even start a campaign in Mass Effect 3 if you’re feeling brave and have a particularly long break between classes. Simply pick up your controller of choice from the Learning and Research Desk staff and PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THE ULTIMATE BATTLE.

Have a rage-quitting, controller-throwing good time with Portal! (Note: please don't actually throw your controller)

Know something awesome that you want to add to the list? Comment below!

Bed goes up, bed goes down

Getting an optimal timetable is one of the most important things you have to do.  It determines whether you can have a sleep-in or whether you have to be packed onto a train with a million other office workers in order to make your 8am tute. Note to self: NEVER ENROL INTO AN 8AM TUTE EVER AGAIN.  This is a little list of helpful hints that I wish I could have figured out earlier in my first year of uni.

1.  Check your Course Structure and Course Checklist.  These resources will provide you with a guide on what to enrol into in which semester.  Remember, these are just a guide, so you can really enrol into any subject you want. BUT it is the suggested and recommended structure, so in your first year or first semester at least, I’d strongly recommend following it.

2.  Enrol into your units.  This step is pretty simple.  Go to your Study Plan which is found in the Study tab of QUT Virtual.

3.  Make a draft of your timetable.   You can do this by going into QUT Virtual, then clicking the Study tab, then ‘preview class options for my enrolled units’.  This page will show you a list of proposed times for lectures and tutes in the units you’ve enrolled in.  BE WARNED! All options may not be available on the day of class registration, so have back-up options in case you can’t pick your #1 option.  Remember to plan around any work or other commitments you may have.

4.  Check what date and time class registration opens. Class registrations open at a different time and date depending on what degree you’re doing.  Double degrees are lucky as their class registration is generally a day or two before single degree counterparts.  Make a note of the time in your phone or diary so you remember!

5.  Register into your classes.  I generally start checking the registration page 15 minutes before it’s due to open, as it sometimes opens a few minutes before its official time.  Note: all times on the registration page are in 24 hour time.  Don’t be like me and have a brain malfunction on the day and start freaking out “WHAT THE HECK IS 17 O’CLOCK?!”.

I wish you luck during the madness that is class registration. May the forces of fast internet and quick clicking be with you.

I have begun a training regime for the event. Practising at clicking various links as fast as possible, becoming best friends with my Refresh button and familiarising myself with the brown paper bag I have ready for the day.

I don’t really have any tips for fellow students, other than perhaps get a paper bag ready and pre-plan your desired timetable but also create a backup… or two. I don’t have advice on working out the UNI website because I am still lost somewhere under the Study tab and I’ve had a year of experience with the website. Don’t get me wrong, the website has everything, if not more, that you need in it, and I have heard we are one of the luckiest when it comes to design and layout of our website, but technologically challenged people like myself lose ourselves amongst the little blue links by default.

The only real message I have to say in this post is a giant, and heartfelt GOOD LUCK with class registration and organising your future semester. O WEEK will make your troubles worthwhile, a toga will soothe those clanging nerves and a hit of coffee from one of the many sources sprinkled about the campuses will find you pumped for the New Year.

I hope everyone had a magnificent Christmas and your start to 2013 has been glorious.
xo

It would be great if I could just sit at home and get paid to eat and watch movies. That would be a perfect job.

Me getting paid to eat, what a life!

At the moment, as some of you might be aware, I’m doing a double degree of Business and Creative Industries.  Two years ago when I was submitting my QTAC application I had no idea what I wanted to study, so I went with a double degree to give myself a bit of wiggle room in case I didn’t like it.  I’m pretty glad I chose the double degree because the first year was a great introduction to both faculties and what I could expect studying them.  But I had no idea what the majors of PR and Entertainment would be like until this year, which is where my doubts began.

I’m really loving public relations, it’s definitely something I want to do.  I’ve always enjoyed writing, so having a job in PR would be perfect.  But the creative industries side I’m not so sure about.  Don’t get me wrong, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed studying the entertainment major.  The subjects I’ve studied have been great, especially Global Entertainment which is probably the most enjoyable, fun and interesting subject you can study at QUT (the lecturer Barry and the tutors all dressed up for an unforgettable lecture and we went on excursions to Movie World and Oh Hello!, it was the best!).

But now I just don’t know whether CI is still relevant for me.  I’ve been toying with the idea of swapping to a single degree of Business with a double major in PR and Marketing.  Marketing sounds interesting because it can tie in well with PR and they can work together in some aspects.

What I imagine work will be like when I graduate

Talking over my options with a Careers Counsellor was really helpful and it cleared a lot of things up for me.  She told me there are a few pathways for me to choose from, but I think I’m going to switch to a single business degree anyway with the second major in marketing.  It might render my creative industries studies useless (I’m not entirely sure about that, I still have a lot of enquiries to make), but it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make in order to study something I’ll enjoy.

If you’re feeling unsure about what you’re studying or where you want to be when you graduate, I highly recommend talking to a careers counsellor or checking out the website.  They provide heaps of valuable services like resume checking, interview preparations, help with applying for graduate programs and a nifty career mentor scheme, where they match you up with an industry professional who will give you an insight into your desired industry (and maybe even a work placement).

The main thing is that if you’re feeling uncertain about something, it’s important to act quickly and talk to someone ASAP.  I’m lucky I booked in for my appointment with the counsellor when I did, because the deadline for swapping degrees is the 7 December.  Yikes!  Plus you don’t want to put it off until you get to your final year and then decide to do something about it.

On a final note, I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and make the most of your holidays. Grumpy Cat doesn’t share the same enthusiasm for the festive season though…

I hope everyone survived Semester Two without irrevocable damage. I am pleased to say I did. Last exam was 15^th November – so ready and raring for some chillaxing and summer fun? No. Not really.

Alas, summer school commenced a mere four days later. No rest for the wicked mental stupid impatient eager to finish their degree!

I’ve enrolled into what is anticipated to be the most exhilarating semester of my degree thus far; cramming Accounting and Data Analysis into one fun-filled, laugh-a-minute, math-a-thon of hell.

I’ve avoided it for as long as could. My final two core subjects lay before me, and I am bravely stepping into the abyss of numbers, balance sheets, population parameters, and hypothesis testing something something something…. I’m distracted by something more appealing already…the flashing light on my computer modem. Ooooh, it’s going to be fun!

But I must swap my default position of defensive sarcasm to mask my intimidation from these subjects for something more open, willing, and… awake if I’m going to get through it.

Those who have read my previous blogs, know that Data Analysis is essentially my academic nemesis. It has delayed my progress, pillaged my GPA, and made me cry. The big meanie.

I knew the day would come when I had to face it in order to complete my degree, so I’m arming myself with peer support, maths refresher classes, extra tutorials, on-line support, Facebook groups, and asking my data-loving boyfriend to (for the love of God) help! This time Data Analysis…this time, I will prevail. All I’m asking for is 50%, seriously.

So, self-involved dummy tangent aside, Summer school, hey. Yeah.  I am attempting to fast-track my studies as much as possible by doing Summer School.

Whilst it’s more expensive (and don’t ask me why – all the services seem to disappear over summer (meow), but “keep it for the feedback form, woman” – I know), there are also many advantages, including:

• The classes are smaller, which makes for an improved learning experience, in my opinion
• Lecturers have more time for consultation due to the lower enrolment numbers
• There are two classes for each subject per week, which condenses the material, and I think it is great for maintaining momentum
• You get through your degree quicker (if you don’t fail, like me)
• You can always get a computer in the library!
• You can use it as an excuse to get out of annoying festive season family commitments

If you’re looking for a way to get through your studies quicker, Summer School could be an option.

I did two subjects over summer last year, and really enjoyed the faster pace of learning, and because it was only two subjects, I was able to apply myself, and did really well in both subjects. So I’m hoping for the same outcome this summer – Wish me luck!

Hopefully my next blog will be reporting on successful domination of maths by one Monique!

In the meantime, Happy Summer – Stay safe, and have a ball!