Marks, Grades and GPA

Grades

The marks, grades and GPA we achieve within university represent a direct reflection of our ability (whether to work, knowledge of the unit, nerdiness). As of right now, the final examination of one of my units consists of 60% of my overall grade, sixty, sixty, SIXTY. That means if I ace everything beforehand but mess up the final exam, basically all my work has gone to waste, all.

Now this begs the question. What if my assignments are only worth 3%? Is it really worth the effort in getting those 3 marks? Short answer no, long answer yes. What I mean by no is that its not really something worth getting overly stressed about (such as losing sleep). Yes, you should do it to the best of your ability and aim for a high distinction, but in the end its only a mere 3%. Long answer? That 3% may be the difference between a distinction and a high distinction (final grade). Of course it will always be worth it in the end, but I say again that it is NOT something that is worth losing sleep over.

(unless your father looks like this!)

I feel courses such as these with the final examination weighing more than half of the entire grade are badly structured. If a student has shown competency through the entire semester but doesn't too as well as they should have during the final exams (many factors can cause this, e.g. stress, other exams, lack of sleep), they shouldn't be punished accordingly (I've had this happen to me!). A more even distribution of grading is much more representative of a students skills as well as ability (this destroys a students GPA if he/she performs badly in a bloated final examination grading subject). 

Now I leave you with some images because I need to get back to studying for my 60% final exam maths uni (kill me please)

-Johnson

GOOD things and BAD things about uni!!

Good things as a uni student!!
1. Don't need to go Uni everyday!
In high school, we need to go school everyday, but in uni only 2-4days!!!
That's why we can have more free times and work days!!;)
As a uni student, we don't need to focus only at studying. We do have more chances to work and have more relationships with others in society.

2. Free to choose our own timetable!
In uni, before starting the semister, we have oppotunity choose our own timetable. We can organise the time for our own tutorial and lecture.

3. Mufti everyday! no ugly uniform anymore!!
In high school, we need to wear ugly uniform every single days..... but in uni it is free to wear anything!!!
In high school, we need to go home to change our cloths before we are going somewhere. All people look the same when they are wearing same ugly uniform, bag, white socks and black leather shoes!!!

4. Girlfriend and boyfriend!
Especially in Christian high school, it is very hard to have boyfriend or girlfriend.....
When I was in high school, I could not even hold my boyfriend's hand and we could not huge each other!
But in uni, we can do whatever we want!!! free!!!! no one say something if I hold my bf's hand haha

5. Meet more mature people than high schools!
In Uni there are more variety ages!!! Some people are older than me and some are younger.
They are much mature than friends in high school. They are more likely to be experienced and mature.
They are willing to study rather than just playing. All people in uni, they have opportunity to choose their majors, that's why we have more chances to meet helpful friends in uni and also in society as well.

6. More eduacated tutors & lecturers!
In uni we have more educated tutors and lecturers than in high school!
We have all different tutors and lecturers for each semister! We are also provided with more biggger and better room for class!!

7. We can go anywhere during the breaks
During the breaks, we can go anywhere!!! In high school, we are not allow to go outside of the school.
Uni students  are much more free than high school student!!;)

Bad things as a uni student!!
For me, nothing is worse than high school as a uni student!!
But we need to study harder to pass or get a high mark for every subject!!
It is more serious than high school. We need to pay again for the failed subject to redo it!!!
That's it!! ;)



~Sol Ahn

Uni Fashion Stereotypes

So you've left high school (no more yucky uniforms) and finally a chance to express yourself through clothes! yay. No more conformity, no more strict rules, nothing. Freedommmmmmmmmmm.

Here are few fashion (non)statements we've seen around campus:

1. The geek 

Whether intentional or not, super cute.

2. The Fashionista

Hair done, makeup done, nails done, labels, labels, labels, labels, labels. Looks like a million bucks, and probably costs as much too.

3. The cbf (can't be fucked)

Seen on occasion in pyjamas, thongs, the shirt they wore yesterday, and the day before, and the day before, and the day before... They wear what they want and don't give a shit.

4. The band tee

For the metalheads:

Slipknot, Metallica, Pantera, Opeth, Cradle of Filth, Children of Bodom, Cannibal Corpse, The blacker the better...black jeans black chucks black jacket black everything!!!! woooo!

And everyone else:

5. The Hipster

Wears hawaiian shirts, ironically. Uses a plastic bag for school books, ironically. Whatever it is, everything's put together effortlessly.

6. Smexy.


I've tried to recall what, but all I can remember is...

her eyes. ;)

7. The Questionable

8. Everyone else


We're just trying to find our feet here. And that's a good thing, because it's all about exploration and expression, doing and wearing things you can't when you're working. Have fun!

xo,
Pamela

6 Types of College Professors

After nearly a year at university, I have pretty much encountered mostly, if not all, types of university professors. From the bore to the colourful and to the professor who always has a coffee in his hand, you name it, I've seen it all! So here are the 6 most common university professors/lecturers/tutors that you will encounter while studying at university!

1. The coffee-junkie.

Ahh, yes. The coffee-junkie. I distinctly remember a lecturer I once had for a Microeconomics class (I won't say any names here). For 13 straight weeks, she always had coffee sitting next to her- sipping in between teaching and always going to get EXTRA coffee every time we had a break. Maybe it was the fact that it was an 8:30AM lecture or that she was teaching a boring subject but hey, I can't blame her. We all need that coffee hit once in a while.

2. The sarcastic ^%$*@

"Sharp as a blade (intellectually speaking) and ready to slice at any moment. That opening sentence you spent hours working on? Cut down in one pithy jibe. That question you thought sounded pretty reasonable? Laughed into the grave." 

Hmm. The sarcastic one. I've encountered a few of these lecturers/teachers and they always provide the lecture with a lot of entertainment. It's always funny to see someone be the victim of this type of professor but if you're the victim it's a bit embarrassing and they do take a bit of time to get used to. I remember having a sarcastic teacher in my last year of high school and I was one of the victims of her 'sarcasticness' (I know that's probably not a word but pffffffff). I sort of really disliked her at the start of the year, but towards the end of the year between Shakespeare monologues and the last few months of high school and freedom, she became my favourite teacher. 

3. Mr/Mrs/Ms/Miss/Sir/Lord/Madam/Count Nice

Yeah...I went a bit overboard with the title there. Mr/Ms Nice usually "...operates an open-door policy, always ready for a chat, and if you pop in you'll probably be offered a nice cup of tea and some of those biscuits shaped into little animals. They also have a reputation for never giving anyone a bad mark."

This type of lecturer is reaaaaally nice...too nice. Makes you think twice if they actually vomit rainbows and fart cute little fluffy bunnies and eat love and hearts for lunch. Maybe they're plotting world domination and are just buttering up their students to become their minions in their master grand plan. Who knows...but be suspicious...very suspicious. No lecturer/tutor will give you full marks just.like.that.

4. The fun lecturer

For anyone who has or had a fun/party lecturer, you lucky bastard. Fun lecturers are F.U.N! Always up for a good time and asking students how their Friday night was. They make your classes extra fun and you don't even feel like you're doing any work! They almost feel like your friend. Almost.

5. The bore

WHY do they make boring lecturers teach boring subjects?!!!!?!?!??! That's DOUBLE the boring level. There have been times where I have contemplated shooting myself with a BB gun. Repeatedly. That monotonous voice. Their dull appearance. Their attempt at making 'funny jokes'. No. Just no. 

Pretty much sums up how I feel about boring lecturers

Hey, Mr. Boring, you can't blame me if I've started to daydream about cows and fluffy sheep and how long it would take for barnacles to start developing on yo boring stiff ass.

6. Mr. Talkative

Last but certainly not least, the talkative lecturer. I can't say that I've encountered a lot of these while at university, but I'm sure there are lots of them. It's even worse once they start going off topic. OMG. WHY. 

I'll give you an example. In high school, I once had this English teacher who, for the sake of him, won't give any names. Mr. Egypt, we'll call him. Egypt? Why Egypt? BECAUSE EGYPT IS ALL HE TALKS ABOUT. Now, It might be all good and dandy if it was a History class. But it wasn't. It was a friggin English class. Every time we would even come remotely close about the topic of Egypt, BAM! He's off on an hour long story about Egypt and how he was nearly killed at gun-point.

Sure, it was entertaining at the start, but hearing it almost everyday for 2 years? Nu-uh. Nope. Nada. Zilch. There were some advantages of having a talkative teacher though. We, as students, could always make him go off-topic and provide us stories of mummies and how the pyramids were made by aliens instead of learning about gender differences in today's society. Yay.

So there you have it! The 6 types of lecturers you'll encounter while studying at university. Good luck if you ever have to encounter 'the bore'. 

Happy studying!

Kat~

STUDY HARD VS WORK HARD It is so hard to success both of them at the same time!!

Nowdays it is so hard for me to work and study at the same time.
From March, I started my new job, which would be my permanent job after Uni.
IT IS SO DIFFICULT to manage everything at once.

Firstly, I need to go work 3-5 days in a week and also I have Uni 2 days in a week.
I need to wake up at 6am every morning on the work day. My work finishes at 6:30pm.
After work I need to rest at home, otherwise I would be dead next day...
My job is about medical stuff (dental), I need to know so many things at work.
Sometimes my brain is messed up by memorising uni stuff and work stuff at the same time.

Sometimes I have seminar during the weekends............
It is like listening 10hrs of lecture......  I have no time to meet friends these days...
So tired everyday....
I realized that it is very difficult to study and work at the same time.

Time management is extremely important for me. Otherwise I would fail all my subjects.

I have class on Tuesday and Friday. I need to study on those days. Sometimes I do study during the weekend if i don't have any seminars.

I think both study and work is so important for me. That is why I can't give up both.
I need to build up my knowledge through the education and I need to earn experiences and money by working.
Both are important for everyone.
Anyways people must need to look for their job after Uni completed, but thankfully I've got my job already. That is why I can't complain, but my body is so tired everyday..
    Some people think I am bit stupid. Because they think students need to study not work. But they need to understand that, because most of  people need to work for survive not for fun.
International students' parents are paying so much money on their son and/or daughter's tuition fee.
I don't want to give this pressure to my parents. I'm trying to help them. Many students also do this for  their parents. I'm one of them.

Thesedays, I'm very tired and exhausted every single day, but I believe I will be fine oneday.
I've learnt so many things through the education in uni and also through the experiences in workplace. That is the reason I need to work and study hard!!
We are still young. We need to learn as much as we can. "Learning" something never ends.

 

I want to recommand those students who work and study at the same time, that time management is essential and make a study plan for managing both work and study.

I know it is hard to do both perfectly, but you need to focus to get a good mark in uni and get good experiences at workplace.

Sol Ahn, AHSOD1101

Top 10 Things I Want To Do Before I Graduate

My top 10 in no particular order!

1. Ace an exam/assignment.

2. Make my own booze.

3. Get a High Distinction.

4. Join a club/team. (Preferably the Quidditch team I've seen around campus. Harry Potter FTW!)

So intense

5. Go on a date with someone I would normally say no to- give them a chance! You never know ;)

6. Have a picnic by the lake at MQ campus until sunset with someone playing the guitar and us singing 'Kumbaya' around a bonfire while roasting marshmallows and making damper from scratch.

7. Attend a random lecture that I've always been interested in. (I've always wanted to know what they do in Early Childhood- painting with cotton balls and finger painting?)

8. Catch a wild rabbit. Yes! A motherfudgin wild rabbit! I've seen them around MQ innocently foraging...mmhm. I'mma catch you.

9. Swim in the lake. Catch a fish in the lake. Are there even fish in that lake?

10. Go to uni wearing my pyjamas. Who cares if it's ugly? It's friggin comfy! Don't judge me.

If only I could look this good while going to bed

What would you like to do before you graduate university or high school?

~Kat

Procrastination

This post started out a little bit like this:

Source

Moving on. Let me start by saying that I have always been a shit student. I hated any form of structure, or any authoritative presence so to speak. Order? Fuck that, I'll do it my way, I'll do it another day. Procrastination was synonymous with me.  It wasn't until I started working that I realized how important getting your shit together was.

Source

And so begins my point. Procrastination is a nasty son of a bitch everyone faces.  Some deal with it well, some don't. In uni, you really can't afford to procrastinate. Why? Let me paint you a picture.

It's week 10. It's the point where tests are scheduled for most of the units you're taking, assignments and projects are due. Work is piling up. Putting off things till the next week and the next and the next will eventually overwhelm you in the end. You have a test the same day your assignment is due and nothing is completed. And you wonder to yourself, "what the fuck did I do wrong?"

Here's how to avoid feeling like this:

Source

1. Do the work as you go along - If you've been given an assignment that can be done in a few hours, you're best off doing it the day itself. It's like a mini revision and the information in your head is still fresh. You also don't go a whole week putting it off and rushing to get it done the day before submission.
2. Pre read lecture notes so you understand what the hell is going on instead of going to lala land every time the tutor speaks. - This I found to be very important, it reduces the amount of time spent revising material and you find yourself less confused than when you first started out.
3. Just do it. No seriously, it's that simple
4. Create a work/play schedule for yourself.... AND STICK TO IT  - Schedules help most people function, if they stick to it. It's intrinsic for some but for other it's not. Having a schedule laid out visually could help some realise what needs to be done. Also, studies have shown that concentration levels for the average adolescent is about 45 minutes. Try having a full on 45 minute session, with a 15 minute break in between sessions to relax, regroup and refocus. You tend to be more productive breaking up your 3 hour study marathons like this, rather than procrastinating away, wasting 2 hours and only utilizing 1 hour. 
5. Eliminate distractions during study hour..that means no Facebook even if it means that there's "scholarly articles" on. It really helps not having your phone beeping, music playing in the background(some people can study with music, I just can't. I get distracted), facebook, twitter, game updates etc. disrupting your train of thought.

There's a lot more that can be done but that's just the gist of it. I still struggle with getting things done, concentrating, focusing etc, but I've learned that you've got to suck it up and do it even if you don't like it, to get the results you want. And that's just life.

And I'll end with something most students are familiar with. :D

Source

xo,
Pamela

Balancing Act

As university students, you could say that our time is 'precious' (read that in Gollum's voice). We have a lot of commitments such as studying for those pesky mid-terms or exams in general, assignments, work and having a social life. Even with all that going on, some lucky students even manage to sleep!

This is me towards the end of the semester

So how do we balance work/life/study? According to Career Lifestyle Journal, the key to juggling study, work and a social life is to be organized, disciplined and knowing your limits which begins with effective planning.

• Develop a study plan- Draw up a weekly study timetable. This can help you focus your time and be more organized. This has helped me immensely during final exam periods where the study load can get a bit overwhelming. Just make sure to stick to your plan.

• Manage your time and prioritize- Staying organized is one of the best ways to save time. One of the best ways to stay organized is having a diary or calendar where you can make notes and know exactly when certain assignments or assessments are due. Prioritizing tasks can also help with knowing which tasks are the most important. The one on top of the list should be the one you should focus most of your time into. 

• Choose a job that is flexible and fits in with your study pattern- If you are a working full-time student, make sure it fits in with your study pattern and you may want to consider part-time work as full-time study and full-time work is very challenging. Working more than 20-25 hours a week is not advisable as it can affect your studies. Although having a job while at uni can be occasionally challenging, it can boost your employability when you graduate. Working in your field or beneficial to your future career can also help with opening doors for you in your industry.

• Socialising/Getting support- Ensure you have enough time to relax, exercise and most importantly- sleep! Make sure you have enough time to spend time with your friends and family. I'm sure you do not want to spend all day studying or working! If you feel like you are struggling with balancing study/work/life, you can talk to your friends or family or someone in your university's Student Services. 

Read the full article at: http://www.careerslifestylejournal.com/work-life-balance-juggle-study-work-social-life/

There you have it! Tips on how to manage study/work/life. Good luck!

~Katrina 

Uni Library

We should have a bigger or more libraries.
In City Campus we have too small library.

At NorthRyde Campus, we have a big library but I have found some difficulties to find a seat during the exam period. Sometimes on normal days as well.

We should have more libraries. We should have a library for each different department of education.
Some of my friends from MQC told me that, the library at NorhRyde Campus is too far from some buildings in Uni. For example, Sydney Uni students have LAW LIBRARY, SCI-TECH LIBRARY and so on. They have enough places to study whenever they want.

We should have more available seats/places to study during the exam period. Many students are international students, most of them do not have appropriate quiet places to study at home.
If there are many libraries, it provides students more opportunities to study hard.





AHSOD1101 Sol Ahn