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March 29, 2024, 07:31:14 am

Author Topic: A whole new world - fb3's uni journal  (Read 28552 times)

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Joseph41

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Re: A whole new world - fb3's uni journal
« Reply #75 on: April 11, 2019, 05:12:44 pm »
+1
^What did the research study involve? :)

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fantasticbeasts3

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Re: A whole new world - fb3's uni journal
« Reply #76 on: April 11, 2019, 06:52:41 pm »
+1
^What did the research study involve? :)

It was about the use of emojis and emoticons! A few weeks ago I completed a survey to provide samples of posts and texts where I had used emojis and emoticons, then got called last week to attend an interview to answer questions about the messages I had submitted in the survey.

I don’t know too much about the research project itself except for that it’s quite lengthy (3 years!), it’s being funded by the government and the whole thing is about how emojis affect communication. wild stuff
HSC 2017: English (Standard) // Mathematics // Modern History // Legal Studies // Business Studies
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fantasticbeasts3

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Re: A whole new world - fb3's uni journal
« Reply #77 on: May 04, 2019, 01:34:25 pm »
+7
04/05/19

Hi friends!! It's been... almost a month since I last updated 😅 oops. Life got really hectic throughout April with uni/work/other responsibilities so I guess I abandoned this journal but here I am!!

This is going to sound awfully pessimistic as most of the time I have a positive disposition, but this term has been a series of disappointments. Whether it be academics or time management, I've been very disappointed.

First, I didn't realise the transition to trimesters would be so hard. It got to the point where I just didn't know what to prioritise anymore because all assessments were weighted highly (less weeks in a term = less assessments = higher weighting) and due in the same week. Also, this time last year I didn't have a stable job, i.e. shifts every two weeks or so and compared to this year I was working 2-3 shifts a week. Sounds small, but that impacted on my time management because I wasn't used to having actual things going on. Not to mention I had to make time for family responsibilities... and somehow fit my friends in all that mess?

Next, all these things put together really impacted on my academic performance. I didn't have as much time to focus on assessments, had less time to study and it sucked. I was averaging a distinction my entire first year and this term was totally different - I didn't have one distinction mark!! I know that for some people having credits is awesome, but coming from someone who did well in their first year, this was very disheartening. It's probably the transition from first to second year as well, because the courses I did were harder than last year but I didn't expect that all.

Finally, impressions matter!!!!!!! I went into this term already hating 2/3 courses I was doing and that affected my mindset throughout the term. It was so different from Semester 2 last year when I liked everything I did, so did well. I need to go in with a positive attitude every term and then decide if I hate something, rather than hating something from the get-go lol.

However crap this term has been for me, I'm happy I got through it. Here are my key takeaways from this term:
1. My German lecturer/tutor/convenor said I had improved a lot from last year, which was a massive confidence boost although my marks sucked. (I have very high expectations for myself in this subject lol) It's not just her, but I think I've improved a lot since the beginning of this term, even. My understanding of the language surpassed the expectations I had at the beginning of term (mid-February) to the point where I understand WHEN NATIVE SPEAKERS SPEAK. Like, I don't need a dictionary or subtitles kind of thing. That's pretty insane, considering I started learning just over a year ago.
2. I'm never working during the week again. I had lots of assignments due on Thursdays and Fridays and working on Wednesday nights did not help. I will be reducing my shifts to Friday-Sunday so I have more time to focus on uni.
3. I have more motivation to make sure I do well next term because it's my last chance to hike up my WAM after the beating it took this term. I don't have easy courses next term (like... the crucial terms before exchange applications... really) but I'm going to try my best.

I'm really looking forward to next term because I start my international business major!! It's a bit sad because I don't have German :-( but my subjects sound good. My timetable is attached below, but the subjects I'm doing next term are:
- MGMT1101: Global Business Environment
- MGMT2102: Managing Across Cultures
- ARTS2663: Korea and Japan: Chinese Cultural Transition

That's all from me until next term. Best of luck for those of you who have exams - go out there and smash them!!

Love,
fantasticbeasts x
« Last Edit: May 04, 2019, 01:38:07 pm by fantasticbeasts3 »
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fantasticbeasts3

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Re: A whole new world - fb3's uni journal
« Reply #78 on: June 13, 2019, 07:57:25 pm »
+6
13/06/19

Hallo meine Freunde... es ist definitiv eine Weile her.

Lots of things have happened since my last update (not in chronological order)
1. I changed my Netflix to German so I could build my listening skills throughout Term 2.
2. I worked a lot lol
3. I watched many rom coms
4. I started Term 2.
5. I dropped a subject.
6. Results were released last month
7. I'm a stationery reuse centre volunteer!

I didn't do as well as I'd hoped last term so my confidence levels weren't at their highest going into this term. These are my subjects this term:
- MGMT1101: Global Business Environment
- MGMT2102: Managing Across Cultures.

Until a few hours ago, I also did ARTS2663 (Korea and Japan: Chinese Cultural Transmission) but I thought that there wasn't enough context for me to understand what was being taught. Not to mention the assessments for the subject were all in the same week as my other courses so that was more of a reason to drop the subject. It did seem interesting for the first two weeks I did the subject but I decided my WAM was more important especially as I'll be doing exchange applications very soon. After dropping the subject someone told me that in this course and others taught by the same lecturer had a high fail rate so I guess I dodged a bullet there.

I was also going to do the subject that followed ARTS2663 but decided to look into alternate ones because what's the point of doing a Level 3 subject for an elective? I changed my regional electives (a component of International Studies that I have to complete) around because of what happened and let me tell you, what I've chosen sounds way more interesting 😎

Other than that, I've been really enjoying management! I think a tiny part of me missed learning about business and wants to transfer to commerce... but I love the humanities too much to change to a business degree lol. I already suffered through Research Methods anyways hahah

I'm feeling pretty optimistic about the rest of term seeing as I have less of a workload!! Woot woot

Hope you guys have had an awesome week!

Love,
fantasticbeasts xxxxx
HSC 2017: English (Standard) // Mathematics // Modern History // Legal Studies // Business Studies
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fantasticbeasts3

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Re: A whole new world - fb3's uni journal
« Reply #79 on: July 23, 2019, 12:55:00 pm »
+8
23/07/19

Um so... it's been a while since I last updated.

It's been a pretty average term so far: average results, average time, high stress lol. I feel like I've put myself under more pressure to do well because exchange applications are coming up (and have already opened) and my WAM needs to be decent to ensure I can make it into all my preferences. Despite this, I feel really excited because this time next year I'll be preparing to go away!! For an entire year!! But I do need to make sure I finish this term first before thinking about applying for exchange.

What else has happened?
1. I got my first internship !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's at this tiny PR firm which specialises in events PR. It's a sector of PR I've wanted to get experience in since the beginning of this year so I'm super excited! I start the first week after Term 2 finishes and it's for 2 days a week.
2. Building on this, I decided to only take two courses next term: HUMS2000 (Internship course) and ARTS2511 (German) so I don't feel as stressed. My timetable looks freaking amazing now 😎 5 contact hours!!!!!! Bless up
3. Provisional exam timetables were released today and my only exam is on August 27... at 8.45am. Yay! Not. I'm glad I don't have to worry too much about study, especially because I'll be working 4-5 days a week as well as interning so it's good to know I've got extra time to study for this exam.

Anyway I really have to do this assignment due on Friday which I've just started now due to stress lol but so far it's been fun so far which is good.

Hope you guys are having an awesome week so far!!

Love,
fantasticbeasts x

ps. sorry I used so many exclamation marks I'm just really excited
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fantasticbeasts3

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Re: A whole new world - fb3's uni journal
« Reply #80 on: September 02, 2019, 11:15:28 am »
+6
02/09/19

"Warning: this topic has not been posted in for at least 30 days. Unless you're sure you want to reply, please consider starting a new topic."

So, I guess it's been a while..? I definitely say this every time I post in my uni journal haha

It's been just under a week since I finished my one exam (MGMT1101) and I don't want to jinx things but I think it went okay! I remember not feeling particularly prepared because I've been pretty busy since term finished but I feel okay about it which is good.

What's been happening since my last entry:
  • I started my internship! I've mentioned this before but it's at a tiny firm just outside of the city which specialises in events. I've been doing a lot of PR-related things like social media copy, writing media releases and compiling lists of people for the company to reach out to for future events. If there's one thing I didn't expect, it's that sitting from 9-5 is so tiring! Coming from a retail background, all you want to do is sit down but now that I've experienced both I think the best kind of job for me would involve a lot of walking, but I have no idea how that's going to happen if I'm aiming for a PR-centric job.
  • Did my exam
  • Just working a lot
  • Results for my other subject which didn't have an exam: I got a distinction which was such a relief because I bombed the multiple choice quiz early on in the term. I didn't fail but bad results tend to be a predictor for what kind of marks I'll get for the rest of the term so it's good to know that hard work pays off.
  • Exchange applications: it's wild to think that this time next year I'll be in either Germany or the UK! Exchange applications are so time consuming and I didn't realise that until yesterday which was the first time I actually sat down to do my research. German university websites are so poorly organised and to find the faculties of study took so long... like for five universities it took an hour. It's going to be a wild ride when I start looking for course equivalents lol. Since last year, the WAM requirements for the universities I'm applying for have changed quite a bit so hopefully my results are good enough to get into all my preferences.
  • I also decided to drop my internship course and do the internship without any connection to uni because of a multitude of reasons which I'm not going to go into because it's a long story. Instead, I'm doing ARTS2511 (Intermediate German B) and ARTS2096 (Media Rights, Media Wrongs) as my two subjects for next term.

I think that's all for this entry - I hope I write another one sometime soon!

Love,
fantasticbeasts x
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fantasticbeasts3

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Re: A whole new world - fb3's uni journal
« Reply #81 on: November 09, 2019, 03:14:29 pm »
+7
09/11/19

Um so... it's definitely been a while. Life has been crazy and I've just wrapped up a few things, so I'm currently in a quiet period of uni!

This week...
- I finished my first internship! I didn't hate it, although sometimes it did get really boring hahah. I'm looking for another one to credit to my degree at the moment but for now, I'm glad that I finished it so I can relax a bit.
- Weighting wise, the majority of my assessments are over and the remainder are really spread out now.

I also...
- Have to do summer term :-( I dropped two subjects this year, so in order to graduate when I want to (and with my friends lol) I have to do summer school this coming summer and after exchange.
- Have applied for exchange!!! I'm waiting on my nomination now (so where the exchange office decides I'm going) and that should come at the beginning of next month. In order of preference, the cities I put down are: Berlin, Vienna, Munich, London, Sussex (more of a region but eh) and Birmingham. I decided not to go full German because it got hard to plan my studies and there weren't enough subjects relevant to my degree. Unis in England were a lot more flexible and had more relevant subjects so that's how I ended up with three English preferences.

That's it for now! I'll (hopefully) update again when I get nominated to a university. Fingers crossed it's Vienna - it looks like a dream. Although I have Berlin first, I'm not bothered to go through an entire process to switch my preferences around so I'm just going to hope I get Vienna lol

I hope you guys have has an awesome week!

Love,
fantasticbeasts
HSC 2017: English (Standard) // Mathematics // Modern History // Legal Studies // Business Studies
2018-2022: B International Studies/B Media (PR & Advertising) @ UNSW

fantasticbeasts3

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Re: A whole new world - fb3's uni journal
« Reply #82 on: December 13, 2019, 08:50:01 pm »
+9
13/12/19

The threatening red box always makes an appearance when I update... oops.

Since my last entry, I have completed my second year of university! This is so exciting because this year has felt so long and at times, it was definitely a struggle. I think I've ended it on a high note because (1) my grades have seen a massive improvement since Term 1, and (2) I think a lot of positive change has occurred since the beginning of this year.

I'm excited for the following year though because new decade, lots of change. I'm moving into 3rd year courses next year which makes me feel old even though I know I will be in 3rd year? They look a lot more intense but practical but it's exciting because the theory I've learnt over the past 2 years will finally be put to use (except for media theory lol what a joke)! I've also secured my second internship for next year and it's at a PR firm specialising in brand reputation, which will be a good change from my previous one which focused on events. I might do another internship before I leave for Europe, maybe at this travel-centric PR firm!

Also, I finally got nominated to a university for exchange today. I don't know if I've explained it before, but at UNSW, the exchange process works by students submitting 6 preferences to the exchange office, with one of them being selected. I'll most likely be going to the University of Sussex from September 2020 to June 2021. I was really disappointed because I had already imagined myself in my top preference (Vienna, Austria), and Sussex was my 4th preference. Regardless of where I'm going, exchange is a massive privilege that not many people can either (a) fit into their degree, or (b) afford; so I'm still excited, although there is still that part of me that is not as enthused about going lol.

To make myself feel better, I'm going to list some pros for going to Sussex:
- Everything will be in English, including paperwork, visas, etc. so I won't have to worry too much about language barriers;
- It won't be as cold as Austria;
- If I want, there are lots of opportunities for work experience in PR because the UK has a good reputation for that industry;
- If my financial situation is really bad I can get a job;
- I can watch Schitt's Creek whenever I like.

I feel like when you hype up something for so long and don't get it, you ruin the remainder of the experience so I'm going to focus on the positives of going to Sussex, of which the only stand-out positive is that season 6 of Schitt's Creek will be available to watch on Netflix straight away, whereas in Austria they don't have the show on their Netflix. Side note: I sent an essay of an email to the UNSW exchange office arguing why I should go to Austria instead of Sussex so we'll see what happens. My WAM was 0.5 under the previous exchange cohort's cut-off so I might not be able to go there but a somewhat passive-aggressive email will hopefully do the trick... or not.

Oh and final grades for Term 3 are released on the 21st! This year has felt long, but at the same time, really short and it's strange to think that I've finished my second year of uni uGHhshshshsh I feel old. Not to mention next year is 2020 and I'll be turning 20, wow.

I hope you guys have been doing well and I'll be back for another entry at the beginning of term next year! Happy holidays!!!

Love,
fantasticbeasts xoxo
HSC 2017: English (Standard) // Mathematics // Modern History // Legal Studies // Business Studies
2018-2022: B International Studies/B Media (PR & Advertising) @ UNSW

fantasticbeasts3

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Re: A whole new world - fb3's uni journal
« Reply #83 on: March 26, 2020, 03:28:11 pm »
+9
26/03/2020

Hey, it's been a while.

I took a bit of an unplanned break from AN for a while as things in my life became really hectic and overwhelming. I suppose the predicament we're in right now is a small blessing in disguise, as I have a bit more time to sit back and reflect, while also having more time to focus on uni and catching up on the things I've missed.

Anyway, since this is a uni journal, here's an update on what's happened since I last updated this journal.
- I'm not going to reflect too much on grades since it was so long ago, but it's satisfying to know that hard works pays off.
- I only did my internship for five weeks instead of the scheduled seven due to the virus which closed down the firm I was working at. Really disappointed because the placement was so good, but I learnt so much so that's a plus.
- It's been six weeks since term started and I've only submitted one assessment. I have one due this coming Sunday, and a midterm the following day, on Monday. The midterm was supposed to be on the 16th, but due to student concern about virus transmission (I think UNSW had one case at the time when the photo of cleaners in hazmat suits leaked), it was postponed. Originally, this is how it was supposed to go: on the 13th, the course convenor sent out an email stating that the exam would be held in two separate groups to assist with enforcing social distancing. Then that one case popped up, people became concerned, and the exam was cancelled. We've just been informed on how everything's going to go but I'll look at it after I've finished this assignment.
- Given the virus situation, exchange is totally up in the air. Honestly, I would be okay not doing it until August next year, or not doing it at all. We're still expected to submit our applications as if everything's normal, but I feel like it's a waste of time because it's more likely that we're not going to go.

Well, that got a little dark. My last entry was so optimistic - I wonder what the me of December 2019 would've thought if I told her what she'd be experiencing right now. But there's always a little good in everything, because this situation has made me keep in contact with friends I don't see often, and that's been nice.

Until the next entry.

Love,
fantasticbeasts x
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2018-2022: B International Studies/B Media (PR & Advertising) @ UNSW

fantasticbeasts3

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Re: A whole new world - fb3's uni journal
« Reply #84 on: September 11, 2020, 06:29:40 pm »
+8
11/09/2020

I never thought it would take almost 6 months for me to update my journal. HSC me would be appalled.

So many things have happened since the last time I updated! I completed both terms 1 and 2, and results-wise, I think I'm pretty happy with where I stand there. I've also gone back to work, but that's been a bit weird because I don't know if I've shared this on AN, but I usually work at Sydney Domestic Airport in retail, so since lockdown, I haven't been back and have instead been transferred to another shopping centre. The commute is less than ideal because I only live ~20 minutes from the airport, but the commute to this shopping centre on average clocks about 50 minutes, so that's been an adjustment. I have been reminded that my commute to uni is about the same, but I can only argue that "It's different!!1!1!!1". Nevertheless, I am still extremely grateful that I have a job and have maintained a similar amount of hours just like prior to the pandemic.

As for the other aspects of my life, honestly not that much has happened bar exchange. If you've actually followed my very patchy posting on this journal, a really important part of the International Studies degree is exchange and we're supposed to go away for a year! I'm actually supposed to be in England right now, but that obviously got cancelled around mid-April when it became clear that the pandemic wasn't going to clear up any time soon. Since then, I've heard that exchange for T1 2021 has been cancelled but apparently that was in light of the unlikelihood of stage 4 travel restrictions. The International Studies program convenor is very optimistic that exchange in T3 2021 - so this time next year - will go ahead, so everyone who is supposed to go on exchange has been asked to reapply. In the meantime, in the event that it doesn't go on, they're looking into options as to how exchange will be substituted. I reckon it's much easier to get everyone to stay home and take courses at UNSW but we'll see! As of last week, I finished my exchange application and have landed on the following: Vienna, Edinburgh, Munich, Sussex, Dublin and London. It was surprisingly difficult to find course matches for universities in mainland Europe so I've gravitated towards the UK and Ireland. We had an International Studies exchange Q&A session today and we're assuming that it's full steam ahead, so fingers crossed!!

Term 3 starts on Monday and I've honestly never dreaded something more. This year has been straight up exhausting and I'm just ready for it to be over! I don't know if it's because I'm doing a 9 subject year (last year I did 7) but 2020 has felt irrationally long.

I hope you're all keeping safe and well during these crazy times!

Love,
fantasticbeasts
HSC 2017: English (Standard) // Mathematics // Modern History // Legal Studies // Business Studies
2018-2022: B International Studies/B Media (PR & Advertising) @ UNSW