Post by: angewina_naguen on February 16, 2019, 02:09:37 pm
Hey, everyone!
I’m super excited to start this University Journal which I had been meaning to commence for a while. With Welcome Week next week, I figured now would be a great time to start my journey with this thread!
For those who are unaware, I kept a HSC Journal throughout Year 12, documenting my crazy experience with four Major Work subjects and sharing a snippet of my life as a student. Towards the end of my journal, I also shared in an extensive post my reason for pursuing Music Ed and what I would like to achieve out of my degree. I had incredible fun with the journal and I found that it taught me the value of accountability and was a large source of motivation when I needed it most. It was because of this that I decided to journal my university journey!
As indicated in the title for this journal, I will be studying a four year Bachelor of Music (Music Education) at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Believe me when I say that I am still surprised I managed to be accepted because I truly am! I never would have guessed myself to end up at the Con, especially with a multitude of challenges posed throughout my HSC. What this did do is encourage me to work harder and I look forward to a new adventure in my course ;D
This was already shouted out on another thread by Rui but I was also able to gain a position as a Tutesmart tutor recently! I have a great passion for teaching and I’m more than delighted to be tutoring Advanced English at UTS. The Sunday class I have are a bunch of lovely students and I’m hoping for this to be a huge help for my future career aspirations. I’ve been buzzing around the English threads for the last few months still recovering from the HSC and will continue to post more in my Poetry Thread once everything settles in.
As for university, I am yet to receive approval for my student ID card :'( Transport is so expensive as an adult >:( I’m hoping they get this fixed up soon so I can use my concession card. I am also waiting for my classes to be streamed and sorted out before I can finalise my timetable. At the moment, I’m enrolled in the following subjects;
-Harmony and Analysis
-Aural Perception
-Music in Modern Times
-Key Ideas in Music Education
-Fundamentals of Teaching
-Musicology Workshop
-Choir
It’s going to be one heavy semester but I’m up for the challenge 8) I’m hoping to update this journal once a week at least and keep my progress tracked. The aim for this week is to get my textbooks sorted out and start any readings as soon as possible so I can prepare for the classes. I would also like to roughly get my repertoire for this year decided. My partner and I have been talking a lot about starting a YouTube channel and would like to commence this project by mid year. As evident in my title, I’m really interested in musical theatre and would love to share my performances with AN in the Creative Corner once that gets up and running ;D
That’lll be all for this entry! I’m pumped to have everyone on board and ready for an eventful academic year ;D Thanks for reading what will be the first of many posts and have a great weekend!
Toodles,
Angelina ;D
Post by: katie,rinos on February 16, 2019, 03:47:46 pm
Post by: Bri MT on February 16, 2019, 04:02:22 pm
Post by: w0lfqu33n89 on February 16, 2019, 04:13:39 pm
Post by: hums_student on February 16, 2019, 04:47:14 pm
Post by: beatroot on February 16, 2019, 06:04:33 pm
i know two people from the con and worked with one for a short film. it's not uncommon for the con and aftrs to collaborate on projects since we are in need of screen music and they are in need of projects. can i smell a collaboration in the future ?? ;D ;D
Post by: angewina_naguen on February 21, 2019, 08:48:22 am
Hey, everyone!
Been having an awesome O Week and exploring my new homes (because I have so many friends on main campus, I'm probably going to be there more than the Con I reckon) for the next four years!
I'll be sharing my O Week adventures in the next post since I'm heading up again today with a friend to hang out on campus. One quick thing though- textbooks are bloody expensive. My partner and I have agreed to split for one of our textbooks once my scholarship money comes in because we thought of it a better idea than to buy two separate ones. I knew they would cost a lot but it was another thing coming when I was there looking at the price tag and gasping much louder than I probably should have :-[
I wanted to say thanks for the warm welcome into the new journal! I'm excited to have an audience for it :) It'll hopefully keep me motivated in uni and help me track my progress. I've finished off some readings for this coming week but still waiting on my timetable to be finalised :'( I also had to change my Fundamentals of Teaching unit for this semester to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Music which I'm okay with. I loved performing Indigenous music in high school so I'm completely happy with the change, resolving one of my clashes.
I'm really excited to read your journal! It'll be cool to see the differences between unis!! ;D
I'm also really excited to see the differences as well! I'd imagine there would be heaps of competition here but I would think that it would be the same anywhere. I was actually thinking of going to UNSW for a while too so it would be cool to compare the two places and see what might have been :)
Congratulations on your successes so far - I'm sure we'll see many more as this journal unfolds :)
Thank you, miniturtle! I'm hoping to keep up what has been a pretty solid academic record but I would also like to achieve beyond with extra-curricular activities now that I have time for them. It'll be interesting for sure to see how this year goes ;D
Congrats girl! as a weird compliment from a stranger I am proud of you! cant wait to see more from this blog! all the best! xx
Not a weird compliment at all ;D I'm glad to have you on board with the journal too and hope I'll have great news and content to deliver throughout the year. Thanks!
Congratulations! As a fellow music theatre enthusiast, I can’t wait to follow along on your exciting journey :) looking forward to more updates!
Always love finding theatre people because I didn't have many of them in high school! Welcome on board ;D I actually joined the Musical Theatre Ensemble for my first society yesterday so I'm pumped to be a part of all their shenanigans 8) Will definitely post heaps about my musical theatre adventures too.
omg yes I'm so keen for your uni adventures at the con! i enjoyed reading your major works journey and can't wait to read updates about your uni studies!
i know two people from the con and worked with one for a short film. it's not uncommon for the con and aftrs to collaborate on projects since we are in need of screen music and they are in need of projects. can i smell a collaboration in the future ?? ;D ;D
And to the person who started all of this ;D Bea recommended me keeping a journal when I was but a wee Year 12 lass and here I am now with my university one! I'm just as keen to share all my fun at the Con ;D A collaboration would indeed be something I would be up for ;)
That's my entry for today! I'll be posting some time at the end of the week and will have amazing things to share soon!
Toodles,
Angelina ;D
Post by: fantasticbeasts3 on February 21, 2019, 10:07:43 am
For your textbooks, have you looked into getting second hand ones (if possible)? Try StudentVIP and Facebook groups because they’ll be a lot cheaper and most of the time they’re in good condition :-)
Post by: angewina_naguen on February 23, 2019, 02:17:50 pm
Hey, everyone!
Is anyone still typing/writing up 2018 because I'm still doing this and we're almost done with February. It's slightly concerning.
Had a big week with Welcome Week up at USYD and the Con. I went up to the Con on Monday early and walking up the slope to the university made me think "my goodness, I am going to dread this." This was immediately something I took back when I considered the walk to and from Redfern for the USYD peeps and I experienced this firsthand on the days I went up to campus for Welcome Week. I don't particularly hate walking but I do get tired easily from physical activity so hopefully that's something I can work on over the next few years ;D
I will have to say I am a little overwhelmed by how much work there is already. I was on the Canvas website just having a look at what I have to prep for and I was surprised at how much there is to do just for this first week. I've been powering through my Harmony work because I know for sure it's going to be my hardest subject and hoping to get ahead so I can take in content easier during the lecture and tutorial I have on the first day. I'm excited for Music in Modern Times because I did Modernism in Year 11 for English and Visual Arts which I found really interesting. It's going to be great to look at it now in terms of music in particular :)
My timetable has finally been sorted out too! I don't have to come in on Tuesday so I can reserve that for any homework from the other days, as well as to keep it open for any work I may need to do for Tutesmart. It works out perfectly in that instance. I do have one 2 hour class on a Friday from 2pm-4pm which slightly annoys me but at least it's in the afternoon :) That's not too bad.
I had heaps of fun exploring campus, going to my first uni party and meeting new people. It's certainly a different environment from high school but one I think I'll get used to quickly because of how much freedom there is. I'll also have my partner with me! We share Music in Modern Times and will be doing Choir together so I won't feel so alone even though I barely know anyone on campus. I'm excited to spend time with him at uni and to study together.
So good to hear that you’ve had a great week so far!!
For your textbooks, have you looked into getting second hand ones (if possible)? Try StudentVIP and Facebook groups because they’ll be a lot cheaper and most of the time they’re in good condition :-)
I checked out both and none of them had the resources I needed :'( Luckily, an ex-student I'm friends with has given me two of the textbooks I need so I'm forever grateful for her! I will definitely make the most of them. I think music students get the short straw but there's always ways around it :) Thank you for recommending me to check them out!
That'll be all for today's entry. I look forward to checking in about my first week soon 8) Have a great weekend, all!
Toodles,
Angelina ;D
Post by: angewina_naguen on February 28, 2019, 11:13:11 pm
Hey, everyone! Bit of a late night impulse post from me. First week of uni is almost over so I'll recap my experience on the weekend after my last class tomorrow!
As for this random entry, I just realised I never actually gave some background about myself on the forum! With the recent mod promotion and my aim to make this journal more of a personal, growth-orientated one, I figured it would make sense to give a little origin story before the "university" part kicks in!
The story of how I found ATARNOTES is on a separate thread but for those who haven't seen it, I encountered AN through its Headstart lecture series in 2017. I didn't know they were on at all; I was just coincidentally in the city when the first one was running. As I was walking past the building, I heard a screaming Jamon ushering people into the lectures and came across that big ol' ATARNOTES logo slapped on the building with an arrow pointing inside. I thought "hey, I'm doing the HSC next year. Why not see what's up?"
I ended up signing up for English Advanced with Elyse and Modern History with my new gal pal Susie who I aspire to achieve a vice-chancellor memelord role with. The lectures completely motivated me, especially after Year 11 being quite exhausting, and I decided to invest on the forums as a result. While I initially wasn't posting much and used it more for resources, I gravitated towards the "giving" aspect of the community and really found myself benefiting through it.
From then, I attended basically every Advanced and Modern lecture there was after that, as well as Emily's Extension 1 English lecture (which I credit to getting me my unprecedented 48) and Maddie's Visual Arts (one of my favourite additions to the lecture series). It was nice to be surrounded by people who were also eager to learn and I felt very comfortable with the vibe AN had going. This is why I'm still here today ;D If it weren't for these brilliant lecturers, I wouldn't have been as compelled to this forum as I am and even working now with AN as a Tutesmart tutor. I owe a lot to the forum for my HSC success and intend to give back in every way I can ;D
To end this, my username and DP! I have actually used angewina_naguen as a username for many accounts. My niece (who is now a lot older than she was when this came to be) couldn't pronounce my name and just called me "wina" for a solid four years. I got accustomed to it and asked her how she would pronounce my surname (Nguyen) and hence, this was born ;D
And my beloved Waddles! The infamous pig I have in my DP is from one of my favourite cartoons Gravity Falls. I watched Gravity Falls throughout Years 7-9 and despite being a very moody and, quite frankly, an insufferable teenager, I was ultimately a child at heart trying hard to reconcile my love for watching cartoons with growing up. The show followed me through this journey and made a huge impact on me. When I first started dating Alex, it was also the first show we binge watched together because of that. This picture of Waddles is Alex's favourite screenshot and as someone who likes to collect patterned socks (yes, I do that), I just found it perfect to represent my account.
That's my backstory I guess all in one go! Looking forward to sharing my start of uni experience with you all soon!
Toodles,
Angelina ;D
Post by: w0lfqu33n89 on March 01, 2019, 02:13:18 pm
Post by: angewina_naguen on March 02, 2019, 04:48:36 pm
Hey, everyone!
We've reached the end of the first week of uni! I was a little nervous when I started but eventually got into the swing of things after Thursday. It's definitely a change of pace and will take some getting used to but all the initial excitement with being in my course is all still there!
I had my Modern Times lecture and Harmony lecture and tutorial on Monday. I'm really pumped for Modern Times because I'm a huge nerd with music history and I just can't wait to learn more about Modernism in music. I sat next to Alex in the lecture theatre which I found a surreal experience in itself. He wasn't as into it as I was but I don't think anyone can measure up to how giddy I get when it comes to learning ::) Harmony was a little more challenging; the lecturer Lewis is a precious soul so I want to do well, even though I know it will be hard to. My tutor for the course is really cool too so that will motivate me, despite my concerns with not being good at harmony and analysis.
Tuesday was a rather full-on day. I got to the Con early with Alex for our voice placements for Choir. I already knew I was going to be singing alto so it was no surprise but I got to meet Liz up close, as opposed to only seeing her from the top of the arena theatre during School Spec. We got through some study together and had our Modern Times tutorial afterwards. I was a little intimidated by how much everyone already knew and I thought I was pretty well-prepared too. It'll be what keeps me driven though so I think that it was a good thing I felt that way. I also had Musicology Workshop which was awesome ;D It's a small class and everyone seems really friendly. We get to do a PIP-style research project for the semester and present it. Four major works has prepared me well :) I've been brainstorming some ideas which I'd like some insight from you all about. As non-musicians, and musicians too, which of the following topics would you be interested in hearing a talk about?
- A comparison between Antonio Vivaldi's The Four Seasons and Astor Piazzolla's The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires, looking at how context has influenced their musical styles and compositional decisions in representing "the four seasons." Vivaldi was an Italian Baroque composer and Piazzolla was a 20th century nouvea tango composer, so I would explore musical conventions from both periods and how they manifest in those works.
- A conceptual investigation into a collection of Franz Schubert's compositions, exploring his fascination with death as a theme that underpins many of his works. I would analyse how death is portrayed musically by Schubert and what this says about mortality as a driving phenomenon in Romantic music-making.
- An analysis of Fritz Kreisler's Love's Joyand Love's Sorrow to explore how emotion is communicated with musical techniques and devices. Both of some of my favourite pieces of music and I would look at the similarities and differences of the two pieces.
Would love to see what you all would be interested in seeing me research into this year!
Thursday was a heavy day for me. I had a 9am-1pm block with Aural tutorials and Key Ideas in Music Education. I enjoyed them heaps though so it wasn't too bad! I have an awesome Mus Ed cohort and they're all very fun people. I'm excited to spend the next four years with them and hopefully having lifelong friendships even when we go out to teach. I had a break which I spent relaxing in the uni cafe and then went for Choir which lasted for three hours. Loving the repertoire so far and I'm looking forward to learning it.
My last class was yesterday which was Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Music. It's a class designed for second years but due to my enrolment pattern being weird, I'm doing it in first. The second years seem nice though so I hope I can make some friends. My first assessment is a group task too so it sorta needs to happen soon :-\ Other than that, my tutor is ahead of the times so it'll be great to have him.
Long recap over, I guess I really like uni so far. I don't feel exhausted, though I know a lot of my friends do, but that's because I enjoy learning! I'm actually really happy to be in environment where I'm not that weird kid who likes analysing music anymore. While the standards are much higher than ever, I feel more normal amongst the people. It's definitely going to be a feeling I'll love for a long time.
For this week, I have homework to complete for basically all my subjects but I also have to do the Consent Matters module that is compulsory for USYD students. I am also aiming to get ahead for Harmony if possible to not be entirely lost in my lecture and tutorial classes.
Love the story of your nickname! so cute!! You sound like such a beautiful soul cant wait to hear (well read) more of your journal! Hope uni is going well x
And you're so sweet! Keen you have to on board with the journal too ;D I too hope uni will go well in the next few weeks! We'll see :D That'll be all for this entry. Have a lovely weekend and toodles!
Angelina ;D
Post by: w0lfqu33n89 on March 03, 2019, 07:30:35 am
as for your project/assignment/assessment (whatever they call it in uni! ;D)
I love the idea of
- An analysis of Fritz Kreisler's Love's Joyand Love's Sorrow to explore how emotion is communicated with musical techniques and devices. Both of some of my favourite pieces of music and I would look at the similarities and differences of the two pieces.
I feel because they are your two favourite pieces of music it will be more fun and less work. but its all up to you!
toodles xx
Post by: angewina_naguen on March 08, 2019, 10:22:57 pm
Hey, everyone!
Second week of uni has been a bit busier. I received my first assignment which just happens to be for Harmony and Analysis 1 (the subject I feel the least knowledgeable with and prepared for). It's not worth a lot but I still want to do well just for a self-esteem boost. Other than this, things are starting to come together and I'm excited to pick up my pace with it!
I have to say on an emotional (?) note, I've finally felt as if I've found a place to belong. I always felt isolated from people in high school in terms of music because I was one of two Music 2 students who completed my HSC through distance education. It was hard to share my love for musicology (goodness, that sounds nerdy, doesn't it?) and talk about music as openly so being in uni has made me feel more comfortable with who I am. It's refreshing to be around people who are willing to hear me rave on about my interests, whether it be in string quartets or in indie music. I feel more normal and I think that's something I'm really enjoying about uni.
That being said, I did visit my high school today to say hello to my teachers. The CAPA faculty there are my favourite people in the world and I miss them heaps. I do love my uni lecturers and tutors too so I'm just blessed to be around amazing and inspiring people.
I'm going to be doing a volunteer performance next Sunday after I tutor so that's going to be fun ;D It's a dinner event for VSA and VCAY so I've decided to sing two songs in Vietnamese for that, as well as another three tracks. Will be posting footage hopefully of that some time after so I'll also share that here ;D
Hey Angelina! Glad you are settling into your first week well! I love the passion and excitement you have towards learning and new things, its a great gift to have!
as for your project/assignment/assessment (whatever they call it in uni! ;D)
I love the idea of
I feel because they are your two favourite pieces of music it will be more fun and less work. but its all up to you!
toodles xx
I'm definitely thinking of the Kreisler right now but I'm going to dive into some more musical works and see what might pique my interest from my musicological point of view ;D Thank you for contributing to the thread though! Also love that you've used my trademark Toodles ;) Very cute!
And for a final note, I think I'll start updating more regularly so there's less big slabs of text bombarding everyone :o Hope you all have a great weekend and here's to another week filled with joy!
Toodles,
Angelina ;D
Post by: angewina_naguen on March 13, 2019, 06:56:02 pm
Hey, everyone!
Wrote this on the train during rush hour home from uni. There are a lot of people in this carriage. This week’s been busy so far with more content rolling in, lots of mini assessments and quizzes in class and performance rehearsing for the weekend. I’m finding some of the subjects graduating exponentially in difficulty. It took me four hours, way more than the hour from the first week, to complete my short answer questions for one of my tutorials so that indicates what I mean there.
I’m excited to go over the choir learning tracks and have plenty of aural preparation to do for tomorrow. There’s a reading for Key Ideas I need to finish off as well but other than that, it is looking like a rather chill weekend.
The amazing thing about today was that I was able to meet Elena Kats Chernin! She came in to give a casual workshop on her compositional process. As a music student, I’m so used to all the composers I study to be (deceased) that it was almost surreal to be in the presence of someone who I literally studied as a part of my HSC course. My tutor assigned me with the task of buying her a bouquet of flowers which I’m very glad she loved. It was an intimate and highly rewarding opportunity that I will owe the Con huge for giving me 8)
Nice and quick entry today. Hope everyone’s week has been well and I’ll touch base soon!
Toodles,
Angelina ;D
PS. I realised I never gave an origin for my “Toodles” sign off :o I don’t remember exactly where it came from but the first time I used it was in Year 11. I was saying goodbye to a friend and for some reason, it just came out naturally. It’s now one of my defining traits :) Others include my obsessive need to sanitise my hands and a tendency to switch the letters of words around (I actually once asked a lady at KFC for four “dricken chumsticks”).
Post by: katie,rinos on March 13, 2019, 07:49:27 pm
She's actually coming to my uni to give a masterclass next week! Glad you found it interesting!! :D
The amazing thing about today was that I was able to meet Elena Kats Chernin! She came in to give a casual workshop on her compositional process. As a music student, I’m so used to all the composers I study to be (deceased) that it was almost surreal to be in the presence of someone who I literally studied as a part of my HSC course. My tutor assigned me with the task of buying her a bouquet of flowers which I’m very glad she loved. It was an intimate and highly rewarding opportunity that I will owe the Con huge for giving me 8)
Hope your performance goes well this weekend! :)
Post by: angewina_naguen on March 16, 2019, 12:42:29 am
Hey, everyone!
Another week wrapped up :D I finished my small handout assignment which was deceptively more difficult than I thought it would be. I was stuck on this one question for a solid ten minutes and then realised I read everything in the whole clef (no wonder the answer was not coming to me). I made a mental note now to read questions properly to save myself from humiliation and wasting time.
She's actually coming to my uni to give a masterclass next week! Glad you found it interesting!! :D
Hope your performance goes well this weekend! :)
And awesome ;D What a coincidence! She's such a lovely person. I aspire to be as relaxed and inspiring as her :) I'm practising heaps for this performance and taking a break tomorrow evening so everything will be nice and ready to go on Sunday ;D
Today's seminar for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Music was really moving for me. We covered a module about identity, cultural sensitivity and positive learning for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. Since I did SAC in my last two years of high school, I found it fascinating to look into these areas from a teaching perspective and it was highly interesting :)
One moment in the workshop that particularly left an impact on me was an activity we did where we were asked to write down everything that related to our culture. I wrote about music, good food, superstitions and many other aspects that makes up who I am. Once we did all of that, our responses were all assembled in a visual map and the lady running the workshop came over with a black paint brush. She ran it across all of our responses and asked us how we felt about having all of our cultural qualities erased without permission. It was a confronting experience but it definitely helped me empathise. It was difficult holding back my tears when it was happening.
I think it's moments like these that really bring out my passion for people. I have many reasons for wanting to teach and I'm almost finding it hard to pinpoint just one. What moments like those allow me to do is to take that step closer to figuring out what it is that compels me to teach so much. I'm looking forward to learning more about myself throughout this course and although it's only been three weeks, it's an exciting start ;D Hope you all have an amazing weekend and will check in soon!
Toodles,
Angelina ;D
Post by: angewina_naguen on March 23, 2019, 12:34:57 pm
Hey, everyone!
Finally found some time to write this entry. It's been a heavy week but I can feel it getting even more intense. I'm hoping to get most of my work done over this weekend in preparation to lessen the load during the week.
Harmony is officially the bane of my existence :'( I'm not the worst at it but it's definitely proving to be a challenge right now. It takes me at least two hours to get the homework done and there's barely any of it. I think I'm going to seek more help from my tutor and pop in some time over the next few days. It would be a good idea to just clarify a few (by that I mean a lot) of concerns I have with the content :-\
I'm really enjoying my time in the education subjects I have this semester! Key Ideas has been heaps of fun and my cohort for Music Ed is really friendly :) It's nice being surrounded by such lovely and supportive people. I also made some friends with people in my Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Music class and will be performing with one for our first assessment task 8) We're doing Jessica Mauboy's Never Be The Same which is probably my favourite song by her! I'm loving the vibe of Music Ed and look forward to going to those classes the most.
Music in Modern Times and Musicology Workshop have also been really inspiring. I'm thinking of changing up my concept completely and doing something along the lines of musical satire in Francis Poulenc's The Breasts of Tiresias. I found this opera quite entertaining with its humorous take on propaganda and would like to present an analysis of how parody, irony, humour and satire have been translated in the musical features of the opera. I find that I'm learning more and more from these subjects and anticipate having them this week.
And finally, choir! The Handel has been a bit of a challenge. I have so much respect for people who can sing some of these passages flawlessly AND at the speed he wrote it in. It'll require more practice so I'm trying to set aside an hour or so for the repertoire each week. The other piece we're doing, Fiat Lux, is gorgeous! I'm a huge fan of it and it's significantly easier than the Handel. I'm excited to perform that one way more. I'm hoping to try and get my appreciation for the Handel work to that level eventually :D
That'll be all for this week! Hope everyone has an amazing weekend and don't forget to go vote ;D
Angelina ;D
Post by: angewina_naguen on April 02, 2019, 12:00:15 am
Quick post :) I have a presentation on Spanish liturgical music manuscript on Wednesday, a reflective journal to be submitted online on the weekend, a mid semester exam next Monday and a performance task the same Friday. Things are getting real intense. Adding cumulative tutorial homework, portfolio entries and quizzes to the picture is not making it much prettier :'( That being said, I should be alright! Just feel like time racing and the finishing line is completely out of sight. I'm already looking forward to mid semester break to recollect myself (and also for my lecture debut woohoo!). Hope everyone's week has started off nicely and will update soon!
Toodles,
Angelina ;D
Post by: angewina_naguen on April 06, 2019, 07:35:31 pm
Hey, everyone!
Presentation went well ;D I got super nervous during it and accidentally said "Japan" instead of "Spain" when I was introducing the manuscripts but other than that, got good praise from the tutor :) The reflective journal is all set to submit tomorrow when the portal opens so I'm excited to get that over and done with.
Studying for this mid-sem feels like I'm sitting my Modern History exam all over again with the amount of content I'm trying to revise. After it's over, I'm thinking of sharing my top three works so far from Music in Modern Times in this journal :) You can tune into "Angelina Reviews Music on ATARNOTES Instead of Being Productive" soon!
Performance rehearsing has been going well too. I'm super pumped for it and can't wait to finish off this transcription to submit on Friday. Everything's going to be a hundred times more relaxing once all of this is over.
That'll be all for today. Have a great weekend, all and will touch base soon!
Toodles,
Angelina ;D
Post by: Bri MT on April 07, 2019, 09:23:39 am
Really glad that you've found your cohortmates to be fantastic - how're things going with the second years?
Post by: angewina_naguen on April 07, 2019, 11:12:50 pm
It's amazing that you've been able to maintain high energy levels for so long & stay keen!
Really glad that you've found your cohortmates to be fantastic - how're things going with the second years?
I'm actually quite surprised myself at how motivated I still am! I think it's because I'm enjoying the content and I'm surrounded by some wonderful musicians. Having my partner on campus and going to uni together has also made every day an adventure ;D Studying isn't such a painful thing to do if you enjoy what you are learning!
The second years are super nice too. I've found that Music Ed people in general are just chill and fun. I'm bonding heaps with one of them who is my partner for the performance task. She's an international student and she's quite shy so I think approaching her was a good move :) I'm hoping to bond more with them when we have our Music Ed camp during semester break. It'll be nice to also mingle with some of the third and fourth year students. I'd love some advice on the course and keeping things up ;D
Got my first ever uni exam tomorrow so hoping things go well! I've studied hard and made some pretty notes. Fingers crossed everything goes well!
Post by: angewina_naguen on April 12, 2019, 05:18:01 pm
Hey, everyone!
Time to celebrate because my major assessment period has finished for mid sem ;D Reflective journal for Musicology Workshop has been submitted, mid sem exam for Modern Times is complete and just finished my performance assessment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Music about an hour ago!
I submitted my journal on the Sunday and felt pretty confident with it. I'm not too sure of the standard for marking it so I'm hoping that I at least pass and then take on any feedback for critical reflection in the next semesters. I modeled it similarly to my Musicology portfolio for HSC but wrote with more formality like I did for my Reflection Statement for Ext 2 English so I'm hoping it suffices :)
My mid sem exam was on Monday and both my partner and I were really happy with it! There were two questions that made me doubt myself and I'm not sure what constitutes to marks in the extended response section but I definitely passed that ;D As promised, I have little reviews of the three best pieces I've studied so far. I figured since I'm doing teaching, it would be cool to teach on the forum in a way by relaying the content I cover in my courses! I'm going to keep the reviews quite casual so if anyone wants to discuss the preferences, feel free to! You can read my reviews in the spoiler below 8)
Music in Modern Times- Top Three Set Works + Honourable Mentions
1. Huge huge fan of Kurt Weill's Die sieben Todsünden. This gorgeous ballet-chante was my favourite to analyse and study. I did Germany for my national study last year so the work was easy to understand contextually. I like how Weill quotes over forms of popular music, such as the foxtrot in Vorn and barbershop quartet in Völlerei. I'm also a sucker for satire and this ballet is an excellent example of it. I would highly recommend listening to it and following the translation because it's very entertaining, as well as politically cheeky ::)
2. Claude Debussy's La Mer. There was no way this wasn't going to make the list; Debussy's one of my favourite composers and I was already listening to La Mer when I am studying. Analysing it and placing it contextually as an Impressionist work brought great flashbacks to Visual Arts days. I realised the reason why I adore it so much is because it basically is a musical portrait of the sea and the "illustrations" you hear are very reflective of conventions in Impressionist artistic works.
3. Paul Hindemith's Kammermusik No.2. We studied the first movement in class but I actually enjoyed it so much that I listened to the rest of it. I do love myself some piano concerti so this was a joy to study. The first movement is very reminiscent of Baroque musical features and is overall an exciting work to listen to!
Bonus: Alex's list
1. Strauss. He's a huge fan of the second movement in Also Sprach Zarathustra and loves Romantic music as a whole.
2. Debussy. We agreed on this being second best because La Mer was the easiest to understand and identify as a work from its respective period. It also just sounds awesome so who wouldn't love it?
3. Ives. Alex's placed The Unanswered Question here because he liked the way the work develops and builds itself conceptually.
As for today's performance, I think my partner and I did pretty well! I actually managed to get a response from Jessica Mauboy's manager on behalf of her who wished me luck for it! She's just released a new single too so do check it out and support Australian music! I'm hoping for good marks from this but regardless of how I perform, I'll be happy :D What mattered more was feeling like I could fit in musically with the second years and seeing all the performances was really fun ;D
That'll be all from me this week! I'm actually off to see Baker Boy with some classmates from my Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Music class tonight so I'll be signing off 8) Have a great weekend, all!
Toodles,
Angelina ;D
Post by: angewina_naguen on April 13, 2019, 12:06:54 am
Double posting for the day ;D Midnight train rides are so peaceful. I just came back from seeing Baker Boy and it was awesome 8) What a way to celebrate. I had the best drinking company with me too (my tutor for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Music and a classmate who I had literally never talked to until today) ;D I’ve got new songs to add to my playlist now when I get home.
I’m going to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at Capitol Theatre, courtesy of my boyfriend’s parents for getting us tickets last Christmas during mid sem break. I love love love musicals and am looking forward to seeing this production.
I’ve also booked tickets for Giselle with my scholarship money and will be attending a pre-concert talk with the music director for the ballet orchestra. I’m hoping it will help me with Musicology Workshop, not just as an extra-curricular event, but also in my research for this semester. I’ve decided to explore the way choreography and music in ballet support and illuminate one another. I’m still unsure about which work I will pursue but I’m narrowing it down to either Tchaikovsky’s Pas De Deux from The Nutcrackeror Adam’s Pas De Deux from Giselle. Both are gorgeous pieces of music so I’m hoping my unit coordinator/tutor can help me come to a decision :)
That’ll be all from me! For reals now, have a great weekend, all!
Toodles,
Angelina ;D
Post by: angewina_naguen on April 17, 2019, 10:10:55 pm
Last day tomorrow before mid semester break! I'm very keen for a break and ready to make the most of it.
Would like to announce that after weeks of indecision, I have finally decided my research topic for my end of semester presentation ;D My presentation will be titled Motif, Sequence and Transcendence in Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker Grand Pas De Deux. After reflection, I realised my topic was still too broad and needed to be narrowed down for a more effective musicological approach. I would like to improve my analysis as a goal for this semester and this would be the best topic to set that challenge for me. Whenever I am confronted with something complex or difficult to comprehend, my immediate process is to simplify it and reduce it into more manageable units. Repetition is central to this piece and analysing it would develop my skills for the long run.
Moreover, repetition as a musical device (and also literary because as most have gathered from my forum activity, I'm a huge English nerd too) has always fascinated me :) I find it interesting how musical ideas can be layered, reinforced and transformed. What's particularly interesting about this piece is this repeating, descending scale which is actually developed on this uplifting and ethereal trajectory. I think a discussion on the piece's development of ideas through repetition would present a unique angle and I look forward to diving right into it.
That'll be all from me! Have a wonderful Easter and will update during mid sem break on my shenanigans up at UTS for the lectures 8)
Toodles,
Angelina ;D
Post by: angewina_naguen on April 26, 2019, 12:55:12 pm
Hey, everyone!
Currently sitting at the desk and with under an hour left to go before my first ever HSC lecture ;D I'm super keen to meet other major work enthusiasts today and to hopefully inspire hundreds of students to get theirs done.
Lectures have been so successful! I've heard glimpses of positive feedback and overall good vibes from the students so it's all very exciting. Looking forward to finishing off the week with a bang and heading off to see Endgame tonight 8) Hope we all have a fantastic weekend :)
Toodles,
Angelina ;D
Post by: angewina_naguen on May 02, 2019, 11:45:52 pm
Hey, everyone!
Another short and quick post this evening before I head to bed :) Busy with lots of deadlines and projects happening. I'd love to do a longer, full update of everything that's going on when I have the time :D
Just wanted to share some great results! I'm really happy with how I did for my Modern Times exam ;D Sitting on 85% right now and hoping to improve my performance for the final exam to bump up the average higher. I have a better idea of the nature of music history exams now that I've finally done one so I'll devise a way to study effectively for that. I also just got my mark for the teaching assessment I had today and I'm sitting on 80% too. I'm pleased with how I did but definitely looking forward to receiving my personal feedback. I could already recognise some decisions I could have made instead today so it's all about getting better from here ;D
That'll be all from me! Going to celebrate with a well-deserved rest tonight. Hope you all have been having a fabulous week and will touch base soon :)
Toodles,
Angelina ;D
Post by: angewina_naguen on January 30, 2020, 10:45:40 pm
Hey, everyone!
Firstly, welcome back to my journal! My goodness it's been FOREVER since my last entry. This post this evening is a huge update on what exactly happened over the course of the rest of 2019 and my plans for 2020 (of which includes journaling more here)!
First year uni was something else. Keeping a positive and encouraging vibe has been a really important part of my persona here on the forum, but also in my personal vision of my ideal self. I knew that if I was going to write journal entries here to share, I had to be in the right state of mind to do it.
To start off with definitely the heavier stuff, since my last post, I was in a minor car accident, went through a huge breakup and descended into a state of self-loathing. I heard from many people that the first semester would be like falling into a hole of suffering but I never expected myself to get stuck in it for so long. Those three key experiences left a lot of negative and irreversible stains on my life; I was unable to drive for a while (and driving means a lot to me), I lost a lot of friends and my motivation to even get out of bed in the morning hit rock bottom.
I was lucky it all happened towards the end of the semester and I had the month and a half in between to recover. So much happened in that period of time that made the healing significantly easier. I started seeing a headspace counsellor who was phenomenal. It was hard to convince my parents at first to let me seek professional help largely due to the stigma surrounding mental health in my culture but they trusted my counsellor as much as I did. He did an amazing job at helping me get back on feet and navigate through perhaps the most difficult part of my life yet. The weeks I spent in his office flew by like crazy but I came out of it more sure of who I was and what goals I wanted to set for myself to be the best version of myself I can be.
I also met Oliver. My current boyfriend was a game-changer. I’ll spare the details of how we met for this post but we have been dating for just over six months now and I have never been happier. Never have I met someone so loving, caring, sensitive and straight up amazing. I was really afraid of getting into another relationship and was advised against it by many people (I wouldn’t blame them; the breakup scarred me) but something inside me said he was worth it and boy, he is. You’ll hear lots more about him in this journal over the year as we navigate through our relationship together and share many more exciting memories to come.
Another thing that happened was going to MUED camp. I had a lot of trouble really getting into the swing of things at uni and was really apprehensive towards making friends but the camp did such a fantastic job at helping me settle into music education at the Con. I was able to talk to other members in the upper cohorts and make music for an entire weekend. It was because of this camp that I was able to remind myself why I chose to do the degree in the first place and it to this day is what resurged so much of my love for what I study and do.
My final reason will have to be my Tutesmart students. My 2019 cohort were absolute gems and while I avoided bringing anything from my personal life into work, they never questioned why I was feeling down and instead, provided me with support and gave me the space to thrive as an educator. Work for me was an escape from everything else; it was where I channelled my energy into my students, watched them grow and, in the end, formed irreplaceable relationships with them.
After the break, I began to feel more like myself than I ever had before. Semester 2 was met with its own set of challenges but I was ready to tackle them with raw enthusiasm and resilience. I won’t go into details about how it all played out but basically a significant improvement was made in my performance in uni, my relationships with people that now matter to me more than anything in the world and a greater sense of who I am.
All this aside, this is what’s happening for Angelina Nguyen in 2020!
1. I will probably be suffering at uni this year. I have two histories in Sem 1 which will be loads of work and will be overloading, on top of having prac, in Sem 2. It’s going to be a tough year but I know I’ll find my way through it with the support of friends, family and work.
2. I will more than likely be joining the amateur Irish music ensemble at uni. This might sound totally random but I actually love Irish music and when I heard that an ensemble was being established, I hopped straight on it. I’m planning to pick up the bodhran (Irish drum) and learning it as an extra skill because why not?
3. I will be doing the Australian Kodaly Certificate over the next three years. I am aiming to take Level 1 Secondary Education this year and, should I pass everything successfully, complete the AKC when I graduate (two certificates yay!)
4. I have been accepted into the USYD student newspaper society and will be the Con reporter for the year. I’m really keen to do more writing this year alongside working and studying and will be interested to see how I manage this on top of everything else I have going on.
5. I will be going to Bali for a study tour in July-August as part of my music education degree. I am super pumped about going overseas and look forward to being able to pick up new skills as an educator and musician in the experience.
That’ll be all for this entry (what a massive post). I look forward to sharing more of my adventures over the next year and keen to have each and every one of you on board. If you made it to the end of this post, thanks for sticking with me and cheers to an awesome new year!
Toodles,
Angelina ;D
Post by: Bri MT on January 31, 2020, 06:55:32 am
I'm sorry to hear about the difficulties & struggles you've had to overcome but really glad to hear about times when you've put yourself out there and had your wellbeing be enriched as a result. Your ability to do that is a testament to your courage and resilience. I get what you mean about maintaining a vibe/persona of yourself on the forums (engaging with VCEJJ in 2018 was a significant part of my personal development); please also know that we respect and appreciate you, not just your positivity.
I hope that your involvement in ensemble + clubs and societies is really beneficial for you but if it does get too much remember that your wellbeing should come first and you are able to leave if it would help you. Here for you if you ever want to reach out - positive or not - and I'm looking forward to hearing more of your adventures!
Post by: angewina_naguen on February 03, 2020, 03:50:17 pm
Hey, everyone!
Just checking in with a timetable update! This is what it looks like right now :)
Semester 1, 2020
(https://i.imgur.com/H0zvI39.png)
There are some key differences I'll be experiencing this semester from 2020. Firstly, I have two history subjects (ClassRom and East Asian) which are going to be a heck of a load of work. I have my tute for ClassRom the day after the lecture so getting my preparation done for those lessons is going to be interesting. I also only have one education subject this semester, as opposed to having two per sem like I did last year. This will be a nice change and can allow me to really focus on honing my music skills subjects. The last big change is only having choir on Thursdays in the afternoon. I'm aiming to fit in a lesson with my vocal teacher in the morning so the travel is worth it and to spend the whole day really focusing on singing.
Hey,
I'm sorry to hear about the difficulties you struggles you've had to overcome and really glad to hear about time when you've put yourself out there and had your wellbeing be enriched as a result. Your ability to do that is a testament to your courage and resilience. I get what you mean about maintaining a vibe/persona of yourself on the forums (engaging with VCEJJ in 2018 was a significant part of my personal development); please also know that we respect and appreciate you, not just your positivity.
I hope that your involvement in ensemble + clubs and societies is really beneficial for you but if it does get too much remember that your wellbeing should come first and you are able to leave if it would help you. Here for you if you ever want to reach out - positive or not - and I'm looking forward to hearing more of your adventures!
And hey, Bri!
That’s really great to know! I’m hoping to be a lot truer and to value myself as I am more this year. It’s an ongoing journey and I’m really keen to grow from all these experiences.
Interestingly, something I’ve also slowly learnt to do is to say no. Over the last few months, I’ve had lots of people reaching out to me for help in many shapes and forms and initially, I found it really hard to say no in fear of disappointing others or rejecting opportunities that would let me sit on “what if” thoughts for the rest of my life. At some stage, I came to terms with it and really appreciating the things I do have going on (and going for me) much more. I’m absolutely going to do my best to navigate through the immense number of activities and projects I have going on but will also put my wellbeing and priority for a healthy work-life balance at the forefront of my vision for 2020. Definitely will reach out here if any concerns or problems arise!
Overall, I’m looking forward to see how this semester will play out! That’s all for today’s entry and wishing you all an amazing week ahead.
Toodles,
Angelina ;D
Post Post Edit: I have also changed the name of my journal! I initially wanted to use this journal to document my musical endeavours but now, I'm hoping to expand it more into a space where I can explore university life, my extracurricular commitments and adulting more broadly, as well as ideas, issues and views that are personal and hopefully inspiring.
Post by: angewina_naguen on February 24, 2020, 10:04:50 am
Hey, everyone!
I'm currently on the train only a few stops away from the station for my first day of second year ;D I'm in high spirits and really excited for a semester of learning to come about. I've already finished up my tutorial prep for tomorrow's ClassRom class (spent three hours analysing the CPE Bach sonata we got assigned, goodness) and the reading for Fundamentals so I'm feeling quite good overall.
My week's looking busy with rehearsals for a charity concert next Monday. We're doing Haydn's Requiem in C Minor which is quite funny considering we're doing Mozart's Requiem for Choir this sem too! The similarities between them are insane. I will also be doing a small audition for BarberSoc but will have to make a final decision on whether joining another society is a smart idea amidst everything else. There is quite a bit I've got to do this week for uni to settle in nicely too so I'm hoping to manage my time well for everything to run smoothly :D
And finally, my first article for Honi Soit has been released! I chose to interview QUART-ED, some great friends of mine at the Con who are a string quartet of music educators. You can check it out here!
That's all for today's entry. Will catch up at the end of the week ;D
Angelina ;D
Post by: angewina_naguen on February 28, 2020, 05:17:30 pm
Hey, everyone!
Week 1 of uni is over! It technically finished for me yesterday (loving the Fridays off as always) but man, has it been a ride.
To kick things off, I came in with a really positive attitude this semester and I'm hoping my energy and excitement will carry me through. I've found a lot of joy what I'm studying so far, particularly ClassRom which has been a thrill. I have David Larkin for my tutor and he's exceptional (I also am here at the Con partially because of him so to be studying his unit is quite something else). I had so much fun doing the tutorial preparation questions and even managed to finish a few of the further readings recommended too. My education subject is also shaping up to be a good time; I was a bit apprehensive by the great emphasis there seems to be on the set readings, especially since my education units last year were very hands-on, but they're proving to generate some really interesting class discussions about pedagogy and the nature of teaching and learning. I'm not too keen on Harmony and AP already because the content we covered was a bit intense for first week back so I'm determined to work a little harder in them.
Now here's where things get a little more interesting. To my greatest shock, my ex is in my East Asian music class this semester. The class size is under 30 so it was not hard to spot him. I felt my stomach drop seeing him and was really not looking forward to doing the class. I spent the first half of the tutorial honestly contemplating dropping the subject for another. However, I decided that I've moved well on and shouldn't have to give up studying a subject I want to do just because of him so I'll be staying in it. I also have my friend with me in the class who made a good effort to cheer me up so I'm going to stick it through and smash the unit. I'm not letting this little spanner in the works ruin my motivation to do well this year :)
And finally, I'm potentially singing tenor this semester! There seems to be a shortage this year in choir and I've volunteered to try it out ;D My voice actually sits in a tenor range quite nicely too; the only challenge I've found so far is sight reading the music which is written in the same clef as the alto part and then having to mentally translate it an octave lower. I'll keep everyone posted on whether I end up staying here (if there are more tenors joining, I'll move back to alto)!
That's all for this week. Hope everyone has a great weekend :D
Toodles,
Angelina ;D
Post by: angewina_naguen on March 04, 2020, 08:50:55 am
Hey, everyone!
Bit of an earlier update than I had planned but just wanted to check in since I've had an eventful few days :D The charity concert was a success; I was so surprised at the turn out considering all the COVID-19 fears and the fact that it was on a Monday night but it was really heartwarming to see a good crowd show up :D Since I already miss rehearsing and singing, I also decided to join Barbersoc this semester which will be a once a week commitment. I'll be singing Alto 2 (female bass) in the SSAA choir which is really exciting because I can finally put my insanely low range to good use ;D
Keeping up to date with uni work has already proven to be a bit tricky but now that I don't have choir anymore, I can use my Thursdays and Saturdays to get work finished :) I'm hoping things will settle over the next week and that I can get on top of things before assessments swoop in like bin chickens and steal what's left of my time ::) Keen to see how things unfold and will check in with another entry soon.
Toodles,
Angelina ;D
Post by: angewina_naguen on March 11, 2020, 10:01:37 am
Hey, everyone!
Here's a mid-week update as I'm on the train to uni. I've had a crazy start to the week but I think it's worth sharing what happened over the last two days in particular because I've learnt something really important from it.
I woke up Monday morning with a soaring fever and felt absolutely terrible. It had come out of nowhere, though I suspect my sister's flu must've passed on to me some time in the previous week, but I had never experienced such a bad one. Within an hour, it was completely gone and I was making my way up to uni fine. I got through my two classes for the day feeling okay and had thought little of what happened in the morning; it was almost as if it had never happened at all.
It wasn't until I was heading back to Circular Quay station that things went south. I was heading towards the gates of the station when I suddenly began to lose consciousness and almost completely collapsed to the ground. I tried calling out to people around me for help but either I wasn't calling loud enough or nobody came to help me at all. I was luckily able to get myself to a nearby seat and had a drink of water before giving Oliver a ring to come grab me. I was literally just sitting there on the bench for about twenty minutes fanning myself because my temperature was rising and I needed to remain awake.
Eventually, Oliver found me, got me on the train and home safe. I got changed into lighter clothes and basically was knocked out for a solid five hours at home. On top of all of this happening, my whole family has been in and out of the restroom with stomach problems so we reckon it's probably food poisoning of some kind that's managed to affect all of us.
As for what happened yesterday, I took the whole day off to recover. I missed out on four classes and my acapella society rehearsal but will be making steady attempts over the next few days as I regain health to catch up. For those who don't know, I reallyyyy hate being away and to have to miss out on my busiest day of the week (of which three out of the four classes have participation marks) was a total living nightmare for me.
However, I've learnt something really valuable from all of this and it's that pushing myself beyond my personal limits is only going to result in catastrophe. I am always someone who works above and beyond and I think I've always been afraid to admit if I'm exhausted, burn out or stressed. I saw my doctor yesterday and after he prescribed me medicine and wrote up my certificates with uni, he looked me in the eye and said "please take care of yourself, in every way." I've heard this from a lot of people but I also am aware of how quickly dismiss it because of how well I think I know my limits. This was all bound to happen at some point; the food poisoning, weather changing and overall situation just pushed it into full gear.
I hope this entry can be a reminder for myself of the consequences of not taking time off when needed, of overestimating my abilities to manage multiple commitments and to always prioritise getting rest during hectic periods of my life. With major assessments coming up in the next two weeks, I'm really going to have to pace myself well and come to terms with the fact that I shouldn't always be pushing myself, and that's okay.
That's all for today. Hope everyone has a great week!
Toodles,
Angelina ;D
Post by: katie,rinos on March 11, 2020, 06:18:36 pm
Post by: angewina_naguen on March 11, 2020, 11:04:09 pm
Ollie told me you were sick on Monday but I didn't realise it was that bad!! Hope you feel heaps better soon!
You're too cute ;D I'm feeling much better now but will definitely keep taking things easy over the rest of the week to make sure I recover well :)
Post by: angewina_naguen on March 18, 2020, 04:13:22 pm
Hey, everyone!
Instead of being on a train home from uni right now, I'm instead writing this entry from home. The COVID-19 situation has resulted in some interesting changes and repercussions for the rest of my semester (and year more broadly) which I'll summarise here.
Firstly, USYD is officially no longer holding face-to-face classes on campus. The Con has already transitioned to online classes for all our subjects so I actually didn't come into uni today and won't be going for an indefinite amount of time. For some subjects like Harmony and Analysis, this shift doesn't really change much but for others like Fundamentals of Teaching which is built on group work, it will be a challenge to facilitate a lot of the activities we usually do and have been taking for granted. I'm curious to see how this will all play out (especially Choir; apparently Liz has big plans so I'm trusting in her!) but I can already see there being lots of issues arising from the nature of all of this.
A few of the things I had planned both short term and long term have also been cancelled. I had a gig this Saturday that's now been postponed, my AKC registration has been refunded (no Kodaly this year :( ), my Barbersoc rehearsals have been called off indefinitely and, while I haven't heard confirmed news, it's looking like Bali is out of the picture too. I'm more disappointed about these events being cancelled than I'm letting on but I also know it's for the betterment of public health and to keep myself, as well as others, safe during these times.
All of this aside, I am hoping to keep spirits up and to work hard :) I will continue tutoring with TS as usual, tuning into my classes for uni at the scheduled times and hopefully enjoying more time for myself at home now that I don't have to travel to and from uni anymore for a while. I'm keen to upload a ukulele cover sometime this week too which I'll link in my next entry and will be writing lots for the newspaper, like I have for this recent edition here . While life is strange and uncertain, I think it's always important to remind ourselves of what is stable and that, for me, is my optimism for everything I do :) Hope everyone is having a good week, staying safe and will keep you all posted with more fun things in this space soon!
Angelina ;D
Post by: angewina_naguen on March 25, 2020, 12:04:06 am
Hey, everyone!
Late night post but felt it was fitting before I head to bed to announce that I had just overcome possibly one of the biggest assessment hurdles of the semester ;D From Friday until just about two hours ago, I had three assessment tasks due one right after the other, alongside my regular ongoing assessments for Aural Perception and Harmony, to submit. With the new situation adding an unexpected extra amount of work on top of all of this, I almost thought I was going to have to, for the first time ever, hand in an assignment late. To some, it might not be the end of the world but for me, it means everything to be on time. I'm just really glad I made it through and can finally have some lighter work this week (except not really with about seven of my students' papers still to mark and a lot of homework to video and send off to my lecturers) :)
I've found being motivated to study, or at least focused enough on the task at hand, at home a lot harder than I thought it would be. During one of my Zoom tutorials, I was alternating between the lesson and an article I decided last minute to add to my assignment but if I was at the Con, I definitely would've been entirely attentive to the work. I think the temptation of being able to do something potentially more productive (whether or not it actually is depends entirely on circumstance) is what's really going to prove a challenge. My sister and I also share a room and now that she's home too, I'm having to do my online lessons in the room with slightly worse Internet. All of this aside, I'm interested to see how I'll navigate these obstacles over the foreseeable future and hopefully integrate more things I've been wanting to do like exercising, learning more of the bodhran and getting some reading that's NOT a prescribed text in 8) I even managed to find a bit of down time today before the final grind for my assignment to upload an overdue uke cover so expect lots of entertainment from me soon :)
Hope everyone's staying safe and finding fun things to do amidst everything! Will check in with another update soon :D
Toodles,
Angelina ;D
Post by: angewina_naguen on April 02, 2020, 01:54:15 pm
Hey, everyone!
I feel like the first thing I need to say straight off the bat is that I officially hate online learning. Uni has never been more of a challenge than now. I had a mid-sem test on Monday which was so stressful to complete online because there was no reading/listening time and I only had a minute to check my answers (of which 30 seconds was spent just scrolling through everything). I have particularly found Aural Perception a pain to do online because I would much rather just be in class, sing the homework wrongly but get it over and done with, than spend almost two hours like I did this week re-recording the excerpts until I was satisfied with them. I thought this would be a benefit because it meant I could really practise it but it ended up making me lose my voice for the rest of the day and just feeling exhausted overall. The whole zoning out of tutorials more frequently problem is still a problem and I've even been getting distracted in ClassRom which is arguably my favourite subject right now. Basically, studying music and education from my laptop is incredibly flawed and I'm getting more concerned by the day at how much longer this might have to be the norm. It hasn't stopped me from doing my best (I got HD's for both ClassRom, Fundamentals of Teaching and am on a HD average for Harmony atm ;D ) but it's certainly become harder and more draining to achieve these results with everything else going on in the background.
How I've been managing to cope with it beyond maintaining a rigid schedule for myself is taking time to meditate before bed each night. I think it's been really grounding reminding myself of how, despite the insaneness of all of this, fortunate I am to have a roof above my head, Internet that cooperates when it needs to, a supportive family that are willing to give me an hour of total silence if I ask for it just to record homework for university. It's kept me in a good headspace at the end of the day and I think it's something anyone who is struggling with the whole COVID-19 situation should try :)
On a totally different note, I posted another uke cover this week but instead of just sharing it on Instagram, I also posted it on my Facebook. This was a really big move for me because I have a few family members overseas who still aren't really supportive of my career choices and have largely been the reason why I have avoided posting more of my creative projects on the platform. I was really surprised by the overwhelming amount of compliments and praise I got in the comments which I think gave me the confidence booster I needed to consider doing more of it. I'm currently working on two new songs as we speak ;D
I look forward to posting again next week hopefully with a lighter start but until then, hope everyone has an amazing week :D
Toodles,
Angelina
Post by: angewina_naguen on April 10, 2020, 12:31:15 pm
Hey, everyone!
Fun times up ahead! With the long weekend coming up AND mid-semester break next week, I'm hoping to have some time to rest and recover before things kick back into gear. I'll also be officially back on the forums! I was taking some self-care leave over the past few weeks (which is why I've been a little slow on the English boards responding and moderating) to just focus on the rest of the things I have going on in my life and it's helped me find my footing amidst this whole situation. I got news today that my AMEB exam is officially postponed until further notice which totally sucks but also means more time to rehearse and perfect my program. Now that I've also finished the Poetry text guide (shoutout to Lauren for being so supportive and flexible with me in the project), I have an exciting English Standard lecture to prepare coming up and some catchup marking for my students. Basically, I'll be busy but I'll also be less hammered :)
I found some time yesterday to have a play around with my bodhran which has been fun! It's so much harder than it looks and it took me a solid half an hour just to hold the stick properly. I'm keen to really make some progress with it though and hopefully to start playing along to some tunes over the next few months ;D
Beyond all of this, I just wanted to express my gratitude towards this forum space. I've been on the forums for good amount of time now but I always find new things to love about the community. I'm pumped to keep contributing and look forward to seeing more lovely posts from you all as we navigate through these challenging times together. I would really like for this journal to be more interactive so if you have any questions about me, anything I've got going on or about how I'm finding studying in particular, feel free to reply to this thread :D I'd love to discuss more!
That's all for my update today. Hope you all have an amazing Easter break!
Toodles,
Angelina ;D
Post by: angewina_naguen on April 17, 2020, 12:11:14 pm
Hey, everyone!
I've come to my last day of my mid-sem break and feel two things. Firstly, I have been incredibly unproductive and secondly, that I am okay with that. One big thing that really affected my morale in first year was this constant feeling of guilt that I wasn't as motivated, as organised, as put together as I was in my HSC. Instead of getting assignments done a week before, I was starting them a week before they were due. Instead of having good rest and sleep, my sleep schedule was totally out of whack. Instead of just overall being productive, I felt like university was paradoxically both draining the life out of me but also that I was never doing enough. I really made an effort this year so far to take babysteps with studying and managing all the other crazy commitments I've got going on. Since this break was meant to be my first week of AKC training which has now been cancelled for the year, I decided to take a proper week off to invest a lot of time in my assignment and to rediscover some of my other passions.
I've made lots of progress with the bodhran! It's still taking some time to get used to but I recorded my part for the Irish Music Ensemble piece we've been working on as a social distancing project. I'm still struggling to sustain rhythms over longer periods but am finding it easier as I keep practising. I'm excited to see the final collab come together ;D
I also pitched in with my boyfriend to get Disney+ which was probably the best decision I've made in a long time. Oliver has Netflix with his family that we use to watch some shows together but I personally watch a lot of animation shows and films so this was an investment that I've really been holding off for a while. It's already paid off so much though :D My sister and I made time to watch the first season of Amphibia, I have finally caught up with Ducktales and am now working through Legend of the Three Caballeros and Big City Greens. It's been so much fun rewatching parts of Gravity Falls and while I could go on about all of this, I think I'll do a dedicated post to my love for cartoons another time.
As for what's coming up with uni, I have lots to do and catch up on. I really need to get started on this fugue assignment which is worth a good amount of my harmony mark. I also need to record four videos for choir which is going to be a nightmare (one video usually takes me half an hour to record and another half an hour to upload). My biggest task first though is that I have a presentation on Tuesday with a script that needs finishing but the slides are looking amazing 8)
Overall, I feel incredibly refreshed and pumped for the rest of semester! I'm really glad I took this break as a chance to just embrace other parts of my life and personality. It also made me more grateful that I have been fortunate enough to have all these options available to me during quarantine. I know some people out there who are struggling with this situation and while I've spent a good amount of time complaining about how much I despise online learning, I'm recognising more how I am ultimately in a better position than a lot of people and that should make each day count.
That's all for today's update. Have a great weekend, all ;D
Angelina ;D
Post by: angewina_naguen on April 28, 2020, 01:58:49 pm
Hey, everyone!
Currently listening to a lecture recording as I'm typing this entry up :) I usually try to keep my attention fully focused when I'm doing university work but this lecture has more listening examples, rather than new content.
Online learning is starting to become more exhausting by the week. I've been keeping my spirits up the best I can but it really does drain the life out of you. I've been trying to identify the key reasons why I'm feeling so down about everything and thought I'd share it here. Firstly, having to submit work in some shape or form every day has made it difficult for me to find down time and to do practice questions or extra study because I'm spending that time instead perfecting and uploading a 2 minute recording. I also think my mark for the latest Harmony assignment has taken a bit of a hit on my motivation for the subject, only barely passing it. I completely misinterpreted the task and it took a big blow to my current grade average. The last major thing was the recent education assessment I handed in. I almost couldn't believe that the task was 40% for two lesson plans, rationales and a marking rubric. I've submitted lesson plans before as part of assessments but to have them actually being the assessment was really challenging. I was so indecisive about which cohort to choose, what lesson to deliver and was constantly second-guessing myself. I eventually just handed it in once I felt like it was complete and I had proofread it through because it was stressing me out.
Despite all of this, I'm well aware that it's also just that point in the semester for me. It was around this time in my first year that I was just done with uni work and getting by bit by bit. I'm really excited for Special Projects Week next week because I've been waiting for a chance to make more music and relax. I also hope it'll provide me a chance to catch up on my notes for a few of my subjects and to get ahead with others :D
Another thing that I've been facing is a big case of writer's block, in part because of my editor. I haven't proposed any new pitches to Honi Soit since my last article. Before its publication, I faced some of the harshest criticism I've ever received for it. My editor basically had me rewrite the entire first draft and while it ended up with a much better final product, some of the things he wrote stuck with me and brought my entire mood down for that week (and still affects me now in complete honesty). Since then, I haven't had the courage to write anything new. I've dumped every pitch I've brainstormed and it's been eating away at all this confidence I thought I had in my writing.
The whole situation has made me more grateful that I've had a good foundation with a supportive writing community as a student and been given the space to freely explore my ideas. I have always been careful with my expression when delivering feedback to my own students because I couldn't imagine making them ever feel this way about their work. I'm sure he didn't mean for it to come across in a mean way but it's definitely left a sour taste. I tried just forgetting about it but every time I've come close to submitting a pitch, I've deleted it because of this incident. I hope to have a chat with him about it some time this week so I can move past this and hopefully have another article up soon :)
That's all for this week! Hope it wasn't such a dampening read but I'm doing my absolute best to look up from here :D I look forward to checking in next week with more positive news ;D
Angelina ;D
Post by: angewina_naguen on May 05, 2020, 04:36:09 pm
Hey, everyone!
Second day of Special Projects Week and I'm feeling really refreshed! I've finished my lesson slides for this coming week for TS, completed my Harmony assignment that's due next week and am working towards an informal assessment for Monday 8) Having this week to recollect and focus on revising for some of my practical subjects like Choir and Aural Perception has already proven helpful!
I'm also really glad the Con is still running things during this week despite nothing being on campus. I'm attending a How to Run a Schools Musical webinar tomorrow and the Musicology Graduate Symposium on Friday over Zoom. I've definitely missed seeing people from my uni so this is going to be a great chance to see what people have been up to during quarantine and learning something new along the way ;D
I'm aiming to continue getting back on track after a bit of a slump last week with motivation and to get lots of music-making in before I'm back to it next week for the remainder of the semester. Keen to also start a new show on Disney+ (maybe binge watch a whole season if I'm feeling up to it) so I'll provide my reviews here. Hope you've all had an awesome start to the week yourselves and will update some time on the weekend on my progress!
Angelina ;D
Post by: angewina_naguen on May 12, 2020, 11:26:31 am
Hey, everyone!
I didn't end up updating on the weekend because I got super into research for my major essay coming up at the end of this semester! Although I did major works in my HSC that had way higher word counts to work with, I've never written a 3000 word essay before and doing it within two months seems almost like an impossible task right now. I'm hoping that starting early will pay off long term!
This week back at uni has been quite well! I think my tutors are starting to pick on me a lot more since I seem to be one of the only eager people left in the classes I'm doing (everyone looks visibly drained out and/or have admitted honestly to not being as on top of their tutorial preparation as they should be). I managed to get my presentation for Fundies finished early so while I was shook for being picked on first, it was nice hearing my lecturer comment on how prepared I was and that I had set the standard high for the class. I feel a lot more recognised for the work I'm putting in for uni work this semester and it's keeping me motivated to continue :D
Yesterday, I spent four hours going through the Prelude and Act I of Wagner's Tristan und Isolde to analyse it, read further into academic writings on it and completed the prep questions until the later hours of the night. A lot of my friends have been confused about why I would spend so much of my time investing into tutorial prep and I feel like it's enough for me to say it's literally because I enjoy doing it :) While it might seem a bit excessive, I've really loved ClassRom as a subject this semester. I don't see the prep as a requirement, but as guiding points for understanding the set works and exploring their musical significance further. It's helped make my notes more extensive and studying something fun again! I also think my lecturer can see this so he's picked on me for some of the trickier questions each week (this morning, he called on me five times). I owe a great deal to this subject and am definitely going to give it a top review here on the forums at the end of the semester ;D
I also had the courage to finally raise my feelings about the way my article was received by Honi Soit and my editor was really apologetic in how the tone of the feedback must have been interpreted from my end. My latest pitch has been approved for first week back next semester so I'll be working hard on it alongside getting everything else done for the rest of uni ;D I'm glad they took my feedback seriously and hopefully this will lead to a more encouraging vibe from the newspaper society overall.
That's all for today's update! Hope you all have an amazing week :D
Angelina ;D
Post by: angewina_naguen on May 19, 2020, 01:44:51 pm
Hey, everyone!
Hope your week has started off well :D This is my second last week of semester before STUVAC and then finals! A lot of us are feeling drained at this stage. In my tute this morning, we only had 10 people compared to the actual class size of 24 so the end-of-sem blues really are starting to kick in. I'm also hyper-aware of the immense amount of assessments I have coming up in tandem with my weekly homework to complete. My major assessments for the remainder of this semester are as follows:
Final Assesments
- Harmony and Analysis 3: Chorale harmonisation assignment, final exam.
- Aural Perception 2: Final exam.
- Fundamentals of Teaching: Online learning resource assignment.
- Choir 3: Choir warm-ups rehearsal plan assignment.
- Music of the Classical and Romantic Eras: Major essay, final exam.
- Understanding East Asian: Major essay.
- Aural Perception 2: Final exam.
- Fundamentals of Teaching: Online learning resource assignment.
- Choir 3: Choir warm-ups rehearsal plan assignment.
- Music of the Classical and Romantic Eras: Major essay, final exam.
- Understanding East Asian: Major essay.
Of these, the biggest challenges will be the major essays for ClassRom and East Asian (5000 words in total!) and the final exams for AP2 and Harmony 3 :-\ I hope this week, I can get through my homework quick so I can get as much done ahead of the busy assessment period as possible.
I thought as an additional fun thing to do in this journal would be to share a slice of all the delicious music I listen to! Although I'm a classical music student at the Con, my music taste is insanely extensive :D I wasn't sure whether I should start a whole thread in the Music child board here on the forums but I'm more than happy for my journal to become a space to share some great tunes as well! Today's featured artist is in love with a ghost. I listened to a lot of playlists that had artists like in love with a ghost in my HSC as background study music. They have some of the most idiosyncratic titles and very chill vibes. I would highly recommend this playlist which has some of their most well-known songs!
Before I finish this entry, I want to give a huge shoutout to blasonduo for running Werewolf again in the Forum Games and Chat section ;D It's been a nice side activity in this otherwise intense period with uni. Although I was lynched in Day 2, it has been heaps of fun playing and now spectating as a ghost poet ;) I'm hoping the NSW forum users can have a meet up soon once restrictions are lifted here so we can all hang out again soon!
That's all for today. Have an awesome week, all!
Angelina ;D
Post by: angewina_naguen on May 25, 2020, 08:21:59 pm
Hey, everyone!
Just handed the first out of the four assignments I have for the rest of the semester! I can't believe it's already the last week (but won't say I'm not relieved that it is ::)). I have lots to do so this will be a quick update on some of the things I've been up to amidst my major assessments period!
At insanipi's suggestion, I've made a thread dedicated to all things music-related here! I'm really excited to post lots in it and have you all interact with me there. I'm also open to analysing and exploring works that you like too so if you have music you would like to see me comment on, let me know in the thread or here in this journal!
To help me study for ClassRom which has an insane amount of lengthy set works, my Spotify playlist for the subject is now complete and running. It's FOUR TIMES as long as my Modern Times playlist from last year so I'm really just in awe at how much music we've covered in this unit. I'm hoping to focus more on the works towards the latter half of the semester because I'm feeling fairly confident about the first half considering how intense and rigorous I studied for the mid-sem. Out of everything there, if you're interested in listening to perhaps my top three, my personal favourites are Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante in Eb Major, Chopin's Ballade No. 4 in f# minor and Verdi's Aida (I had Acts 1 and 2 prescribed for study) ;D
And in the spirit of my recent teaching assessment, here's a video of me doing the Curwen hand signs to Do-Re-Mi from 'The Sound of Music' ;D I had heaps of fun coming up with some actions for it and spent about half an hour trying to get the coda which has the hands doing different things right. Hope you enjoy it!
Now, back to my last round of ClassRom tutorial prep! Have an amazing week and will try and keep you all posted with how I go :D
Angelina ;D
Post by: angewina_naguen on June 05, 2020, 12:43:38 pm
Hey, everyone!
Super quick update for today's entry :) I'm currently writing up my 3000 word essay for East Asian Music which is going to be a marathon but we are getting there. My exam times for next week have been confirmed and they're not pretty. I have Harmony 3 on Thursday, AP2 and ClassRom on Friday :( Having a double exam day was not how I wanted to have my finals but I hope that the study I do leading up to it will be productive and pay off. I'm really looking forward to completing my exams and taking a well-deserved break to focus on work and getting back into some of my hobbies (fingers crossed the bowling alley will open up during my time off uni)!
I'll be largely off the forums for the rest of next week to make sure I can conquer these last exams, with maybe a small update after my monster essay is submitted. I'm excited to report on how it all goes and will see you all on the other side! Enjoy your weekends ;D
Angelina ;D
Post by: kauac on June 05, 2020, 08:50:38 pm
Are you going to learn some more curwen in the break?
Post by: angewina_naguen on June 05, 2020, 09:22:33 pm
That's a pretty intense exam schedule - 3 in 2 days! At least you'll get them all done in one roll. Hope they go well! Soon we'll all be enjoying our 9 week break, thanks to USYD haha!
Are you going to learn some more curwen in the break?
Hey!
I know; it's a total nightmare! How's your exam timetable looking? I'm definitely excited for that long break ;D
And 100%! I'm hoping to get up to some more Kodaly/Curwen shenanigans once my schedule clears up. I think now's the best time to be creative and to make some magic. Only a week or so more to go!
Angelina ;D
Post by: kauac on June 07, 2020, 09:38:36 am
Hey!
I know; it's a total nightmare! How's your exam timetable looking? I'm definitely excited for that long break ;D
And 100%! I'm hoping to get up to some more Kodaly/Curwen shenanigans once my schedule clears up. I think now's the best time to be creative and to make some magic. Only a week or so more to go!
Angelina ;D
I'm pretty happy with my timetable - I've got 1-2 days between each exam.
Nice! Very true - without creativity, it is very easy to get bored haha!
Post by: angewina_naguen on June 09, 2020, 10:54:19 pm
Hey, everyone!
Hope you all had a great long weekend and have started the week off nicely! Super quick update for the night. I just submitted my 3000 word essay for EAM and I feel relieved. This assignment almost made me go insane but we finally got there in the end. For your enjoyment, I have put the three songs I analysed in the essay below if you wanted to see what I suffered through for the last few days to get this assignment done ::)
Japanese Music That Angelina Admires Aesthetically but is Also Now Lowkey Sick of
Only a few more days to go and I will be done for the semester :) Time for some well-deserved rest to help me get through my last exams ;D
Angelina ;D
Post by: angewina_naguen on June 13, 2020, 06:30:15 pm
Hey, everyone!
I'm finally finished with exams and done with my third semester of uni! ;D I had my last one yesterday and here are my thoughts on how I went for each.
Harmony and Analysis 3 was something else. I spent a little too much time on one section of the exam because my inner perfectionist got the better of me so I had to rush through the final section. I finished it with only two minutes to spare though so I'm just hoping I checked everything through properly.
My AP2 exam went quite well. I messed up the rhythm part of solfege but surprisingly got it correct for LAB (it's usually the other way around). I think I could've prepared a little more for it but I definitely passed it for the semester and I'm not getting graded anyway for it :) I'll definitely be trying a lot harder for AP3 to make up for it.
As for ClassRom, I don't think any amount of studying could've prepared me for that exam. I was really on top of everything with ClassRom over this semester, as you can probably tell from the journal, but I made a few silly mistakes and just had mind blanks left, right, centre throughout it. I'm certain I passed it but I don't know whether I'll be able to maintain my current HD average. I think my participation mark and essay might just keep me up there but we will have to see when results are out. It was also my first time doing a ProctorU exam which I'll talk about in my unit review for the course.
Overall, I'm feeling great now that it's all done! These are some of the many things I'll be getting up to during the break.
- Doing lots of lesson planning and resource development ahead for Tutesmart (and catch up marking for my students) ::)
- Preparing for the July HSC English Standard Lecture 8)
- Writing a suite of poems on the concept of closure for the newspaper society which will be published in the first edition for Semester 2 ;D
- Attending a wedding which will be my first big social event since quarantine :)
- Celebrating my birthday in August!
- Analysing more music in my musicology thread here on the forums!
- Recording a good number of covers and live-streaming some music (I miss doing gigs!) :)
- Arranging a song or two for Barbersoc (fingers crossed acapella society will be back on campus next semester).
Looking forward to being productive but also taking time for myself to recover :D I'll check in again soon!
Toodles,
Angelina ;D
Post by: angewina_naguen on June 28, 2020, 02:36:01 pm
Hey, everyone!
I'm currently a few stops away from Sydenham station ready for my singing lesson. I have been busy busy with lesson planning, writing a rather nasty Trials paper (good luck, Class of 2020 TuteSmart) and getting my slides ready for a jam-packed revision lecture in mid-July ;D I've been finding work far easier to do now that I'm not also juggling university simultaneously with it.
Two days ago, I received my marks for two of my assignments for Choir 3 and ClassRom. I'm really pleased to inform that I was awarded full marks for my Choir assignment and 27.6/30 for my ClassRom essay! I was over the moon! I also found the comments for ClassRom helpful and while I argued a really controversial point for one of my arguments, it appears David Larkin was okay with it! I'm feeling a lot more confident about my performance this semester compared to this exact same time last year so fingers crossed the rest of my results will follow similar success.
Last night, I added a new post to the MMME thread which you can check out here! I chose to analyse one of my favourite songs of all time and would highly recommend everyone checking it out. I'd love to hear your thoughts about the song and the analysis and observations ;D
That's all for today's update! Hope you all have a great Sunday :)
Toodles,
Angelina ;D
Post by: angewina_naguen on July 02, 2020, 10:23:54 pm
Hey, everyone!
Hope you've all had a great week so far! Super quick post today :) It's almost school holidays so I'm hoping the following fortnight, despite TS having Trials season and lectures, will be heaps more chill. I'm currently formatting the last of the papers for the English faculty in preparation for it. While I'm excited for the students to sit it, I'm sure they feel anything but the same ::)
In light of recent Black Lives Matter initiatives, I have recently started up a 31 day challenge to post music from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists. My tutor for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Music last semester really encouraged us to stream, attend concerts and support their music as a way to decolonise the music industry we have here in Australia. Although I'm sharing this day by day on Instagram, you can check out the full playlist of songs here! You might also consider donating to the following charities and causes in support of both national and international efforts towards racial justice!
As a final note, I'm very keen for Hamilton on Disney Plus and will hopefully get a chance to stream it some time this weekend. I will also be having friends over to do a home theatre watch party which I'm hyped for 8)
Hope you all have a great end of the week and will update with more exciting stuff soon!
Angelina ;D
Post by: angewina_naguen on August 18, 2020, 01:35:08 pm
Hey, everyone!
It's been over a month since my last update :D I've been really enjoying my holidays and taking a long break to ready myself for possibly the craziest semester to come. This week, I'm finishing off my poems for Honi Soit which will be published in the first week back's edition and getting a head start on the plentiful readings I have to do for university. This semester, I am taking the following subjects.
- MCGY2615 The Ultimate Art: 400 Years of Opera (Online)
- MCGY2004 Aural Perception 3 (Online)
- MCGY2011 Harmony and Analysis 4 (Online)
- MUED1009 Psychology of Learning and Instruction (Online)
- MUED2302 Classroom Management (Online)
- MUED2605 Children, Music and Educational Settings (Online Weeks 1-3/In Person Weeks 4-12)
- MUED3031 Teaching Jazz in Secondary Education (Online Weeks 1-7/In Person Weeks 8-12)
Some fun things to note!
- I chose MCGY2615 for my major this semester. I need to do a Historical Studies unit for my musicology principal study and was really inspired during the weeks we covered opera in ClassRom last semester. This elective unit is co-taught by three lecturers, two of which I have already had units with and thoroughly enjoyed, so I'm really looking forward to it! It may also be my last musicology unit because I am thinking of doing Honours next year and will be discontinuing my principal study if that's the case. I'm definitely going to make my time in it count 8)
- MUED2605 usually has our first professional experience integrated within the course but due to COVID-19, we will not be doing our prac until next year :'( I'm interested to see how the rest of the time that we would normally use for prac will be spent in the degree and how they will adjust between online and in-person teaching.
- MUED2302 is a new subject for all music education students and is why I will be overloading this semester with an added 3CP subject. I'm personally a little annoyed about having to overload, especially with COVID-19 already making learning more difficult than it has to be, but one of my favourite tutors from first year will be co-teaching the unit with one of our associate professors so I'm hoping it will be worth the extra work.
This is what my timetable looks like for the semester. I'm so glad I have two days free because the overloading will definitely need me to have off days as catch-up and relax periods. It'll be a packed three days in the middle of the week but I'm thinking of watching my pre-recorded lectures on Monday night to give myself a sleep in on Tuesdays. Hopefully it will all work out fine :)
2020 Semester 2 Timetable
(https://i.imgur.com/692fgbB.png)
Overall, I'm feeling excited as much as I am terrified at the thought of the workload I will be dealing with. I've decided that I will be taking a step back from my extra-curricular commitments with Barbersoc to help me manage everything. Although I am a bit disappointed that I won't be able to do any society activities this semester, besides perhaps the odd Honi Soit article here and there if I have time, I'm sure it will be the best move long term for my wellbeing. I look forward to sharing another semester's worth of adventures here and wishing you all a great week!
Toodles,
Angelina ;D
Post by: angewina_naguen on September 06, 2020, 07:55:35 pm
Hey, everyone!
Just a super quick update :D It's been two weeks of university and I am already keen for the mid-semester break. The amount of work I have been getting is an absolute joke but so far, I'm balancing life okay. I have an assignment due this Thursday which is currently occupying most of my time and another three due the following week so I've really got my work cut out for me until those are over :-\ I'm hoping to try and fit in exercise and lots of practice for my AMEB exam to keep me sane ::)
On more exciting notes though, my sister, boyfriend and I released a cover last week! We're entering a Japanese talent contest but I'm currently still waiting on copyright approval before I can submit our application. You can watch it here 8) I also had my poems published for the university's newspaper in the previous week's edition which I've linked here :D While I'm stepping back a lot with my extra-curricular commitments, I'm keen to still get involved in a small project here or there whenever there is some more down time in my semester :)
That's all for this entry. Hope you're having a great Father's Day and wishing you all an amazing week ahead!
Toodles,
Angelina ;D