Deakin rollercoaster - the ups and downs of university life

-By Ryan D'Souza


When I started to think about this blog topic, I had no idea where to start and where to end. Really speaking, the ups and downs of university life are so many that one can go on and on. You ask any student about his/her experience at university, and you can come up with a huge book.



Let me share with you my experience at Deakin. The first good thing was that I received an offer letter from the University. Being accepted by a prestigious and renowned university gave me immense pride. When people asked me, ‘Which university are you studying at?’, and I replied, ‘Deakin,’ it gave me a tremendous sense of satisfaction that I had decided to pursue my dreams at one of the best universities in Australia.

But then started week one!


The system of education in Australia  was completely different from that in my home country. During week one, I was bombarded with lots and lots of information about units, assignments, workshops etc and as the weeks kept flying, I wondered how was I surviving. There is also the cultural transition that international students have to make, and this can be a very difficult process at times. The good thing is that you don’t have to feel stressed - the university is there to help you and of course, you have friends whom you can always rely on.

Speaking of friends, I have made and continue making new friends from different countries - friendships that I will cherish forever. I have also had the opportunity to mentor new students and this has been very fulfilling for me. Doing well in exams and obtaining good grades has been very rewarding as well. Balancing studies and work has helped me to become more focussed and improve my time-management skills. Above all, my post-graduate studies have broadened my thinking and equipped me with skills that will certainly help me in my professional career.

I am waiting for that special day - the day we all look forward to! I can already visualise myself standing in a line waiting for my name to be called and then being crowned a graduate! At that moment, I will think about the first day when I started my degree at Deakin, I will think about the struggles and difficulties I faced, I will think about the hardships and the trials I went through, I will think about the sleepless nights I had, and I will smile with a tear in my eye, and say, ‘Well done Ryan, it was worth it!’

Eating on a budget

-By Jodi


When I first went to uni and was living away from home I had minimal money and I existed on toast (with no butter as that cost too much) and cheap pasta cooked with a can of diced tomato. Luckily, my new family-to-be took pity on me and fed me copious meals of carb-laden homemade pasta, salads, and richly cooked meats.

Like my in-laws, I think we all know the message about five serves of fruit and veg a day, add some protein, some carbs (low GI preferably), some essential fats and lots of water. We also know that food is a fuel to our body and we are affected by what we eat. But with limited time and finances (like when I was living away from home) it is sometimes hard to make an effort to eat well.

I think that planning is a key. As Karen put it so well in her post, it is helpful to write lists, such as:

* a list of meals for the week,

* a list of grocery items that are needed for those meals (include breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks in this list). 

It also helps to:

* have a budget that you can stick to (I find that shopping with cash means that the budget can’t be exceeded and it makes me think more about my purchases).

* Have a predetermined shopping day each week to make sure that there is food to cook.

*Buy no-name brands as they save so much money and usually taste good.

* I also find that if I cook double portions and then freeze the extra amounts, it saves time and cooking later (more time for study!)

Because we’re talking about food I have included my favourite basic muffin recipe here which can be varied to make chocolate muffins, fruit muffins, or hide-the-veggies muffins. These can also be cooked in big batches and put in the freezer. Happy cooking!

Basic muffin recipe

1 ¾ cups of self raising flour

1 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1 egg lightly beaten

½ cup of milk

drops of vanilla essence

80 grams of butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius. Prepare muffin trays by wiping with butter or oil.

2. Sift flour, sugar and baking powder in a bowl.

3. Add egg, milk and vanilla essence (I find that adding the vanilla essence to the milk first helps spread the flavour evenly), and lastly butter. Mix well.

4. Spoon mixture into muffin trays, filling them to half the height of muffin space. Bake for 20 mins (approx) until golden brown.

Variations:

At step 4 I sometimes add a couple of dessert spoons of cocoa to make chocolate muffins (choc chips work well here too), or I add berries or sultanas at this point to make fruit muffins. If I have added an extra ingredient then I omit the vanilla essence.


So bake-away and enjoy your semester break :)

   

Money, money, money!

-By Tenille

Now that you’ve enjoyed your first trimester at Deakin (and might be sitting exams now), I hope you’ve all had a blast.

Most of you would have had to purchase textbooks and new stationary, which would have put a major dent in your budget. Paid for parking permits, lunches, as well as hanging out with your new mates and spending some cash. Have some of you come to the sudden realization that you need more cash, a part time job, and have no idea where to start?

Well aren’t you all so lucky that Deakin provides a service called Jobshop! The title really speaks for itself. The staff there makes finding a job much easier, especially if you haven’t had to look for a job yourself before.

Don’t worry if you are off-campus either as Jobshop is also available online, just go to http://www.deakin.edu.au/jobshop and log in with your Deakin username to access all their services.

When I headed off to Uni after High School I’d never had a job or even attempted writing a resume, and I realized I had no real savings apart from some money I got for my eighteenth. That’s when I stumbled across Jobshop.

I went in to visit them one day and they help me perfect a resume as well as helped me browse for some jobs. I’m so glad that I did it too, as now I have a part-time and casual job, which just makes costs for Uni and other essentials so much less stressful.

So if you’re strapped for cash and need a job head into Jobshop on your campus today, or simply log on online. And best of luck for your exams!

Stay classy,

Tenille

A big decision: How I applied for course transfer at the end of my second year

-By Sui On Tang

After finishing my second year at Deakin, and almost finishing a major in accounting for my undergraduate Commerce degree, I wasn't sure about what other majors I could take/ or was interested in for the remaining one year of the course. Also, I didn't have much hope for a course transfer since my first attempt at doing so at the end of Year one had failed. As the requirement for course transfers is average Distinction (70%), I knew my application would be rejected since my average was about 69%.

However, I could not resist applying for a second time. I really wanted to transfer to something that was of more interest to me – Bachelor of Arts (International Studies)/Bachelor of Commerce, where I could major in History and Accounting. As I had studied VCE History in high school and enjoyed it, I knew that studying History will not only give me a broader perspective on things, but I could choose a career of my liking at the end of the course. As a result, I put in my best effort to fill out the personal statement to persuade Deakin to allow me to change my course.

After a long waiting period of two months for the result of my application for course transfer, I was delighted to know that my application was approved. Indeed it was a brave and big decision for me, when I thought about the options of my future career in Hong Kong- my home country. In Hong Kong, Arts, especially History is not a popular subject. Parents don't really look upon it favourably and there is lack of opportunity for Arts students to get into high paying jobs. Luckily, my parents support me in my choice of pursuing History and so I haven't encountered as many difficulties as others.

Now I enjoy my current course and have also discovered some new hobbies, such as creative writing and literature. I believe that it is better to study a subject that I am interested in and build opportunities in that field rather than securing a high paying career that I may not enjoy. Now I hope to be into publishing, museums or maybe even becoming a historian. I know what I want my future to look like. My tip for you: if you are still not sure and just pondering about whether your course is right for you, I suggest you go and meet a course adviser in your faculty or career counsellors in Jobshop. They are really helpful and knowledgeable staff who can help you in planning a great career.

How not to be eaten by a lion (or how to pass sneaky exams)

-By Chelsea

There are three types of exam which students most commonly underestimate for difficulty:

• The Multiple-choice Question Exam
• The Take Home Exam
• The Open Book Exam                                                                    

You need to think of all exams as lions who are well trained in telling the difference between the weak and the strong.  As students, you can either be the unsuspecting Gazelle (or buffalo) that gets picked off or you can be the prepared Gazelle who survives another day.  While all exam formats can be equally hard in their own way, they do require different strategies to succeed.  This post will give you a few tips on how to prepare for the most commonly underestimated exams. 

Multiple-choice Question Exams (MCQ)  - Know your details 

MCQ Exams actually give you the answer on the exam paper – how stupid are these lecturers?  That has to be the easiest exam to take right?  Unfortunately this is one big lie usually manufactured by students trying to justify one more beer in the bar before going home to study (or letting you go home to study).  Just like a well-fed lion, a good MCQ exam is designed to separate the weak students (who rely on multi-guess) from the strong.  So when studying for this type of exam, do pay attention to the details; it won’t be enough to understand the general gist of a topic.  Also you need to make sure you read the question carefully as often MCQs have a few of the following tricks:

• Double negatives – Watch out for these as two negatives make a positive which will completely change the context of the question.
• ‘Not true’ questions – Make sure you don’t select the first answer you see that is ‘correct’ when the questions wants you to choose the answer that is ‘not correct’
• ‘Best answer’ questions – these questions are mean because usually a few of the answers are ‘almost’ right but the correct answer is ‘the most’ right – know your details!
•  50/50 – often the question is designed so most students can eliminate some of the responses immediately and are left with two responses that appear right.  The problem here is that there are no options for ½ marks on MCQs (or phoning a friend) - so you again - know your details! 

 

Take Home Exams – Know your content

Another exam which sounds promising – is the lecturer serious?  Doesn’t he/she know you have the text book and google at home?  Definitely time for another beer in the pub when you have a take home exam… Put down that glass now!  This form of exam usually makes me shudder, I would rather take on a lion than do another take home exam.  You need to imagine doing a complex assignment in 3 days instead of 6 weeks. However rather than giving up on uni and becoming a lion tamer, here are a few hints:

• Take home exams don’t usually require additional research, so concentrate on keeping up to date with class readings and lectures.  You won’t have time to read articles, text chapters or listen to lectures when you get the exam and a take home exam is usually about applying the knowledge that you have acquired.  So the best way to prepare is to acquire all the knowledge in the lead up to the take home exam and then focus on applying it correctly when you get the exam.
• Schedule your life to allow the maximum time possible to work on the exam.  This is not an exam that will take 2 hours to complete or maybe 3 if you watch TV at the same time.  This is an assignment troops and you will need discipline and focus to succeed!

Open Book Exams – Know your notes

Hopefully by now you can see a theme here:  exams that lull you into a false sense of security only to kick (or bite) the bottom of any unprepared student.  Open book exams are no different.  Usually these types of exams are used in subjects like Law where it is less important to “know” the answer and more important to “know how to find and apply” the answer.  This usually means that there is a massive amount of information that you will need to sort through … without the help of Google… then you have to apply the information correctly.  SO! Don’t expect that you can just turn up to your exam with the text book and check the index – you will spend most of the exam finding the answer and run out of time to actually write anything.  My final helpful hints are:

• Make your own notes of the important content from the course – this will mean that you have less to sort through in the exam and it will help you get familiar with the content as you go, so you will have more chance of remembering where to find it. 
• Once you have your notes you need to practise finding the answers. The best way to do this is to use practise questions – old exams if available, tutorial questions, study guide questions or at worst – make up your own questions. Have a crack at finding the right answer and applying it in the time limit you would be allowed in your exam. You may find the first couple of times you try that you run out of time, but you will get faster – and better to learn that you grossly overestimated your ability when studying than in the exam itself. Nerdy? Sure! But here is a little African Proverb to get you motivated ...

Me and my buddy - procrastination

-By Jo

Procrastination creeps up on me and watches over my shoulder.

I feel its breath on my neck and my concentration is swayed.

The pages of my textbook flutter and the words blur ever so slightly.

I shake my head and try to throw it off, but the damage is done.

I may be five minutes into a study session or an hour or...maybe I never got that far...

The kettle is boiling, another cup of coffee is what I need, but the caffeine takes time to work on me so I should feed some dragons in Dragonvale or see if the Angry Birds are up for a game...and...
I haven’t read today’s news, must catch up with that...A text? Might be important, best check it to be sure. 

Ah, Mother’s roses are in bloom...meh...that essay won’t write itself you know?

The voice of reason kicks in, but procrastination tells me there’s always tomorrow, the sun is shining and well, not to be rude, but all that sitting on your butt is leaving you kind of out of shape...Oh! When did I last go to the gym? Or for a walk even? Hey...I could walk around the shops, then, it wouldn’t seem like exercise...

See what procrastination did there? Yeah, now I’m procrastinating about the vehicle I was going to use to procrastinate my way out of study, it’s clever stuff, no doubt about it, but it doesn’t help me pass my degree. It just adds stress.

But the essay is due and the exams are getting closer and I’m way behind in my readings, my notes, how many lectures did I miss? 

Deep breath, deep breath, knots in the stomach, headache that’s dull and persistent, racing heart from panic or too much caffeine, bad moods, can’t sleep, can’t function, deadline looming, indigestion. 

HELP!

It’s time to implement the emergency plan (which should be my initial plan all the time).

Switching off social media devices (if I can’t be trusted and that means deactivating Facebook and Twitter, just for now).

Setting a time to check my emails.

Turning off my mobile phone – the world survived just fine without them for eons, I can survive a study block.

Getting out of the house, away from distractions – go to the library, a computer lab, a public park or a cafe.


Learn to say ‘NO’ and mean it. Others have to respect my choice to get this degree, and not interrupting is all the help I need them to give me.

Remembering that my body can’t survive on coffee, chocolate and toast for a whole trimester.

Most importantly I must always sleep – I find it very tempting to feel guilty over the number of study hours lost during a night’s sleep. Unfortunately they are necessary and come to terms with that for my sanity.

Living in Student Residences abroad

-By Troy

I’m about ten weeks into my Study Abroad student exchange program at the University of Exeter in the UK.

As the semester comes to a close so does a crazy couple of months that has been living on campus.

I have lived in share houses many times before, from Brunswick to Hawthorn to Clifton Hill. Equally, I am lucky to have travelled a little bit across the USA, Canada and now the UK and I'm quite comfortable staying in hostels and backpackers. But NOTHING could have prepared me for putting 48 international students together in the one apartment block!

The first two weeks of semester,  there were parties just about every night. Every Sunday morning somewhere on campus, a kitchen looked like some kind of disaster zone from cramming a million people in there for drinking, socialising and debauchery!

As semester rolls along, you eventually find that assessments are due and you can’t be out every night. But you hear the music or the laughter drifting from your window or down the hallway and you are tempted to go and join in!

Living on campus has many perks. Everything is provided for: Internet, bills, rent- everything is included. You are walking distance to classes; you can quite easily roll out of bed 15 minutes before a lecture if you really want. For me, the campus gym is only a 10-minute walk away and the supermarket is an easy 15-minute stroll.

There is always someone to talk to and hang out with. I made toast at 2am last week and ended up chatting to my French comrades for an hour! During the first week we held an international dinner night where everyone cooked something from home. You are exposed to new cultures, new ways of doing things.

Of course there are also challenges! Sometimes you just need your own space, and it’s hard to have this with twelve others on the same floor as you. Noise can be problematic at night. Social politics and alliances emerge within the flat. Romantic relationships begin and evolve; jealousy and gossip can be sure to follow.

Coming back to the kitchen; with no common area, this has been the natural gathering point for each floor and never has it been such contentious ground to navigate. Food gets eaten, fridge space becomes a battleground, and people have no clue how to wash up or put away dishes.

After all the water restrictions we've had back home, I was horrified when several of my flat mates washed their dishes under a running tap! In light of all this, I thought it might be useful to offer some strategies that have worked for us over here:

• Establish a weekly garbage and recycling roster early on.
• Set up a Facebook Group for your floor as a forum to deal with issues as they come up. Drama is tough but don't avoid it!
• Split costs of expendables such as dishwashing liquid and toilet paper. Set aside a shelf or something to keep these things and make sure to contribute.
• Wash up your dishes after meals and put them away.
• Make your bedroom your own space where you can go if you need some timeout.
• Buy earplugs for the nights you need to study or sleep and can’t party. 
• Maximise services offered on campus such as the gym and the medical centre. These things are there to help you. 
• Get involved and get interested! So many cultures and new perspectives on life to learn about! 

Make the most of the parties and meeting new people. All the students living on campus are going through the same things as you. There are lifelong friendships to be formed even when you are on the other side of the world. I now have friends all over America, Canada and Europe who I can visit in the coming years!

Good luck and have fun!

   

My very own backstage pass

-By Aretha Zhen

FREE BACKSTAGE PASS!!! Free backstage pass!!! Who wants a free backstage pass? Come over here please!

Now, have I got your attention yet? Ok, now you have to do volunteering first before you get the free backstage pass.

Hmmm, what did you just say? Volunteering and getting a free backstage pass? This must be quite confusing. However, as a matter of fact volunteer work is a great chance to gain experience in a broad range of fields. You can volunteer and gain experience in education, journalism, social work, animal care, health care, marketing, politics, web design- the opportunities are endless. Volunteering is a great way to put in a little of your time and gain some valuable skills, whether professional or practical.

Once upon a time, the volunteer's stereotype was the middle-aged housewife or retiree with time on their hands. Now volunteers come from all walks of life: they may be teenagers learning to manage responsibility by caring for wounded wildlife or university students enjoying a new friendship as a volunteer reader at the community library. One of the more obvious reasons why people volunteer is because they find something they are passionate about and want to do something good for others. Volunteering is an opportunity for making this world a better place, for ourselves and others. It is a chance to give something back to society and appreciate whatever we have - big or small by sharing it with others. 

Moreover, volunteer work can often lead to a paying job. How is that? Because similar to interns, volunteers can try out a field to see if it suits them and also display their dedication, talent and enthusiasm for the job while working. Now that's what I would call my very own backstage pass. By volunteering, we as students can gain a truly unique experience, we can make friends but the most important thing is the pride that comes from completing something. Imagine the sense of accomplishment when you put the last roof tile on a house you've been building or watch the dog you’ve saved and cared for in RSPCA being successfully adopted. You will certainly feel very proud of yourself. Even if this isn't the main motivation for volunteering it is certainly a major bonus

Cheerio

Who needs a GAP year when you can travel and earn credits?

-By Vanessa

OK I must admit I am a study tour addict.

I have been to Tunisia to study Arabic.

I have been to China to study Chinese Commercial Law.

I have been to Hong Kong, Frankfurt, Prague, Geneva, Basel, Paris and London on my last trip on the AEF study Tour and maybe I still have my sights set on just one more before I graduate.

My Bucket list

 

Climb the Great Wall of China

Walk in Tienanmen Square

Eat chocolate in Switzerland

See the terracotta warriors

 Ride a camel through the Sahara

Go shopping at Harrods London

Dance all night at the 5 story nite club in Prague     

Ice skate on the Eiffel Tower

Ride on a Junk in Hong Kong

Walk on Tower Bridge aka London Bridge

Eat Frankfurt's/sausage in Frankfurt  

 

Stroll along Lake Geneva   

Celebrating New Years in a remote location with locals aka Sahara Desert.

I could go on but you get the idea.

In any case, remember travel insurance is an absolute must. Trust me, seeing the Eiffel Tower for the first time out the back of an ambulance in Paris makes you really appreciate it.

  



O.K so its not all play, but even the serious aspects of Deakin University Overseas Study Tours are truly amazing!



Online classes friend or foe?

-By Amanda

Dear Students,

I'm an on-campus student, however over the Summer I undertook a few Trimester 3 subjects. All of them were online.

First of all, I must say if you are not one for checking DSO regularly, if you know you won't go through any of the i-lectures or attend eLive classes, and if you know that you're going to leave everything to the last minute - avoid online subjects like the plague. However, if you hate the travelling, and if you have the means (good, reliable Internet access), then I can't praise online classes enough.
 
In my first post, I wrote about my sometimes difficult journey to Uni. Probably the biggest positive about online classes are that they eliminate the need to travel - perfect for me! Plus everything is readily available online, you can easily communicate with your peers, and did I mention there was no need to travel (which saves both time and money)?

My only warning though is that it is easy to fall behind. Personally, I prefer i-lectures because I can pause them and write my notes at my own pace, but at the same time I do find myself a bit more motivated if I'm actually on campus. The beauty of Uni is that it's you're choice, so go with what works for you.

Just a few tips if you do decide to study online;

• Pretend you're actually at Uni; studying from home has the potential for a loooooooot of distractions, try and pretend those don't exist (switch off the TV, close the YouTube & Facebook tabs).
• Build a routine; maybe check DSO at the same time every week, and make sure you know when you need to download your lectures or attend eLive tutorials.
• Enjoy the perks; get a good amount of sleep, eat well (chances are you won't have to buy junk food because you're out), and stress less!

Hopefully you're enjoying this Trimester, take care!!

Masterclass: Simple chicken congee recipe

-By Karen 

Hello dearest readers! Thank you for all the supportive comments and tips in my previous post! It has been a great encouragement hearing from all of you, and I look forward to more comments in my future postings! 

In today's post, I thought I'd share a simple chicken congee recipe with you. I was feeling a little unwell last week, and it brought back memories of how horrible it felt to be sick during my uni days. That feeling was worse when the assignment due dates or exams are just round the corner! Those were also the days when feeling homesick would be exaggerated to a whole new level. So a favourite comfort food that I'll usually cook when I'm sick is congee, which is just rice cooked in heaps of water until it breaks down into a thick or creamy consistency. It is popular in the Asian culture and is usually served during breakfast or even as a late supper meal. It is also commonly served to people who are sick because it improves their appetite and is easy to digest while providing much needed nutrients to the body.

So here's how I prepare my chicken congee in combating those snotty tissues...

Preparation: 10 minutes              Cooking: ~1.5 hour

Ingredients:

Part 1: For chicken broth

Part 1: Making the chicken broth

• 1 pc chicken breast with bone (skin removed, fat trimmed, and washed thoroughly)
• 5-6 cloves of garlic
• 4 pc Chinese red dates (optional)
• 6-8 pc peppercorns
• 6-8 cups water (depending on the size of the chicken and pot)

Part 2: For congee

Part 2: Cooking the congee

• 1/2 cup rice soaked in water for about 2 hours (Any rice would do but I prefer using sushi rice because it gives a thicker consistency. Left over rice is also great for this recipe and cooking time might be reduced.)
• Handful (10-15 pcs) goji berries (optional)

Method:
1. To make the chicken broth, combine all ingredients in part 1 over medium to high heat. Bring to a boil and cook the ingredients for about 45mins to an hour (broth would have reduced by about half). 

2. Remove the chicken from the broth and drain the broth. Set the chicken aside to cool and shred finely. You can also reserve the garlic cloves or add fresh ones when cooking the congee. (Got a fear of garlic? Don't worry, the garlic will be all mushed up by the time the congee is cooked and you won't really notice it. Garlic is good for cough and colds and it adds extra flavour to the dish)

3. To make the congee, drain the water from the rice and add the rice to the broth. 

4. If you're adding fresh garlic cloves, then add them with the rice. Otherwise add the chicken (I used about 1/2 of the shredded chicken for my dish and kept the rest to use in other dishes, eg. salad or sandwich), leftover garlic, and goji berries half way through the cooking process.

5. Boil the rice for about 25-30min until it is cooked, and simmer for about 20-30mins or until rice has broken down. Stir occasionally to prevent the rice from burning. 

6. Salt and pepper to taste. 


P.S. Remember to stir the congee occasionally to prevent burning (burnt rice stuck to a pot can be a nightmare to remove)

P.P.S. When cooking the congee, you may add extra hot water if you think the consistency is too thick. The congee will thicken up slightly when cooled. 

P.P.P.S. For an extra "zing" factor, serve the dish with some chopped spring onions. 


There you go! My simple home remedy for a snotty tissue fiesta. Congee fills you up and keeps you full for a longer time. Also when you're sick, your taste buds tend to go into sleepy mode too (that's why most people lose their appetite or feel that things don't taste as good when they're sick), and congee is a great pick-me-up and its easy to digest. 


Now that exams are around the corner, do remember to still keep that balance. Remember to eat AND rest well. Bulk up on Vitamin C to give your immune system an extra boost. Best wishes for the exams!! You're almost reaching the finishing line!! 


Would love to hear your comments and queries about the dish so do remember to drop a line or two in the comments section below. And do let us know if you would like to see more recipes in future postings! 

Six Months in Australia, Six Months of Adventure

-By Edwina

Adventure - well what is an adventure? Mountain climbing, skydiving? Or animated adventures like Alice in Wonderland? When one reads about all this it sounds great and adventurous and fun, but my life’s adventure is a little different. I was born in India, and was pretty much spoilt from the time I opened my eyes. I never really did anything back at home, because like any other spoilt kid, my theory was “my mum will do it for me, I don’t have to worry”. But coming to Australia changed that; it changed my idea of fantasy and the world.

First thing was - I had to start travelling by myself from the very first day, not having a clue as to where I was going. This was something I never did in India. So while on the tram, the minute I used to see ‘Deakin University’ written in bold I knew I made it, but I couldn't breathe a sigh of relief until I reached home without getting lost.

Speaking of getting lost, I think I got lost more on-campus than outside campus. Deakin was about three times the size of my school and I got lost multiple times. Sometimes I even missed lectures because I couldn’t find my classes (or rather I was too tired to walk to the classes. I felt jet lagged for a long time and probably still am, considering the fact I wake up at lunch time each day!). It was like a mini adventure for me. But when I figured my way out, it wasn’t too bad. After all, I just needed to use my brains a little.

Cooking - never had to do it in my life before, but when I came here, things changed. I had no other option but to learn how to cook, that is if I didn’t want to starve. So far I have only learnt how to cook eggs and 2 minute noodles. When I’m tired of it, I’ve got McDonald’s just round the corner. My baking skills in one word: ‘fantastic’ but that’s because I follow the instructions on the box closely, not because I have the skills like “Buddy” from “Cake Boss”. However, I still have to get somebody to pop it in the oven for me because I still do not know how to work that.

I love Melbourne CBD. At first I kept putting off to visit it because I didn’t know how to get there, but once when my cousin took me there with another friend of mine, I did not want to leave. With the busy streets, colourful walls, shops and restaurants, I was in wonderland. From hopping into trams and getting off at random stops and just walking around taking photographs at every corner to running in to shops and coming out wearing a different pair of shoes, the times I have spent in the city have always been an adventure for me. There is so much to do and so much to see, that by the end of the day you still want more.

Beaches - my second home. I can’t swim but that doesn’t mean I won’t go into the water. I love the whole atmosphere, the smell of the water, the sound of the wind, the feel of the sand on your feet, even the feel of the first chill your body gets when it touches the water. Six months ago, all of this was in my dreams and now my dreams have turned to reality. Whatever I dreamt of doing all my life, the adventures I wanted to go on, the experiences I wanted, all of that is slowly coming true.

I’m only 18, I’ve been here six months, and I’ve just finished my first semester at Deakin. These were just my freshman adventures, and I’m pretty sure I have many more exciting adventures waiting for me.

Feeding the habit

- By Jo

I forgot to feed my family. Yes, that’s right and it wasn’t for one night either, more like half a trimester. I also forgot about the dirty laundry. Yet somehow I had clean clothes. The cat litter was clean and the dishes done. It was then that it occurred to me that I had officially been consumed by university life.

Textbooks, computer, paper, pen (vintage fountain pen thank you), something to eat and drink (double espresso stat), and of course the all-important Internet connection for Facebook and Twitter, I mean DSO, and that’s all I believed was needed at the start.

But there was one last resource I had forgotten. To be frank, I’m not sure how as it is seriously hard to miss a fifteen year old with a personality twice her size and a husband over six feet tall, but I did and I still do.

When I’m hunched over my books and I fail to notice them because I’m on a deadline and my only activity is to wear a track in the carpet from my desk to the kitchen to refill my mug, I forget. In fact, I forget to feed them, among other forms of neglect. I only realised this recently when I cooked dinner and they both looked at me like I’d done something newsworthy. Obviously exams had just finished and I fell back into an old routine. They had a new routine. They cooked and cleaned. They made food for me occasionally. Somehow I hadn’t noticed I was living off caffeine, chocolate and toast. But they did.

The moment of epiphany came at a graduation ceremony when the vice chancellor asked the graduates to stand and look for their family and friends and to give them applause for all their support. Family and friends, classmates and internet buddies have all helped me get this far - whether it be bouncing an idea about on Twitter with strangers, or with fellow students on Facebook, or having my daughter play the accused so I can practice cross examination skills or my husband fielding telephone calls when I’m studying, it’s a resource that needs recognition (and probably feeding, must put that in the diary – feed family!) It’s a resource I remember from secondary school – my dad cooking meals every night through VCE (all vegetarian, despite his carnivorous tastes). Come to think of it, this is probably why I forget to cook when I’m studying – default setting. Now sounds like a good time for me to make a resolution, I know New Year’s is past, but I’m never one to conform to the pack, so I’ll make mine now – I shall remember to value the support of my family and friends for the huge contribution they’re making to my academic success, and yes I’ll try and feed them...do you think take out counts?

Balance, what balance?

-By Jodi

Balance, what balance? I know that’s what it feels like sometimes when the carpets need vacuuming (I know I put the vacuum somewhere…), your boss asks you to do extra shifts, and due dates for the assignments are looming. In that case there is no time for balance - it’s do whatever works!

If you can backtrack a step and listen to your parents/teachers/concerned aunty and do some organising then chances are that this level of chaos won’t eventuate. Yes, it is possible to go out with friends and complete assignments. It is also possible to have some time lying on a sandy beach soaking up the last of the sun’s rays and to turn up to work. There can be a balance.


Admittedly I am about to turn into one of THOSE students that us in the back row of class used to gaze at in wonder. You know the ones – they put up their hand to answer every question, they procure relevant quotes about the topic in question, eat lunch from neatly labelled lunch bags filled with organic produce from their own garden (very tasty by the way), and they hand in their assignments early. How do they do it?

I can’t say that I’ve got it right yet but here’s some organising tips that have helped me:

* Get a diary/use the calendar in your phone. Before class starts write in every date that is listed, including the start date of the trimester, when every assignment is due, the exact time and location of the tutorials, and when the exams are occurring. Tedious, I know, but it saves sooo much time later.

* Then map out your week, setting aside the relevant hours for study, work, alone-time, and social activities.

* Stick to the plan. I find this is what makes the balance work. For example, I have two study days set aside from my regular commitments and activities. At the start of the trimester I don’t have a lot to do because the assignments aren’t always listed and there are no close deadlines. This is the time that I do extra reading, borrow some books that are relevant to the subject from the library, and even make some draft notes for the assignment. Then when assignments are due I can concentrate on the specific task because I am ahead in the reading, etc.

* Switch off. Sometimes literally. I’ve found that one way of coping with the stress of university and all the expectations that come with that is to switch off the computer, fold up the class notes, shut the study books. If everything is going to plan then I have time to have a guilt-free coffee with friends, attend work, go for a swim/run/ride, have a nap(!) because I know that at the next scheduled time I will complete the tasks that I set for myself.


I know that sometimes it seems like a balance between social and academic life is an enigma but a large part of achieving a balance comes down to being organised and allowing yourself the freedom to relax as well.

Wishing you all the best in achieving an amazing academic and social life balance!