The Year to end all Years…

In two days’ time I will commence what I have been told is the most grueling year of a student’s life. A year that will test my academic ability, jeopardize my social life, reduce my sleep bank balance, and compromise my sanity. In two days’ time I will begin a journey that may ‘make or break’ me – Honours Year*. I don’t think the reality of the situation will actually sink in until I’m sitting in that classroom, beginning an 8-day intensive workshop on multivariate analysis, research and thesis proposals, ethical dilemmas, and counselling techniques. For the moment my brain is still enjoying being on holidays, pleased to have completed my undergraduate science degree and to only have casual employment, volunteer work, coffee dates, and road trips to be concerned about. It is hard to comprehend that I should be preparing it for an onslaught of reading, researching, and revising. A week or so ago I was enjoying my 21^st birthday with family and friends – not a care in the world – and now I am bracing myself for the return to study; my textbooks and laptop to be my most important companions.

Thankfully, I am not to brave the storm alone. My family and friends – some of whom have already completed similar study – have been amazingly supportive so far, and I know they will be there again, despite how stressed out, cranky, or deliriously tired I may get.

I am exceptionally lucky in that my boyfriend is also a psychology student and about to begin honours himself, as are several of my friends. I have been teamed up with an amazing thesis supervisor, and have been allocated the topic that most interested me for my research project (Autism Spectrum Disorders). I am confident in the USQ staff and facilities. Ultimately, I think I’ve been given the best chance to succeed that I’m ever going to get. I wouldn’t say ‘bring it on!’ but I’m also not running in the opposite direction just yet.

This year will be a balancing act – I hope to continue working and volunteering (I help at Lifeline one day a week) and maybe even to see daylight and my friends every now and then. Stupidly or not, I even have a cruise booked for July (everyone needs a break!). I’ll check in with you again in a few months to let you know how I’m travelling, and just how skilled I am at time-management…

I thought I’d end with the top three events from my holidays (holidays which are about to fade into nothingness all too soon): 1. As mentioned above, I turned 21! 2. My Rotaract Club organised a movie night that raised almost $1200 for Guide Dogs Queensland – thank you to anyone reading this who supported it! 3. Last but not least, I volunteered at the Woodford Folk Festival – and would recommend it to anyone; especially if you are a poor student and fancy a free ticket and accommodation.

Oh, and I also got be on a bus, wearing my new, free USQ t-shirt! Make sure to come along to the Phoenix Carnival on the 24^th Feb (I am especially looking forward to the fairy floss, movie at sunset, and dunking machine hehe…) Check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3CaOfSy5cU

Well, that’s all from me for the mo’ – off to gather stationery for the big day! :S

- Gena

*For those asking ‘what is this insane-sounding honours year?’ Differences from an undergraduate program include:

• Week-long workshop blocks (with class from 9am-5pm each day), which occur four times a year, rather than several 2/3-hour classes each week. Workshops are often held in the weeks usually considered holidays.
• A research project/thesis due at the end of the year, as well as other ‘normal’ subjects each semester.
• Though it is an on campus program (and cannot be completed unless you attend the workshops), more external-style study is required and students must take the initiative in catching-up with their supervisors and staying on task.
• The program only takes one year of full-time study to complete.

For more information, The University of Southern Queensland website is more accurate than I (check out http://www.usq.edu.au/handbook/current/sci/BSCH.html).

What to expect when you are expecting to start uni.

Brace yourself – semester one is about to begin! Right now is the time to finish enrolling in those upcoming courses, choose class times and find cute stationary. The USQ campus will begin buzzing again with students checking where rooms are, rushing in to print study materials and buy textbooks. And, if you are anything like me, you will also be promising yourself that you will be extra prepared by beginning to read these before the start of classes…this time.

This has always been my favourite time of the year. The smell and feel of new textbooks, bumping into friends on campus, enjoying a carefree coffee with friends at the hub and long chats in the quad are some of the joys experienced just before semester kick-off. Exams feel as though they are a long way, distant into the future.

After four years of study, I feel that I have perfected the art of preparing before a semester. I am able to confidently do what I thought I would never be able to do four years ago – find what I need, know where to go, who to see and juggle my really diverse study schedule which has included visual arts, mathematics and education courses. I have found that once you are into the uni ‘jive’ this becomes second-nature and a lot of fun.

This year however is a lot different for me. It is strange.

See, I finished my Education degree with USQ at the end of last year. I was so excited to be able to say ‘I am a TEACHER’. However, I am beginning to realise that this means that I no longer have pre-semester university preparations. I don’t have courses to enrol in, there are no new textbooks on my shelf and my friends have begun their new careers in various places throughout Queensland. Though post-university is exciting (I will also soon be moving to begin my career, a teaching position in Thailand), it is hard not to reflect on, and become nostalgic for, the life and routine of a university student.

So perhaps I can share with you what I have learnt. Provide some advice to those who are starting out for the first time. I always use ‘to do’ lists, so here is one for you –

UNIVERSITY TO DO LIST

Become a ‘yes-person’ (think back to Jim Carey’s character in Yes Man).

By remaining open to new experiences, you will surprise yourself and create some fantastic memories. I adopted this mentality early-on in my university career and as a result have met some wonderful people through volunteering, participated in an overseas professional placement in Thailand (as part of my Bachelor of Education) which resulted in the school offering me a position, have volunteered at a school in Cambodia, met a NASA astronaut, co-founded a charity, introduced Red Thread Bracelets to Australia, exhibited an artwork, regularly assisted at a local school, completed a number of additional vocational qualifications, became a guest education panel chair member and won a scholarship. I try to say ‘yes’ to every new experience and have really benefited from this. 

 [You never know where ‘yes’ can lead you..in this case, into a tiger enclosure in Thailand during an overseas professional experience]

 Buy your textbooks early.

It doesn’t happen too often, but sometimes the bookshop will run out of particular books. It can be difficult to catch-up with readings a few weeks into the semester.

Start your assignments early.

I always put my assignments onto my calendar, a week BEFORE they are actually due. This means that I always had the assignment completed a week before it was actually due. I cannot tell you how much stress was saved through adopting this strategy! An added benefit (from my experience) – if you realise last-minute that you have misinterpreted the assignment, you still have a week to fix it! This was my number one strategy and really helped me get through uni.

Do a library tour in O-Week.

These are free and so worthwhile. Pay particular attention to where resources and references can be found through the library database. The library has access to online versions of journals and other publications which you WILL NEED throughout your study. Knowing how to use these properly will save so much valuable time.

Read, post in and follow all of the forums for your courses.

There have been times when I have realised that I was really not on the right track with assignments or course content. These are sometimes a lifesaver! Usually, questions that you have will already be posted and answered.

Go to EVERY lecture and tutorial (on-campus or online).

This will help you stay on track, find study-buddies and assist you with assessment.

ENJOY UNI LIFE! It doesn’t feel like it at times (particularly when assessment is beginning to pile up), but your university career will fly by! Enjoy it and do your best!

[Taken on my very last day of uni, with our amazing lecturer, Warren]

Good luck to everyone who are about to start their study! Feel free to leave a comment, especially if you have any questions about being a student and preparing for your university life.

Tips, Tricks and the Turtle Man

A new year, a new semester, a new outlook…time for a new blog. (Well, I have missed the boat on it being a new year – somehow it is already a month into 2013 – I had better start my Christmas shopping). Nevertheless, 2013 has brought with it a gust of excitement. I am entering into my second year of uni and I cannot wait to start!

Crazy, some would say. What’s so great about going back to study after such a great holiday? Let me make the answer clear by re-phrasing the question. “What can university offer me that I can’t get from watching the Turtle Man and Operation Repo all holidays?” Umm…perhaps a degree/career/great life/fulfilment/well-paying job?

Yep, pretty keen to start uni again…

However, this time 12 months ago I would not have only used the wording ‘excited’ to describe my feelings about starting uni. Perhaps add nervous, scared, unsure…and…stressed. So, I would like to dedicate this blog to all of the students starting university for the first time (yippee!). As an experienced uni-goer, I feel I should share with you the tips and tricks I have picked up along the way. Enjoy!

Preparation is first step in a great recipe.

Yep, it’s pretty straight forward – you can never be too prepared. However there are a few key things that I would recommend you plan ahead for.

• Car parking – take notice of the key traffic times and the car parks that generally don’t fill up as quickly. Leave enough time so you can get a park and not have to run to class (I have experienced running with textbooks and a laptop and it’s not easy).

• Lecture slides – most lecturers will upload slides and information before class. If you can, print these off or save them to your laptop in advance. Lecturers will often give important notices or address discussion topics at the beginning of class, so you don’t want to waste this time fumbling for slides.

• A calendar – when you receive your USQ Wall Calender, mark in all assessment dates (including any online quizzes). This way you will be able to see if any courses cross over for assessment, and you can plan your study time accordingly.

• Stationery – it’s a necessity. Sticky notes, highlighters, pens, sticky notes, staples, folders, sticky notes and sticky notes. Don’t forget stick notes.

THE APPROX NUMBER OF STICKY NOTES REQUIRED TO START UNI

Become part of the online community.

Well, you are reading a blog, so I am guessing you devote some time in your life to being part of an online community. So take advantage of USQ’s online spaces and use them to find help, find friends, learn about events and competitions and really become involved in the whole university experience. My personal favourites are Facebook’s Wednesday Motivation, and the Study Spaces board in Pinterest. (And USQ Blogs of course!). Here’s last week’s Wednesday Motivational:

Don’t be afraid to ask.

Okay, so lecturers can be pretty daunting, especially when they are called ‘Professor’ or ‘Doctor’. But you also have to remember that they are teachers. They have chosen to teach you! So don’t be afraid to stay after class and ask them a question (even if you think it’s a dumb question). Also, don’t be afraid to post a question to the online forum (this is a lifesaver the night before an assignment is due and 90% of the class are also wondering the same thing).

Well, I hope this advice has been helpful to anybody starting university for the first time. I wish all returning students the best for the year ahead, and when times are tough – just remember where your hard work is taking you.

PS. If you have any more questions or tips about uni please comment on this post!!!

The light at the end of the tunnel

It is so close now; I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Not that I felt I was in a tunnel really, or a dark place. Just a way to say I have nearly completed my Bachelor of Commerce. The end of 2012 ended with a bang for me at the USQ Springfield’s End of Year Ball.

What now? I ask myself. I had been concerned with the prospect of applying for graduate jobs, or any job for that matter. Who would want to employ me? A busy Mum of 3, mature aged graduate with no real experience in the workforce…  I had no idea where to go for information.

Knowing that I complete my course midway through 2013, the idea that I may not have work until the beginning of 2014 was a reality for me, but I wanted something straight away!

In an attempt to find some direction, I accessed a number of resources I knew were available to me as student at USQ.  I visited Student Services, learnt about Work Integrated Learning (WIL) – which is a range of work-related activities and experiences I could undertake to better prepare myself for future employment, and checked out the career hub that is only accessible by USQ students.

During my research – which was easier than I thought it would be; just a few phone calls, an internet search and going into uni to visit some people – I was given the heads up on a job that was about to be advertised on the career hub that sounded like it may suit my needs. So I applied and waited.  Next thing I know, I have a flexible part time job in an Auditing firm!  If it were not for the support available to me through USQ I would not have known about this fantastic job opportunity.

All I need to do now is ace my last few courses, and I’ll have a head start on my career with more than 6 months industry experience behind me, and a little extra $$$. What a relief it is to know that when you’re in a pickle, or have no direction, there is someone there who is ready to assist and help you find your next step.

My next step is deciding whether to apply for a full time graduate position, or whether to sit tight and learn what I can where I am now and enjoy the flexibility of the job that I have. I don’t think there is one ‘right’ career path for anybody. You just need to take the opportunities as they come, and get as much information you can, before you make any BIG decisions.

So my Christmas, was a very ‘silly season’ indeed. It consisted of your usual Christmas celebrations, a uni course during semester 3, my family, AND my NEW job!!!

Wishin’ and hopin’…

…And, as Dusty would say, “thinkin’ and prayin’, and plannin’ and dreamin’”. The end of my science degree – which occurred on the 5^th of November with my final exam – marked a time of relief, celebration, and sleep; but also a period of anticipation. Not only was I awaiting the release of end-of-semester results, I was wishin’ and hopin’ for an offer into the honours program next year…

For those of you considering a future as a psychologist, be warned: the road is a long and competitive one, especially at USQ (as I am beginning to find). From the hundreds of students enrolled in the three-year Bachelor of Science (Psychology) program at the start of first year, less than forty will be accepted into the honours program that follows it – and it’s your GPA that determines your fate. And, if you do get in to honours, you still need two years of supervised practice in the ‘real world’ or a Master’s degree in psych (which – you got it – is ridiculously difficult to get in to as well) before you can become a registered psychologist. ‘Registered psychologist’; two little, very elusive words that will take a minimum of six years, a lot of hard work, and some luck, to call your own.

So, be warned, the mentality that “c’s get degrees’ at uni won’t get you very far if you dream to be a psychologist. That being said, I really enjoyed my science degree and the journey so far, and though I struggled with some of the statistical courses and medical jargon I’m happy I stuck at it. The support was there for me and I’m proud of my achievements. And the holidays have never been better! Since I chose to study year-round (taking on subjects in the summer semester) in my first and second years, this is my first real break since I started – ♪SCHOOL’S OUT FOR SUMMER!!♫ now has real meaning.

So how have I spent the last few weeks of freedom? Well until recently they were comprised of waiting, nail-biting, and checking my emails religiously every few hours, hoping for a few little words that would determine what I would do next year. Did I succeed in my quest for acceptance? You’ll need to wait a little longer before you find out (I’m trying, and most likely failing, to build in you the suspense that I felt). During the first weeks of the holidays I also applied to be a volunteer at Lifeline, trying to gain some experience in the world of counselling and human services. I now work voluntarily one day a week there, and it’s incredible – the people I work alongside are so inspiring and the programs really make a difference in the lives of many.

Aside from this I’ve been continuing to work at my retail job of two years, and also helping to organise a fundraising event with my local Rotaract club. “Fundraising event?” I hear you ask “I am dying to know what you mean”. Well, because you asked (and in an act of shameless promotion)…

So, if you’re in the Toowoomba area, a Disney fan, and wanting to support a great cause, leave me a message and I’ll get you some more information.

Anyway, now that I have sufficiently harassed you with that, back to my holiday goings-on… It hasn’t all been uni anticipation, work, and movie organisation, I’ve also been able to sleep-in (YES), catch-up with family and friends long-lost to the perils of exam block, and even managed to see a band or two. And what about the reckless partying engaged in by newly-finished uni students everywhere? You may wonder. Well, I’m not much of a drinker but I certainly know how to partayy… As you can see below…

Being pretty hard-core late one night drinking chamomile tea whilst watching a ‘gig’ (as they call it) at the local pub.

I didn’t reallyyy let loose however, until after the 26^th of November, when I received a certain email, and later, a certain letter, which looked something like this –

Drum roll…

The week following  the 23^rd of November was an eventful one – I received my semester two results, my official academic transcript, a letter saying I was a graduate of USQ (you may now call me ‘Georgena BSc’), and a letter offering me a place in honours next year. I’m SO excited for what the year ahead will hold, and though I’m told it’ll be one of the toughest of my academic life, I’m just grateful that I’ve been given the chance to take a crack at it.

No more wishin’, waitin’, or hopin’ for me – BRING ON 2013!!

My Summer Job

“The only source of knowledge is experience”

Albert Einstein

With the completion of semester two marking and three full years of university study completed, I was now well over half-way through my double-degree program. As the end of my studies was drawing increasingly closer, I have been searching for opportunities to gain practical experience to support the topics and theories discussed in my courses from semesters past.

Unfortunately, the hard part about trying to find a job/intern position in particular industries, is the fact that most employers desire an employee with industry experience. As a student, we are often faced with the age-old dilemma (as pictured below) to get a job we need experience, but to gain experience, we need a job.

To find a resolution to this dilemma, I contacted a Career Learning Consultant on-campus to see if there were any industry experience or volunteer opportunities available during the summer break. From there I was told of a wonderful opportunity to attain practical experience for my marketing studies, through the business component of my program through enrolling in a work integrated learning course.

Work integrated learning is an opportunity to experience applied aspects of working in a particular industry related to a student’s area of study – enhancing learning through the application of concepts, theories and graduate skills to their set workplace activities. Additionally, the benefit of taking this course lies in the fact that the industry experience imparted through this program will also enhance employment opportunities beyond graduation.

So why should students take up work integrated learning during their university studies? Here are the top five reasons why:

1.  Industry contacts

Networking is a great way to help attain a graduate position after completing university studies. Through undertaking work integrated learning, students work in collaboration with real-world businesses and organisations – granting students regular contact with industry leaders and individuals, with a wealth of experience in their particular field. Through establishing positive contacts with these individuals, there is potential for future employment opportunities with the industry leaders or their organisation for students in their graduate years.

2. Your experience looks good on your resume

Ultimately, employers looking to hire university graduates often look toward the student’s experiences beyond their university study in finding a suitable employee. For this reason, a first-hand experience in the industry has the potential to give a student the upper hand in applying for graduate positions in competing for positions with other university graduates state-wide (and sometimes even nation-wide!).

3.Apply your academic knowledge to industry skills

This is the essence of work integrated learning. By providing an opportunity for students to collaborate with real-world organisations to showcase and apply their acquired knowledge, students are able to experience and practice first-hand the relevance of their studies within their prospective industry.

4. The experience will allow you to narrow down your list of potential career.

Work integrated learning allows students to have a taste of the kind of work, duties and responsibilities required of an individual in a particular industry. Through this, students will have a greater understanding of the industry they are placed in and will therefore be better able to make a judgement on whether they would enjoy a career in their particular industry.

5. Unforgettable life experience

In light of the quote by Albert Einstein above, every experience is an opportunity to expand your knowledge and is therefore another reason why work integrated learning is valuable to the student’s learning.

I am now five weeks into my marketing placement where I am working alongside an advertising agency, putting my knowledge into practice in assisting to deliver particular branding materials to specific organisations – including making taglines, creating content for websites and presenting the agencies vision on how promotions should be targeted and coordinated.

I am very appreciative for this opportunity and cannot wait to see what further experiences it may offer.

Holidays, where are you?

This is it. This is the last holidays I have to relax before I enter into my final year of uni – officially received my results and passed everything. YAY! While I love living on College, it feels so good to come home and not have to worry about uni work or being woken at 3am when someone comes home from the club. There are some days though where I don’t feel as though I’m on holidays. With work, my little brother graduating grade 12, trying to keep my boyfriend occupied and Christmas just around the corner, these holidays feel jam-packed– and it’s only just beginning!

My Parents, Alex, and his lovely grad partner, Kathrine, ready for graduation!

The day after I arrived in Townsville I began work as a Christmas Casual in Townsville’s newly renovated shopping centre; which seems to steal all my money. I traded in my study brain for a… working one? With the shopping centre already so packed a month away from Christmas, I have decided I should attempt to start my Christmas shopping early. Hopefully I can avoid the pre-Christmas freak-out and the dreaded car-park hunt.

With my parents living it up in New Zealand, I have been elected the official Christmas interior decorator while they’re away and I take this role very seriously. I love Christmas. I think my family is feeling the festive season early this year with Mum making an army of Christmas Snowmen and my brother’s also getting a jump on Christmas presents. It’s great to have everyone together to celebrate over a lunch filled with seafood and tropical fruits. I love receiving presents, and more importantly (cough cough) giving presents. I think there’s something about Christmas that brings peace of mind after several months of going crazy trying to find the perfect present.

Christmas shopping is going well and Mum’s little army of Snowmen gather around the Concannon Snowman, ready for a busy month ahead

So in-between helping my little brother organise himself for his graduation, working, Christmas shopping, watching the cricket and occasionally having a quiet day on my days off work,  I ventured out and went to watch a Crocs game. Unfortunately, this became their TENTH loss this season… out of 10 games! Being so busy, I have slowly gotten around to catching up with friends. With some friends still finishing exams and others working, it’s sometimes hard to find a time that suits everyone. Thankfully I’m home for three months.

When will the Crocs get their first win?!

Overall, being at home is a time to relax. It’s important to take time out to recharge before tackling the study workload again. Family are the most important thing and I think now that I live so far away that’s become more evident. It’s important to spend as much time as you can together because you never know when they’ll ditch you for New Zealand.

Merry Christmas!

My Learning Journey

Well, it’s over. The first year of my degree is over. With the end of the year coming up, what better way to reflect upon my journey so far than to share it with you….

The year just gone is my 13^th year of education, in my 18 years of life. That’s over two-thirds of my life spent learning about the world, life and topics in which I am interested. It’s thousands of dollars of uniforms and stationary…it’s hundreds of teachers, lecturers and tutors…and countless quizzes, assignments and exams. I’m pretty lucky, aren’t I? According to an American study, only 6.7% of the world’s population have undertaken tertiary education, and I will become one of them. I know it’s easy to say this now since exams are over and there are no assignments to make me rethink being my decision to go to uni, but I am grateful that I am able to become part of the 6.7% of the world’s population that hung in there.

In my reflections, I asked myself what I had learnt this year (and I urge you to do the same). In my subjects this year, I have learnt everything from how to evaluate shares on the stock market, to the history of the radio. I have learnt the basics of contract law, and how to manage conflicts in the workplace. I have learnt what makes a consumer purchase a product, or how to mathematically test a hypothesis. I have been given the opportunity to understand the world a little better, in more areas than I had ever imagined. I am sure for everyone reading, whether you are at university or not, you have also learnt something this year. You may have learnt a new trick on your skateboard; you may have learnt a new song on the guitar; you may have learnt about the solar system; or you may have learnt how to read. No matter how young or old, we are all learning. I guess university is just a formal way to learn about the things you like.

During holiday time, I always try to have a bit of ‘r and r’ – reflecting and resolving. I have already done the reflecting part…so it’s time for some resolutions! When I began thinking about making some resolutions for 2013, I starting along the lines of, “I am going to begin all of my assignments as soon as I get them” and “I am not going out on the weekend if I am not up-to-date with all of my study”. (But I guess, to stick to resolutions, they have to be realistic). So instead I have come up with the following resolutions for 2013 in relation to my studies:

1. Be grateful to learn – it’s not a right, it’s an opportunity.

It is easy to get bogged down in study, and only see it as a chore that must be done. In 2013, I want to look at every assignment as an opportunity to learn and develop skills.

2. Share my own knowledge or experiences with someone who needs a helping hand.

When I look back and think about all those people who had given me advice about exams or study tips, I found that information invaluable. I want to pass on my tips and experiences to others, in the hope that it makes their journey a little easier too.

3. Take time to thank those people who, each day, help me achieve my dream

It’s simple: I admit to being ‘outwardly stressed’ (see picture below). So it’s time to say, “Sorry” and “Thank-you” to those who took the punches when times were tough.

Well, I think these resolutions are a bit more achievable… and a bit more rewarding. With a new year on the horizon, it’s a great time for everyone to have a bit of ‘r and r’. For everyone who has been lucky enough to undertake education this year: be grateful. For those who have experienced the joys of life: share these joys. For those who have been given a gift, talent or skill: use this to help those who are less fortunate than yourself.

This year, 2012, has made me realise that education is a gift, an opportunity and an honour.  So let’s celebrate our fortunes! May everyone have a safe and happy holiday (or an enjoyable third semester of study) and from the team of USQ bloggers: thank-you for your support and you will hear from us in 2013!

What is your long-term goal?

I have one exam and one assignment to go. That is it. In one week, I will have finished my four year degree.

I was asked recently, ‘what is your long-term goal?’. For once in my life, I was actually speechless.

My ‘long-term’ (at least it had seemed long term) goal had consisted of working hard at uni, achieving the best GPA possible, finishing my degree and then passionately teaching maths and/ or art to high school kids somewhere.

However, when I was asked the question recently, I realised that the once seemingly massive task of completing my degree was almost complete. I had focused so much energy into doing well in exams, assignments, pracs and internships that somewhere along the way, I forgot that this was all leading somewhere.

I began thinking back to the reasons I began the degree in the first place. There are many reasons, but a few pivotal moments stand out.

When I was in middle primary school, I was truly over-excited about learning. I would come home, quickly open my homework sheet, complete it, parade around with it in front of my parents and then set about creating a ‘homework’ sheet for my younger sister to complete. I loved teaching her new things. Though I had waited a few years after high school to begin formal study, I think that becoming a teacher was predetermined.

This passion for teaching and sharing what I knew continued throughout my life. It was then extended through travel, where I realised my passion for teaching overseas as well as helping those who are less fortunate.

The passion still exists. The degree has almost been attained. So, where do I see myself in 2, 5, 10, 20 years? What will be in store for the Rickard’s, long-term?

I think the answer here is teaching internationally and participating in long-term volunteer/ charity projects within the country. Ideally, of course.

How has USQ assisted with this? I have attained (almost) an internationally recognised degree from a university which is highly regarded throughout the world for its Education program. It is because of USQ’s connections with partner-schools around the world that I was given the opportunity to teach in Thailand, as one of my pracs. I have been given great guidance from lecturers, have met a wonderful bunch of like-minded friends and have found my inner-confidence.

The journey has been challenging. This is felt most during exam block, the current time of this semester. However, I think it is important to be reminded that this is a road which is leading somewhere – to a realisation of your hopes and dreams, the achievement of a goal in which you have chosen.

For me, it is with an excited heart that I reveal the new chapter in which I am about to begin, thanks to my journey here…

I have secured a mathematics teaching position in Bangkok, Thailand!

Thank you for sharing the latter part of my journey with me through my blogs. All the best.

The Final Battle: Exam Block

Here it is… exam block… The two-week finale where students university-wide are able to demonstrate the fruits of what they have learned throughout the semester.

For a student, this is the equivalent of the final battle before the end of the movie – the epic fight between Harry Potter and the dark lord Voldemort, the showdown between Spiderman and the Green Goblin, the battle of the Morannon in Lord of the Rings…. See where am I going with this?

When it comes to this time in the semester, stress can be sky high and motivation to study can be at an all-time low. However, this can be overcome with prior preparation and by having the right support networks in place. To avoid the exam block ‘SOS,’ USQ’s student services provide timetables and stress-management fact-sheets to assist and help manage students to over-come exam block anxieties.

It’s brilliant to know you’re supported, especially in this time of the semester. In addition to the fantastic student services support, USQ provide several means for students to get help – whether you study on-campus or via distance education.

One thing I have come to understand through my three years of university study is that each student has their very own unique and individual methods of preparation for exam block. Despite my endless search for the perfect methods of exam study, I have found the following three exam-stress tips provided by the USQ student guild extremely useful in my exam preparation:

1. Develop effective study habits: Establish a study area, find out as many details as you can about the exam, prior to exam block, and use past exam papers to aid in your preparation. The use of to-do lists and study time-tables are beneficial in planning revision in the lead up to exams. Forming study groups may also be an effective way to collaboratively prepare for an exam.
2. Keep a routine outside of study: Remember to take regular breaks, eat healthy and drink plenty of water. Despite time being of the essence, students need to maintain a regular sleeping pattern and make time for exercise.
3. Manage your expectations: Most of all, put your exam into context, be happy with your achievements and know what you are capable of – just like the W. Clement Stone quote, “always aim for the moon, for if you miss, you’ll land amongst the stars.”

With the light at the end of the tunnel quickly approaching, I wish all students the very best in their exams this semester. For all those reading this post who want to know how I best prepare for my exam block, this video will pretty much cover it (and provide some laughs along the way).

Study Hard, and enjoy the summer break!

Jordan