blasonduo's schooling to school!

[blasonduo]

Hello, who are you and why are you here?
 
Hello! blasonduo reporting in, trying out this whole journal business!

I will be studying a bachelor of science, majoring in physics and a bachelor of education at UNSW which will last for 4 years with ~80 days of teacher fieldwork (there will be heaps of updates when this occurs), my timetable is as follows:

Spoiler

With about 2 hours 40 minutes on public transport a day, I’m very happy that I got that day off (Wednesday will be fun), can’t wait to be just sick of travelling

So, why teaching?

This wasn’t my original dream job, it used to be neuroscience, however, I felt like this was more of a hobby, and it wasn’t until years 11 and year 12 that I realised how much of an impact my teachers had on my wellbeing. They also gave me some really valuable life lessons. This is what really inspired me, I wanted to be an individual that lights up the lives of younger people, to inspire and to mentor. (I also don’t mind the paperwork that comes along with it )

But, why physics?

I have always been a science nerd, it was always the science classes that opened me up to a whole new world of thinking and testing, it made me so curious. I chose physics because there is normally a stereotype that physics is hard and boring, I kinda want to break this and introduce a world of how things work, I want them to develop a sense of wonder and amazement to the world around them. Also, I have this weird passion for physics, and feel like this passion can go a long way, in my teaching and towards the students.

Cool, but why UNSW?

You ask a lot of questions, don’t you? I really could have gone to a closer uni, and the distance to UNSW did throw me off a bit, but our school participated in a lot of UNSW related activities (such as excursions to the disease museum twice and UNSW science tests.) The fact that it was a very high-tier uni also helped, but what really convinced me was the vibe, UNSW also has this really positive vibe, and it has stuck with me since. (it also looks cool)

Any other information?

I am quite unsure about how often I will post, but I’ll make sure to post once every fortnight, so that should be long enough for me to have actual information and not be boring, but not too long to think I’ve stopped “journalling”.

Also, I really want to post animals I come across over my adventures in my posts (hopefully it isn’t just ibises the whole time), hopefully, I’ll have 1-2 pictures, I’m doing this to be more aware of my surroundings, and to appreciate what is there.

Also also, I have recently realised that I keep thinking of questions, not really related to anything, but just think, why does this happen? Why is this a thing? What's the use of this? And well, I just forget. I want to know, so to help myself in not forgetting, I shall post 2-3 of these questions in every journal post, and if anyone can answer, that would be awesome, I do want some community interaction in here too, so that's a bonus (if no one knows, or I get no responses, all good, I’ll google them, I just thought it would be cool to ask here first)

Also also also, Shoutout to katie,rinos and her journal Here. This journey will be very similar to hers (but vastly different), so if you want a whole different perspective on things, I really recommend checking hers out! (well, go check all the journals out!)

[Joseph41]

Nothing too much to say except: radical! Glad you've joined the trend.

[RuiAce]

You sir, have a great taste with which uni.

Here's a question for you though - How do you plan to adjust to physics suddenly become more mathematically intense?

[blasonduo]

You sir, have a great taste with which uni.

Here's a question for you though - How do you plan to adjust to physics suddenly become more mathematically intense?

I've looked at the new physics HSC syllabus, and I'm glad they have gone more mathematical too! The jump used to be insane!
How will I cope with it? I probably won't and end up crying in a corner and probably be on my knees begging for your help, oh wonderful rui

[Yertle the Turtle]

Great start to your journal, it's been good to see you round the forums, so keep it up. I'm glad you chose Physics, it's a personal favourite which I really love. Good luck for your continuing journal!

[fantasticbeasts3]

hey hey, welcome to the journal squad! super excited to read your updates :-)

[katie,rinos]

Really excited to read your journal!! Keen for your next posts!

[beatroot]

Yeessssss finalllyyyy!!!! Here’s a huge warm welcome to the uni journey journal board and I’m keen for your future updates blasonduo

[Aaron]

Love it.

bachelor of education at UNSW which will last for 4 years with ~80 days of teacher fieldwork

Have fun Best part of any teaching degree. Network, learn and get involved as much as you can... sometimes you can end up with a job offer at the end which was pretty close to what happened to me.

As somebody who now deals with student teachers (don't forget.. I was one myself very recently), one who doesn't do much and does the bare minimum/doesn't interact doesn't make a good impression! Go and see teachers teach in other disciplines which aren't your own. It's amazing to see how different teachers teach different subjects. Like for me personally, I wouldn't say i'm the same in IT as I am in Maths. They are separate disciplines and as such, I have to act differently and run things differently.

With your notes when you observe classes, take note of what is working well and what isn't. Ask the teacher when the class is over why they did something in a certain way.. you'll find that there is always a reason why things are being done in a specific way. However there is a certain way of doing it, you just have to make sure how you ask doesn't come across as an insult or critiquing (negatively) their teaching practice...  i just realised i've given you a spiel, you can really tell i've embraced the teacher persona already

As always i'm available if you need it Good luck

[blasonduo]

Love it.

With your notes when you observe classes, take note of what is working well and what isn't. Ask the teacher when the class is over why they did something in a certain way.. you'll find that there is always a reason why things are being done in a specific way. However there is a certain way of doing it, you just have to make sure how you ask doesn't come across as an insult or critiquing (negatively) their teaching practice... 

As always i'm available if you need it Good luck

Thank you! <3 I will use the time in the fieldwork as efficiently as I can. ^_^ I can't wait to get started!

Thank you for continuing advice, it is so precious to me!

Thanks, next year I'll especially be asking for your guidance

[Potatohater]

Even just reading you write about physics is making me feel inspired - even though physics and maths have usually been portrayed as ugly in my teenage mind, as with many. Really keen to see this journal flourish 

[blasonduo]

Entry #

Whew! What a hectic couple of weeks! O-week started out with a bang with a good ol’ AN meetup, with the wonderful Rui as our leader. With this being the first proper time being on campus, and with so many people there, it was quite overwhelming and took a while to take in; this was my home for the next 4 years.

That day was spent soaking up the uni, the areas and people that it consisted of, whether it was finding lecture halls or social clubs that would give you free stuff just for writing down your name. With the AN crew, this was very calming and reassuring. Even though we all basically had no clue what was happening, we were brought together by this, and it felt like a little family. Thanks, guys!

Wednesday consisted of the day of whole new people and friends, meeting new faces and trying to understand independently what I need to be doing day by day. Starting off with Peer-mentoring, I was introduced to a small group of people, not really sharing the subjects, but sharing the same new experience, and it was this that allowed me to slowly relax into this new uni life.

Later that day was the international night markets, where at the time, oblivious to the fact that I would meet two unique and very special people to whom I’d be sharing classes with for the semester. Although I only ate 1 kebab, I met a large number of new people, and for me, this is a huge accomplishment, something about that day scared me to the core, but I felt so alive and accomplished walking away from it.

Then came next week, and boy did it hit hard. The lectures themselves were exactly as I expected, but the contrast between my lectures are unbelievable. On one side I have physics and maths where I am just writing notes and making sure I don’t fall behind (especially in maths) and lowkey panicking about the like 15 individual assessments they have over the semester and how the tutes are something that I don’t want to miss.

On the other side, there is the EDST lectures/tutes where everything is really going quite slow, and to be honest, the content (so far) has not been too great. Half of one of my tutes was discussing to the person next to me the similarities and differences we had between us; it really feels like a bludge. Don't get me wrong, I'll 100% be learning in these courses, I'm just not sure if it'll be 13 weeks of learning.

Now, travel times. Looking forward to the next 4 years with 2.5 hours travelling to and from uni each day. From my experience right now, it's actually not too bad when you are able to get a seat and its relatively quiet, I am able to pull out my laptop and get quite a bit of work done, and the travel time does not feel that long, it’s just when it is absolutely packed and you are forced to stand, it feels like forever, and you get no work done, very tedious.

Oh woah, this is quite long already, this is probably very rambly and I hope it makes sense, and I’m quite curious if this is actually interesting to anyone reading this and if so...

See you in 2 weeks time!

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Here are the obligatory pictures of the 2 animals I came across during my journey in Uni:

A dog!

A lizard!

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My 3 fortnightly questions that popped into my head:

Why do we only hear cicadas during the heat?

How do aeroplanes draw in the sky?

Why are floors tiled like this? Is it just aesthetic or is there a purpose?

the floor

[Potatohater]

Oh woah, this is quite long already, this is probably very rambly and I hope it makes sense, and I’m quite curious if this is actually interesting to anyone reading this and if so...

My thoughts exactly whenever I post in my journal. Don't worry though, I found it really engaging 

Also I totally feel ya about the train. I've been taking work with me to do on the way to and from O-week and have barely been able to touch it because the train has been so packed, but occasionally you get that little bit of bliss on the emptier trains which is great, you barely even notice the hour + pass.

Tay edit: typos (looks like this is something that will continuously pop up if I start and continue disclosing it....)

[blasonduo]

Entry #


Woah, 2 weeks already? Boy does time fly.

Finally, I’m getting into the swing of things, I understand how my assessments/online tests and labs work, and when to do them on a weekly basis, I finally feel like I’m not walking blind, and I no longer fear that I have forgotten anything. (I do owe a lot of this to the big ass uniplanner stuck to the back of my door. )

Physics, boy is this one fun and realllllly enjoyable. The content is only a minor step up from HSC physics as of currently, but the new stuff is fascinating! My current overall mark is 5.91/6.01 (out of the possible 100 so far) so I’m going strong! The lecturer (with a great German accent ) has found out what teenagers find funny (such as “dark humour”) and integrates them into the lecture, such as a cat jumping off a building to demonstrate terminal velocity, or analysing an event which killed several and calling it “a fun day out”, but as a cohort, we are really starting to relax into uni life.

Meanwhile education studies are really major inconveniences in this semester, they don’t really challenge me in any real way……… until the assessments draw close (which is now) and as someone who never really enjoyed humanity subjects in school (and hence only did English) I do not enjoy the assignments, and I really fear a low mark. I shall spend most of this day working on my first written assignment due next week :/ .

What is great is the fact that we are all really starting to relax with each other, and this is what really makes the education studies blossom; the tutorials. The table on which I sit at has really formed this niche group and we are now able to communicate effectively to each other share the common interests and goals, make jokes and really have a blast during the hour, which is very contrasted to week 1, where we all just sat there awkwardly.

Similarly, my lab partner for physics has been phenomenal, we’ve been really relaxed together, even though what we are doing is being assessed, we are able to share ideas and work super effectively, as well as having a nice chat with it . I kinda wish other subjects did this too, it introduces me to familiar faces, and makes me feel more significant in uni, and that I’m not just going through the system. However, I do understand that this is difficult for some subjects. For example, maths doesn’t really have any moments where I am able to interact with other students because the whole time is learning, and not really a course for class discussion.

What are you terrified of in the next 2 weeks I hear you ask? Well……. The 2 written assignments for EDST due in 5 days and 14 days and instead of working on it now, I’ve delayed them until I finish this entry, I’ll start working on them now… I still struggle to figure out how to break down the assignment and to actually do well in them… and so I guess I’ll leave you with the worst cliffhanger ever…. Will I ever figure these 2 assignments out and finish them well, or will I buckle under the pressure? FIND OUT NEXT TIME (wow that was bad sorry)

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Here are the obligatory pictures of the 2 animals I came across during my journey in Uni: (well there's only 1, but I am getting better camera, so I can actually take a photo more than 5m away, so here's one of my cats!)

birds!

A cat

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My 2 fortnightly questions that popped into my head: (also I never actually got around to answering my questions because just there hasn't been enough time in the day, and I don't want to procrastinate more than AN so during the break, I'll find them out, and post them here ^_^

Why do buses drip? (this may sound weird, but something I've noticed when a bus leaves, it almost always leaves a slight trail of... something...)

Why do wet dogs stink? (whereas cats don't)

[zofromuxo]

Why do buses drip? (this may sound weird, but something I've noticed when a bus leaves, it almost always leaves a slight trail of... something...)

Many things... it could be water, oil, gasoline, brake fluid, automatic transmission fluid to even power steering fluid. But i'm interested on what you come up with.