Never Give Up - a university journey journal

[KatherineGale]

Just a brief update today.

My placement is back on! I start this Monday and it goes for two weeks. I'm nervous and excited. Really interested to see how a telehealth placement works. But the agency is all about rural healthcare for children, so it's right up my alley. A bit nervous in regards to how I'm going to cope health wise, but it is what it is.

I don't know if I'm going to have much time to update for the next two weeks, but I'll see how I go.

I did get another result back:

HPS202 Child & Adolescent Development:
AT1 Annotated Bibliography [30%]: 71/100=21.30/30.00=71%
This brought my average for this unit to 70.79

So, I scraped through with a distinction. I'm both disappointed and relieved. Disappointed because I really wanted to do much better, and relieved because I thought I had done much worse. I knew where I had gone wrong when writing it, but I wasn't well at the time and didn't have time to fix it, so that's really frustrating.

I'm more disappointed that I wasn't able to improve my unit average for HPS202 by much. +0.79 isn't much lol, but it didn't go down, so that's something! It's just going to take a lot more to bring it up to a HD average.  As long as I don't drop below a D (which I am dangerously close to doing), I think I will be okay with it.

HPS202 is the first unit that will count towards my 3yr GPA for med, so I was really wanting to get HD to take a bit of the pressure off going forward. In the long run, I can make up for it - but it would've been great to not have to.  Either way, it'll work out (fingers crossed  ).

As I said, I might not be able to post for a little bit, but I'll talk to you guys next time!


[oops! guess this wasn't too brief  ]

[KatherineGale]

Placement:

So... I survived my first placement! Just, lol

I think I was very lucky with this placement. As it was with a smaller business, I got to have videoconferences with most of the staff. They were all amazing and lovely. I attended a number of client meetings, which was awesome. I also completed a number of tasks centered around creating resources, including a number of joint brainstorming sessions. It was an unbelievable experience. It's actually making me seriously consider working in telehealth in the future. I really enjoyed it and felt as though that suited my lifestyle.

My supervisor in particular was amazing. She was really interested in helping me develop my skills further. I didn't really expect that. I mean, I know they are meant to help us do that, but I feel like she went out of her way a lot of the time, which I appreciated.

I'm a little concerned that because this placement experience was so great, that I might be a little disappointed in future placements, but fingers crossed they are also awesome too.

That being said, I certainly felt the drain of it on my health. I did everything I could to keep up with it, but I struggled a lot. There were times that I didn't think I'd even make it through it. It sounds silly - it wasn't as though I had to factor in travel or even just walking around like I would have if my placement hadn't been through telehealth. It's certainly reiterated for me that I'm just not at the stage with my health to be doing anything full time right now. I think it's going to take a bit to recover from this placement, but I'll get there.

In saying that though, I also surprised myself with how well I coped with it considering. I mean, I got through it. A full-time two week placement! A year and a half ago that would have been simply impossible for me. Hopefully in another years time, full time uni is something that will be possible. That would be amazing, a complete game changer for me.

Anyway, because one of my placement days fell on a public holiday, I get to do another day in a couple of weeks. So that's exciting.


Moving:

So, it is looking as though I will be moving back to campus in a couple of weeks. I have been humming and har-ing for a little bit now of whether it's worth it. At the end of the day, I don't really see that I have much choice.

From what I can tell, all classes are remaining online. Most seminars are also remaining online. And some practicals will be on campus. I do have practicals for one unit, so that is something I'll need to go in for. Just based off that, I'd just stay living where I am - it's cheaper and travelling to deakin a couple of times should be alright. Deakin have also said that for people who don't have classes, you can opt out without issue.

However, there is no guarantee for trimester 2 if I choose not to take accommodation in trimester 1. If I opt out, and trimester 2 is back on campus, I'll have to defer because I won't be able to travel that much - and I definitely want to avoid that.

It's a bit of a tricky one. I'll probably just end up on campus to be honest.


Conclusion:

Still lots of assessments to do. Exam is coming up soon. Need to pack to move. busy, busy haha. Until next time...

[KatherineGale]

Hello again! It's been a little while. A lots been happening.

I did mean to update earlier but things have been super busy. I tried about a week and a half ago to update, but after I'd written everything out, it had autologged out and I lost everything lol

Regardless, today is the first day since then that I've had a moment of spare time. I've decided to better incorporate headings into these to give it some tiny form of structure haha.

WARNING: LONG UPDATE AHEAD 

T3 2020 is over
I finished up with T3! Finally, haha 

I feel as though during T3 I finally found my bearings with uni - the pace, the workload, the intensity, what's expected of me in assessments. I'm actually really excited to head into my second year with these newfound skills in place. I'm also excited to build upon these more. Deakin has amazing resources and I'm definitely going to take the time to utilise these far more. I feel as though for me that is how I'm going to move from a D to HD average.

Overall, I felt as though I actually got to enjoy my units more this trimester than I had in T1 and T2. Even though I was stressed about my GPA unit (HPS202) results at times, at the end of the day this year was vital to building skills that will enable me to reach the better scores in the next few years.

Moving
I moved back into Deakin accommodation yesterday! I also feel as though having a quiet space to study is going to really help shift my scores up a level.

I love my new space. It's bigger than the last studio aparment and has more light, which is awesome. This is going to sound weird, but it's also oriented differently from the last one (same set up, just flipped so everything is on opposite side) and for some reason it feels better because of that? 

I'm in Geelong now instead of Waurn Ponds and it's so strange to hear traffic right outside lol. I've never lived close to a city, let alone in one. I think it will take some time to adjust to, but I don't mind it too much.

I've also never lived off the first floor haha, so that's a new experience for me too! I am so boring lmao

I'm still getting settled in. I found the moving in process a lot easier this time round.

1 - it was less busy as it was only returning students moving back in and we had set check in times due to covid restrictions

2 - I haven't brought everything with me in one trip (mum will be dropping off the rest of my stuff over the next few weeks)

I didn't end up getting movers. I got a few quotes and due to the distance they would need to travel it came to over a grand. I mean, I expected it to be high, but I didn't think I could justify $1000+.

Instead, I filled up my two suitcases and just brought those with me. I emptied them and my mum will go back and pack them with more stuff that she can then drop off for me to wheel in. The suitcases work because there's minimal strain on my back which equals less back pain thankfully. I had packed everything into boxes ready for the movers before I got the quotes, so it's fairly easy for my mum to empty the boxes into the suitcases. (Thanks mum lol)


T3 Unit Results
Results are due to be released in a little while. I've gotten back all my results other than my exam result, so I'll list these down below.

HPS202 Child & Adolescent Development

AT1 Annotated Bibliography (30%):

Spoiler

Score:71.00/100.00
Percentage:71.00%
Weighting21.30/30.00

AT2 Policy Brief (50%):

Spoiler

Score:85.00/100.00
Percentage:85.00%
Weighting: 42.50/50.00

AT3 Quiz 1 (4%):

Spoiler

Score: 15.00/15.00
Percentage: 100.00%
Weighting: 04.00/04.00

AT3 Quiz 2 (4%):

Spoiler

Score: 06.00/15.00
Percentage: 40.00%
Weighting: 01.60/04.00

AT3 Quiz 3 (4%):

Spoiler

Score: 09.00/15.00
Percentage: 60.00%
Weighting: 02.40/04.00

AT3 Quiz 4(4%):

Spoiler

Score: 10.00/15.00
Percentage: 66.67%
Weighting: 02.67/04.00

AT3 Quiz 5 (4%):

Spoiler

Score: 09.00/15.00
Percentage: 60.00%
Weighting: 02.40/04.00

HPS202 Estimated Unit Average:

Spoiler

76.87

HSE208 Integrated Human Physiology

AT1 Practical 1 (5%)

Spoiler

Score: 19.50/20.00
Percentage:97.50%
Weighting: 04.88/05.00

AT1 Practical 2 (10%)

Spoiler

Score: 23.00/28.00
Percentage: 82.14%
Weighting: 08.21/10.00

AT1 Practical 3 (10%)

Spoiler

Score: 23.00/30.00
Percentage: 76.67%
Weighting: 07.67/10.00

AT1 Practical 4 (10%)

Spoiler

Score: 48.00/60.00
Percentage: 80.00%
Weighting: 08.00/10.00

AT1 Practical 5 (15%)

Spoiler

Score: 77.00/100.00
Percentage: 77.00%
Weighting: 11.55/15.00

AT2 Quiz 1 (4%)

Spoiler

Score: 04.00/04.00
Percentage: 100.00%
Weighting: 04.00/04.00

AT2 Quiz 2 (6%)

Spoiler

Score: 03.00/06.00
Percentage: 50.00%
Weighting: 03.00/06.00

AT3 Exam (40%)

Spoiler

Score: Unknown
Percentage: Unknown
Weighting: Unknown

HSE208 Unit Average:

Spoiler

78.85 (not including exam result)

HBS107 Understanding Health

AT1 Career Report (25%):

Spoiler

Score: 25.00/25.00
Percentage: 100.00%
Weighting: 25.00/25.00

AT2 Health Plan Report (40%):

Spoiler

Score: 74.00/100.00
Percentage: 74.00%
Weighting: 29.60/40.00

AT3 Group Presentation (35%):

Spoiler

Score: 30.50/35.00
Percentage: 87.14%
Weighting: 30.50/35.00

HBS107 Estimated Unit Average:

Spoiler

85.10

Result Reflection:
Overall, I'm really pleased with my results for this trimester. I didn't do as well as I wanted to, but to be honest, even when I got 100% on the Career Report for HBS107, I still wasn't completely happy with what I submitted. So I'm just trying to make myself acknowledge that given everything, I have done pretty well.

Some assessment I have to admit, I have no clue how I ended up with that mark. Of note, HPS202 AT2 - I was expected to barely get a pass and I ended up with a HD?  I completed it at 4am and didn't proofread it whatsoever. It was due the following day and I wouldn't have a chance to fix what I knew needed to be fixed as I had placement the following day. I was genuinely really bummed out for a few days about not getting to put my all into the assessment. Don't know how on earth that ended up with a HD but hey, I'm not complaining! 

HPS202 is my first unit to count towards my GPA for med, so I really needed a minimum of a D average to be on track (though a HD would be better). My quizzes were pretty crappy (they tested us on stuff they hadn't actually provided in the material, so it was hard to know what to learn to prepare for it) and I knew I needed a good AT2 score to get an overall score of D.

Fingers crossed my estimates are correct and I'll end up with a D for HPS202.


T1 2021 Units
My units for T1 this year are as follows:

HSO202 Impact of Health Conditions on Occupational Performance

HSO205 Occupations in Childhood Development

HSO207 Neurological Structure, Function & Plasticity

I will update you guys more on this next week when units open for O week and I get my timetable back.


END NOTE
The more I learn about my course, the more glad I am that I am using atarnotes to reflect upon my experiences. In OT, reflection is a incredibly useful tool and skill. This is helping me build upon that, so I'm really pleased I bit the bullet and made this (even though I was really unsure about doing so).

So thanks guys for reading my long winded babbling nonsense.

[Coolmate]

- snip -

Hey KatherineGale!

Congratulations on these marks and this year's units look very interesting, like HSO207

Looking forward to the next update
Coolmate

[KatherineGale]

Hey KatherineGale!

Congratulations on these marks and this year's units look very interesting, like HSO207

Looking forward to the next update
Coolmate

Thanks for the reply, Coolmate!

Unit sites opened yesterday, so I'm currently combing through those. I'll update soon with some more information about the units  I'm just trying to collate all my unit information into a few tables that are easy reference points.

[KatherineGale]

Update time!

I'm hoping to keep this update fairly short, but we'll see lol (you guys know how I ramble endlessly).

I guess I'll just give a break down of my units this trimester. They are all OT specific units, so it will be really interesting to narrow my scope of study and bring everything back to OT, which I assume these units will begin to work us through.


HSO202 Impact of Health Conditions on Occupational Performance

Unit Link:
https://www.deakin.edu.au/current-students-courses/unit-search.php?year=2021&entunit=hso202&entkeyword=

Unit Summary:

Spoiler

From my understanding, we are going to learn about a number of conditions and then use case studies to understand how these conditions can impact a persons ability to complete meaningful occupations. We have touched on the OT science topic of occupational performance in the past, so it's going to be great to apply what we've learned to actual scenarios. I believe this unit gives us a better foundation for clinical reasoning - basically how we justify every single thing we do as OT's

Unit Timetable:

Spoiler

Class: Monday @11:00am-01:00pm (online, except for W3, 5, & 10 when it is on campus)

Unit Assessments:

Spoiler

AT1 Case Study [35%]
AT2 Exam [35%]
AT3 Written Case Report Test [35%]
AT4 SPEF-R2
*AT3 & AT4 are in relation to a 1 week simulated placement at the end of the trimester.

My thoughts:

Spoiler

From what I've seen, I'm going to really enjoy this unit. I have experimented with note taking all last year, but for this unit, I'm going to do things a bit differently. I plan on creating powerpoint presentations with all the main points that I've interpreted as though I need to give a presentation on the topics. It will take more time, but it will really push me to understand the content, rather than just repeating what is written. I don't know if I will be able to keep it up throughout the trimester, but I'm certainly going to try.

I also feel as though it will be a great resource in the future - I'd like to create seperate powerpoint presentations on each of the conditions we cover. I want to really enjoy learning this year, as opposed to stressing because I haven't done notes that never helped me in the first place.

HSO205 Occupations in Childhood Development

Unit Link:
https://www.deakin.edu.au/courses-search/unit-search.php?hidCurrentYear=2021&hidYear=2021&hidType=&txtUnit=hso205&txtTitle=&txtKeyword=&selLevel=Select&selSemester=Select&selMode=Select&selLocation=Select&chkSortby=unit_cd&btnSubmit=

Unit Summary:

Spoiler

This unit is also pretty self-explanatory. We will be looking at how occupations develop as the children do. There is still fairly limited information about this unit right now, but it will lend on the other HSO202 regarding occupational performance. To my understanding, the PEOP model will also be very important throughout this unit, as we will be looking at the person (child), their environment, and their occupations.

Unit Timetable:

Spoiler

Class: Tuesday @10:00am-11:30am (online)
Seminar: Wednesday @11:00am-12:30pm (on-campus)

Unit Assessments:

Spoiler

AT1 Audio-Visual Presentation [25%]
AT2 Observational Based Case Study Report [35%]
AT3 Exam [40%]

My thoughts:

Spoiler

Again, I feel as though we're finally getting to apply some of the basic information we learned last year. I'm hoping that as I completed HPS202, I can better focus on the OT side of things rather than having to learn child development and then apply it.

HSO207 Neurological Structure, Function & Plasticity

Unit Link:
https://www.deakin.edu.au/courses-search/unit-search.php?hidCurrentYear=2021&hidYear=2021&hidType=&txtUnit=hso207&txtTitle=&txtKeyword=&selLevel=Select&selSemester=Select&selMode=Select&selLocation=Select&chkSortby=unit_cd&btnSubmit=

Unit Summary:

Spoiler

Whilst HSO202 focusses on common conditions, and HSO205 focusses on childhood development, HSO207 focusses on the nervous system and how occupations can be disrupted when the nervous system is not optimally functioning. Occupational performance is, once again, an important topic in this unit, however we'll also be looking at the effects on behaviour (this should be really interesting).  In this unit, case studies will again be utilised and from what I've seen, the goal is to further develop our OT perspective (such as how we would approach these conditions and their impact on occupations from a clinical perspective).

Unit Timetable:

Spoiler

Seminar: Wednesday @01:30pm-03:30pm (online, except for W3, 5 & 8 when it is on campus)

Unit Assessments:

Spoiler

AT1 Team Presentation [20%]
AT2 Written Case Report [30%]
AT3a Quizzes [1% x10]
AT3b Exam [40%]

My thoughts:

Spoiler

ooh, this is going to be a good unit. We've had a number of human physiology and anatomy units already, but now we get to focus in on nervous system conditions and link it with OT. Whilst I do always enjoy the OT aspects, the physiology and conditions are always something I particularly enjoy.

Overall Thoughts on Units:

I think I'm a bit spoiled this trimester. My units all look great. I'm so keen to get stuck into them.

I'm a bit disappointed that they all have exams, because with my health those are a type of assessment that I struggle with - sitting for a long period of time, neck bent forward, writing/typing for a long period of time, etc. (it just always ends up in a flare up). So, I never do particularly well in exams compared to my other results. Fingers crossed they are online again so I can have a heat pack during it. I'll just have to make sure my other marks are all up to par so I don't have to rely on my exam results.

Beyond that though, the assessments look fairly interesting. There seems to be a large focus on Case Studies, which I think is great. Case studies are incredibly easy to study with - throughout the trimester, I can write/find case studies and practice. It will be engaging and enjoyable, so studying that way will be better than just reading and having to remember something.

***

On another note, I get my Trimester 3 results tomorrow. I'm interested to see how close my estimates were. I do expect the HSE208 to drop (I don't think I did very well on the exam), but I'm mainly keeping my fingers crossed for HPS202.

I'll probably update sometime tomorrow with my results. Talk to you then!

(and, as predicted, this was not a short update lmao)

[KatherineGale]

I think this might be my 100th post  yay!

Sorry for the frequent posts. Is this the third this week?

So, I got my unit results for HSE208, HBS107 and HPS202. I'm pretty happy how close I got with my estimates (I can keep in mind for future that Deakin likely rounds the averages up or down).

As predicted, I really screwed up my HSE208 exam. It's disappointing, but it's given me motivation to develop better exam techniques. I'm even considering speaking with a Deakin advisor to talk more about how I can apply myself in exam conditions.

There seems to be a huge disconnect with how I perform in assessments and how I perform in exams, and I'm not sure exactly what that is. I don't get particularly stressed because its an "exam" and I understand the content.

I really wish I could see which questions I did well in and which I did not. I have a feeling that I do well in the first half of the exam, and then as I'm sitting and concentrating for longer, I begin to develop a flare up and then start to get things wrong. That's my current theory anyway.

I'm not quite sure how to solve this yet, particularly as I already have supports in place with Deakin for being able to take in a hot water bottle for my back and being able to stand up and stretch.

It's also difficult to practice for exams, because practice exams have the same impact on my back. I'm thinking that I could maybe spend time over this trimester developing a plan of attack/solid routine for in the exam. I want to figure out how often I need to stand up and move around in a, say, two hour period, that will reduce my chances of a flare up, and what other supports are the most helpful.

Anyway, onto my results!


HBS107 Understanding Health

Spoiler

Result: 85 High Distinction (pretty thrilled with this to be honest)

HSE208 Integrated Human Physiology

Spoiler

Result: 68 Credit (ouch, my first C)

HPS202 Child & Adolescent Development

Spoiler

Result: 77 Distinction (I'm pretty happy with this. Wish it were a HD, but surprised I did well enough to get a D)

I'll just summarise my 2020 units so that I can keep better track of them. I also finally got my HSO104 results from T2, so those are below as well.
*HPS202 is technically a 2021 unit


2020 Y1
Trimester 1:
HBS109

Spoiler

73D [1CP]

HDS101

Spoiler

72D [1CP]

HSO102

Spoiler

77D [1CP]

Trimester 2:
HSE102

Spoiler

82HD [1CP]

HBS110

Spoiler

78D [1CP]

HSO104

Spoiler

74D [1CP]

Trimester 3:
HSE208

Spoiler

68C [1CP]

HBS107

Spoiler

85HD [1CP]

2020 GPA:

Spoiler

6.1/7

2020 WAM:

Spoiler

76.125

2021 Y2
HPS202

Spoiler

77D [1CP]

2021 GPA (so far)

Spoiler

6/7

2021 WAM:

Spoiler

77

Key:

Spoiler

C=Credit
D=Distinction
HD=High Distinction
Y=Year
CP=Credit Point

According to Deakin's website, their medicine degree intake had an average GPA of 6.71  so I've still got a long way to go, but I'm much closer than I thought I would be for my first year, so that's really exciting.

Okay, time to get back to work. The extra 0.71 seems like a small gap, but it's going to take a lot of effort to make that jump (particularly as units will only become more difficult from here on out). Let's go 

[K888]

Congrats on the outstanding results! First year of uni is the hardest to adjust to and it can be hard adjusting from the results you got in HS to the results you now get in uni. I hope you're really proud of yourself, especially for doing your first year during a pandemic!
IMO I found I was more proud of my results in uni and felt like I had worked much harder for them, even though they were definitely lower than the grades I was getting in HS!

[KatherineGale]

Congrats on the outstanding results! First year of uni is the hardest to adjust to and it can be hard adjusting from the results you got in HS to the results you now get in uni. I hope you're really proud of yourself, especially for doing your first year during a pandemic!
IMO I found I was more proud of my results in uni and felt like I had worked much harder for them, even though they were definitely lower than the grades I was getting in HS!

Thanks K888!

It was certainly an adjustment from HS to uni! I agree; each point for assessments feels like it is worth more time and effort than marks from high school, so whilst it sucks to get lower scores it also feels so much more earned when you do well. Thank you for your kind words; I'm trying to get out of the perfectionist mindset and acknowledge when I've done well, so yes I am pretty proud of myself (ah it feels uncomfortable typing that  )

That being said, I'm enjoying the content of uni units far more than I enjoyed HS units. I didn't not like HS units, I just find uni so much more interesting because it has been (for the most part) topics I actually want to learn more about. My scores were definitely much lower and it was difficult not to take it to heart. But I have really focussed on trying to build it up - I'm getting there! In general (not mentioning HSE208 lol), my scores have increased. Slowly, but surely!

[KatherineGale]

Week 1 is coming to a close...*deep breath* *long exhale*

I'm looking at giving weekly updates at the end of each week reflecting back on the week that was. I'm hoping for Friday's to be update day, but we'll see if I can manage some consistency haha

I'd like to give these weekly updates a bit more structure than my typical update format. I'll divide everything up by unit/day(I tried to do it day by day, but I'd written bloody essay lol) and then babble at the bottom. If you guys haven't yet realised, I don't particularly filter these lol it's literally just my hands scribing my thought process 

*Warning* I have not proofread this and I am very tired


HSO202 Impact of Health Conditions on Occupational Performance
Seminar

Spoiler

This was my first seminar of the year. It was online and went for 2 hours.

As with most Week 1 classes/seminars, we went through a lot of introductory material - introductions, expectations, overview of unit, assessments, learning outcomes, etc.

Surprisingly, we also got stuck into a fair bit of actual content, which was great. We mainly went over topics covered last year in our OT units, including the PEOP model, occupations, SMART goals and clinical reasoning, and also learned more about occupational performance issues. It was actually good to have the refresher as we'll be using these heavily in this unit, and my other units this trimester.

The unit chair seems great, really approachable. He is also really engaging, which is awesome. I actually spoke with him previously, but I'll write about that a bit further down.

Module & Readings: Introduction

Spoiler

I've pretty much summarised the information we went through above. The readings were pretty basic, just reiterating the information in the module and seminar.

I did get a head start on the Week 2 module. I've done everything for this unit for week 2, except for the seminar and one of the textbook readings. That's making me feel in a pretty good position. I wish I could have worked further ahead just in case I get a flare up with my health, but unfortunately the unit chair only releases the modules a week before the seminar 

The Week 2 module was really interesting though - we looked at cardiac conditions and respiratory conditions. It was surprisingly fairly content heavy, but I almost didn't notice because I was enjoying it so much.

We covered the basic anatomy and physiology of both systems (we've looked at this previously so it was just a brief overview) and then looked at both systems together within the cardiopulmonary system. Then we dove right in and looked at coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction, and finally COPD (which includes emphysema, chronic bronchitis & chronic asthma).

We then looked at how these conditions fit within the PEOP model. What are the person factors of an individual with this condition (physiological, cognition, psychosocial, etc.)? What are the environment factors of an individual with this condition? What occupations might someone with this condition have difficulties with (OPIs) and what can we as OT's do (assessments, management, heavy focus on rehabilitation)?

From what I've seen, W2 pretty much has the same structure as the rest of the weeks. i.e. we look at a particular series of conditions, the physiology of the conditions, apply it to the PEOP, etc. Having a look at my timetable, I'm really excited for some of the weeks to come. It looks like we're going to be covering some interesting topics (burns, ASD,  degenerative neurological conditions, and more).

On another note, I bought 3x11 of those thin folders with the sleeves (what do you call those things?). They were very cheap, thankfully. I am using a folder per unit per week to put all my "notes/content/readings" in. I feel like this is the best option for me right now (even though I hate that it's really wasteful). It will also give me some time when I can study without looking at a screen; I'm hoping this will help with the headaches I've been getting this week.

I have also created a checklist so I can tick off each of the "activities" I do for each unit (module, seminar, notes, each reading, each video, etc.). I've used this in the past and it's really motivated me to keep on track and remember what I have and haven't done.

Thoughts

Spoiler

Fantastic unit so far. Maybe even one of my favourite, but it's a bit early to tell.

I am a little concerned as the unit chair has really pushed it down our throats that we should look at assessments in terms of scores, but of understanding the content. That's all good and actually a fantastic tip, but... it also makes me thing they are really harsh markers and are just easing us into it lol wish me luck.

HSO205 Occupations in Childhood Development
Class

Spoiler

This was my second class of the year! (spoiler - my units are in order of classes) It was also online and went for an hour and a half.

Again, this class was mostly about introducing the unit. Gotta be honest, I'm so tired writing this that I don't actually remember the class. I'm just going to check my notes lol

Okay, got it. That's right. This week was largely about evidence based practice, collaboration with parents/guardians, operant conditioning, cognitive development, social learning, and a number of theories including social cultural development, ecological/dynamic system, temperament & resilience, and really signifying the difference between child development and the occupational development of a child - the later talking about the PEOP again (I think the PEOP is going to be a common theme this trimester )

Seminar

Spoiler

This was my (you guessed it) third seminar this week! It was on campus and went for an hour and a half.

Lord, I forgot how confusing the waterfront campus is. It's legit a maze lol. There's four levels, and the entrance isn't even called the ground floor or floor 1 - it's like floor 2 or 3 or something. I had to go through two courtyards, down stairs and ramps to find it - thankfully I only got lost once. I walked down this dark hallway and nearly had a myocardial infarction  when the lights turned on when I walked passed the rooms.

The actual seminar was great. It was so weird being around people. I've lost any semblance of social skills during quarantine lol. I didn't recognise anyone. It was like last year all over again haha

We dove further into the topics above, but also did a few practical activities. We had toys on the table in front of us and we had to analyse them using (once again, you guessed it) the PEOP model lol. The word PEOP is starting to become more engrained in my brain than mols did in vce chemistry 

An interesting dynamic - no one was required to wear a mask in the seminars. I was the only one wearing one haha. I am going to speak to my doctor to discuss my risks as I'm immunocompromised, but given that masks generally only work if the people around you are wearing them, it seems fairly pointless for me to wear one during seminars. I'd still prefer to consult my doctor just in case.

Module

Spoiler

Unfortunately, I was fairly disappointed to see that there isn't really any module - it just refers you to read these three chapters of a textbook and watch these two hours of videos. Yikes. That's not my preferred method of learning, but I'm trying to adapt. I'm going to print the seminar slides to take notes beside during class and seminars, and I'm printing the textbook readings to highlight, etc.

Now it's just a matter of finding the motivation to do those fairly mind numbing activities. I'm really thankful that I did HPS202 - I have a fairly strong understanding of child development, so all I really have to do is apply the OT concepts to it, as opposed to other students who are learning both together. It will still be good to refresh the development as I go though.

I have glanced at W2 readings, but haven't gone too far into it. I'll get back on top of that next week.

Thoughts

Spoiler

It seems like a pretty good unit. I wasn't quite as impressed with the structure, but the unit chair seems great and the seminar was fun and the content is interesting. I'm already trying to figure out some type of reward system for doing the readings - any recommendations would be great

HSO207 Neurological Structure, Function & Plasticity
Seminar

Spoiler

So, after the on campus seminar, I got to rush home for this online seminar.

Again, lots of introductory talk, but also a lot of content. A LOT of content. The unit chair (who is absolutely lovely) has promised it will ease a little after W3, but I'm praying it doesn't smother me in the mean time.

It was actually really awesome (and likely my most interactive online session of all my units). We went into breakout groups for activities and I got to meet more people, finally.

Got mocked for completing trimester 3 with sarcasm so dead that it almost went over my head lmao. Normally I'm the person who says this with such a straight face that people don't realise I'm kidding. I understand how it feels now 

My groups worked through the activities pretty quickly, so we had some spare time to chat, which was awesome. It also made me feel more confident at the information as I felt I could apply it fairly well.

Stroke was a main theme of the session, which drew from the material we had learned in the module and readings.

Module

Spoiler

Oh boy. I almost have no words 

The content was a little overwhelming at first, but I quickly became interested and enjoyed reading through it all. By halfway through the week, I'd given up writing notes and decided printing the modules was the best way to go. I'd rather spent time understanding and applying the content, then mindlessly typing stuff I'm not even processing.

We went over a lot of stuff we'd covered before and a fair bit we hadn't. This weeks theme was genetics & behaviour. We covered the use of neuroscience in OT, genes and epigenetic's, the nervous system, neurodevelopment in children versus adults, how to apply a top-down approach, the anatomy and physiology, and how to link it to function and occupational performance issues and OT practice.  It was... well, a lot.

I also have completed the notes and module for W2. The topic for that week is nervous system: anatomy and brain development. This module was a little drier than the previous week.

We looked at neural development (growth of neurons and increase in synapses), the nervous system as one integrated continuous system, the basic of the central nervous system, the basics of the brain and spinal cord (anatomy and physiology), neuroplasticity, and then we once again utilised a top-down approach, linked anatomy and physiology to function and OPI's and OT practice.

Of note, we did look into the Circle of Willis and the Middle Cerebral Artery, which were interesting.

The next couple of weeks are looking more interesting (I think they had to go back over the basics as they form the foundation of this unit). I knew a lot of the content in w2, and there isn't really an easy way to explain all the structures of the brain without it taking lots of time (my general consensus: the brain is complicated).

I also formed my group for my group assessment during the seminar. We were discussing the assessment during an overview and I just typed that if anyone wanted to join a group with me and also knew no one, to stay behind for a couple of minutes. (I mean, I haven't really met anyone and it had to be people from our seminar - how else was I going form a group? No idea how others are going to do it) Thankfully, two people stayed. We're going to meet up on Monday to talk about the assessment, which is great (I mean, second week and my group is willing to meet to go through the assessment? Feeling pretty lucky)

Thoughts

Spoiler

Really looking forward to what's to come from this unit. I find being able to apply what we're learning in this unit to be the best part of it. The assessments are also looking pretty great.

Overall thoughts

Spoiler

This week was equally amazing and concerning. These units are a bit more full on than I was expecting (and I was expecting as second year units that they would be more full on). I'm not too worries - I'm ahead, the assessments look great (except for the exams lol) - but I am certainly putting things in place to create a good routine. I can't afford to fall behind this trimester.

I also have to find a way to decrease the impact this week had on my health. I was going great, until Wednesday. By Wednesday night, I was starting to get genuinely concerned about whether or not I could cope with this trimester and my health.

I had a bad flare up, but it wasn't just my back that flared up, it was also my feet and ankles. I was halfway home between my on campus and online class and I just had to stop. I literally couldn't take another step without feeling like I was walking on shards of glass. Feeling stranded in a new place is a very uncomfortable feeling and is one of my worst fears. Thankfully, I managed to get back after resting my feet for a few minutes, but it's made me very determined to be more careful. Not gonna lie, it scared me for a minute there - I really doubted my ability to get through this trimester, but I'm currently formulating ideas of how I can better manage this problem. It snuck up on me is all, I haven't had foot and ankle pain that severe since my yr8-9 days. I'm actually really proud that I brought myself out of that poor mindset pretty quick and am now focussed on solutions.

Regardless, I'm still really looking forward to this trimester.

I've made the decision to designated Friday as my Assessment day - regardless of where I am at with my weekly work, Friday is for assessments only. I think this is going to really work well for me, in terms of not rushing out assessments last minute.

Other
There were a few other things of note this week that didn't fit anywhere else.

DRC plan and placement:

Spoiler

So HSO202 has a simulated placement at the end of the trimester. It is full time for 1 week, which is obviously a little concerning following my issue on Wednesday.

I also had a meeting to review my disability access plan. Everything is still in place, but I brought up what I could do in terms of the simulated placement. She suggested that I email the unit chair to discuss it further.

I emailed all the unit chairs anyway to introduce myself and let them know about my disability access plan, but I tacked on the question to the HSO202 unit chair.

We ended up speaking on the phone and discussing my options. Basically, I have lots of options and also very few options. There are things I can do if it gets too much, but nothing I can do to prevent it from getting too much. I.e. I can stop midweek and do the second half the following week if I absolutely have to, but I can't do alternate days. It's not ideal, but it's something. At least I know I have a chance to pass the placement at least. Anyway, the unit chair was really nice. He's done similar things for other students in the past, so that makes me feel better at least.

Now it's up to me to build up to that before the end of trimester

Fridge

Spoiler

So, my fridge and freezer stopped working this week. I had like three months of prepped food in there that I had to throw out, so that sucks. Their solution? Turn it off and on again  . Now I'm waiting to see if that fixed it, which means... no fridge in the mean time. yay.

I am waiting for my first proper rate payment from centrelink (I'd been given a partial payment my first week for... reasons?) So, rent is due in a couple of weeks, I've got no food and no money. #brokeandhangry

Study Support

Spoiler

This post has been very up and down haha. On a better note, I spoke with a writing mentor at deakin via study support via an online meeting. She was amazing and it will definitely be a resource I utilise frequently. I basically got to go through the rubric for an assessment with her and what I'd planned and she could help make sure I'm on the right track. I'm definitely going back next week to make sure I'm on the right track with my other assessments.

I also think once I get feedback, I'll go through it with them so they can help me see where I can improve and maybe better interpret the feedback. I normally do this on my own, but it would be great to have a second pair of eyes who is a bit more objective than I am.

I went through one of my previous essays with her and it was a great help. She said that I probably should have spoken to the unit chair to get better clarification on why I had been marked down for a certain section as the marker didn't specify and she couldn't see anything wrong with it. She told me to do that in the future if I'm unsure, but the thought of that makes me really uncomfortable. I respect the feedback I get back, I just wished things were a little clearer so I could have improved on the problem - but I don't even know what the problem was lol.

Okay, so this update has taken me longer than I'd like to admit to write. I'm pretty much falling asleep as I'm typing lmao - why isn't there a sleepy emoticon? 

I'll leave this here, but I've probably forgotten heaps. As I said, this week was absolutely packed. It was also full of ups and downs. Nothings ever boring at least 

I'll update next Friday. Probably. Maybe. Hopefully... Well, I'll try 

[K888]

Of note, we did look into the Circle of Willis and the Middle Cerebral Artery, which were interesting.

Having to remember the circle of willis and all of its branches still haunts my dreams. But it's super interesting to learn about how infarcts in different arteries cause different impairments! I hope neuroanatomy is as pleasant as possible for you this semester haha.

[KatherineGale]

Having to remember the circle of willis and all of its branches still haunts my dreams. But it's super interesting to learn about how infarcts in different arteries cause different impairments! I hope neuroanatomy is as pleasant as possible for you this semester haha.

haha, thanks K888! It's certainly an interesting area of study. Definitely lots to remember 

[KatherineGale]

Sorry I'm a few days late for the update. I had a bit of a flare up over the weekend, so I wasn't able to do so earlier. Week 2 to Week 3 is usually the time that I start to feel the impact on my health, so I was semi-expecting it.

Week 2 was fairly mellow. There wasn't really much to note as I've discussed the topics in a previous post.

I did get my results back for my first Quiz. So here those are:

HSO207
AT3 Quiz 1 [1%] = 5/5 = 100% = 1/1

So yeah, pretty happy with that. I mean, it's 1% haha  but the quizzes are worth 10% overall, so if I can get as close to 100% on them as possible, it will be a great chance to grab some points. My unit chair has also said the quizzes are similar to the exam, so it'll make me feel a bit more confident about the exam if I do well with the quizzes.

Week 3 is pretty hectic.

I was meant to have an on-campus class today, but I didn't go due to my flare up this past weekend. I decided it wasn't worth pushing myself for, given that I am going on campus tomorrow for a group meeting and the following day for another class. I do also have the opportunity for a site visit on Wednesday, but I don't think I could manage walking there and then back to the campus and then back home after this past weekend so I'll probably give that a miss and just attend the afternoon class. Not ideal as I would have loved to go to the class today and the site visit on Wednesday, but a little disappointment is better than pain.

I'm actually pretty happy with where I'm at in terms of keeping up with content. Except for a couple of videos, I'm up to date for HSO202 and HSO205. And except for the readings, I've finished Week 4 for HSO207. I would have liked to have at least 1 assessment completed by now, however I am still waiting on some info from the unit chair before I can start it. Really keen to get stuck into it!

I've got another Quiz due tomorrow night, so that's on my to do list for tomorrow!

I guess I'll see you next update 

[KatherineGale]

Another 1%! Yay! lmao

I got my second quiz results back 

HSO207
AT3 Quiz 1 [1%]: 05.00/05.00 = 100.00% = 01.00/01.00
AT3 Quiz 2 [1%]: 05.00/05.00 = 100.00% = 01.00/01.00
=002.00/100.00

Don't mind me  I'm celebrating the small things

[Justin_L]

Congrats! It might be small, but the small things add up!