HSC Stuff > The HSC Journey Journal
The HSC Marathon: Stride by Stride
kauac:
Hi...
So a few things have happened over the last few days:
1. UOW Early Admission Interview:
SpoilerI had a nice little (actually quite big, though) roadtrip to Wollongong. I had been to campus once before, so it was nice to be back. I got to wear a groovy lanyard that kind of looked like a VIP pass, so I was impressed.
The interview itself was actually super quick! Like, I had read somewhere that it would only be 10 - 15 minutes. But after I came out, it felt like it was only 8 minutes max. Anyways, it went pretty smoothly and the questions were super basic. The interviewers were two ladies: one an academic, one a faculty staff, I think? Makes sense, since, the proportion of dietitians who are female is something staggering like 95%. I was surprised they didn't even ask why I wanted to study at UOW. The question I did not anticipate was "What are your thoughts on chemistry being a major part of this degree?", so I continued to talk about how chemistry has been my favourite subject and I really enjoyed doing the biochemistry option. They said they were really impressed with my chemistry HSC results, so that's a bonus!
So yeah, a bit unsure about if I will get the offer, because even though I seemed to present pretty well, I'm guessing they only give out very few offers because the degree is so small (50 people, I remember reading), and it is an unconditional offer. We'll see in a week and a bit's time.
2. Saw a dietician today:
Spoiler Not for me personally, but my Dad was referred to one for his health issues, so I jumped at the offer of tagging along. But literally the first thing she said to me after I said I was applying for dietetics at uni was: "I WILL TRY AND CONVINCE YOU NOT TO BECOME A DIETICIAN!" She wasn't actually yelling, I am just conveying a bit of my emotions towards the comment.
Her reasoning was that there wasn't a lot of jobs for just-graduated dieticians, but, imo, it is a health occupation that is growing exponentially in demand and jobs available - so many people have reassured me with this. And once I have graduated, I will be a young professional with no commitments, and willing to travel wherever I need in Australia (and overseas, if necessary) to score that first job. So despite being slightly salty, it hasn't really impacted my thoughts on my career.
Now to my thoughts on the actual consultation: It was a private practice, and the room had an interesting set-up. Some comfy arm chairs, her personal desk, a set of scales, a thing to measure height, a cabinet and bookshelf: one layer recipe books and one layer biological textbooks and encyclopedias. The purpose of the cabinet was revealed when she spontaneously retrieved a packaging of a food product that we were talking about. A cabinet full of used food packaging, just for the sake of the packaging - THAT is SOOOO me on every level! ;D
What she did was basically took my Dad's medical history, discussed what my Dad was currently eating, gave a meal plan and suggested meals hand-out, and then explained the chemical point of view of some of the nutrients. She was super in-depth and I actually learnt a lot of new things just from the one hour we were there. I could definitely see myself doing something similar in the future. So yeah, overall, an insightful experience!
3. And finally, some study.
Spoiler Meh. I have found it helpful sticking to a daily routine for when I have my breaks (probably in lieu of school), so I can help my brain distinguish when it is time to work, and when it is time to rest. So I normally do 8 hours each day, which I think is pretty decent, considering I only have 4 subjects. I feel that if I did anymore, I would likely burn out, so I'll stick with the 8. And despite going into these holidays thinking it would be the hardest, longest and most boring 2 weeks of my life, it hasn't turned out this way, which is miraculous!
I have cranked out so many English essays, and I feel now that I am adequately prepared for any module b question thrown at me. Maths past papers have been plentiful, and consistently ~10% higher results than before trials - not to mention about ~30% more than in my actual trial, itself, haha. I have been making some flashcards for bio, particularly the bits I find hard to remember, and doing the odd past paper. Haven't really touched food tech much, because I will have a whopping two whole weeks to study solely for it. And perhaps, the nerves for the exam, since I haven't studied much for it, will make sure I won't slack off in the last two weeks. Though I do expect to decrease my load significantly after I have finished the other exams, because: One cannot simply study food tech for 8 hours/ day for 2 weeks straight. ;D
On top of my study, I have been happy with my holiday balance: I have kept up my 30+ min/exercise each day, and sometimes, just sometimes, I forget about the impending exams. I had a bunch of fun playing tennis with my sister, and reminded myself of what a lousy server I am! ;D I'm also loving how much flexibility I can have in home study vs when I studied during the school term. Because I am a morning person, I finish up each night ~8pm, giving me plenty of time to chill, hang out with the fam, watch TV, and, of course, browse AN. :)
I think that's it for today. It feels good to release my random jumble of thoughts into a slightly-less jumbled written form. :D
kauac:
Hi...
I have managed to maintain my chill until, well, today. Perhaps because the exams are drawer closing, the reality of actually having to do them has set in. I know I am well prepared for the exams from a logical point of view, so I think its the little things that have made me a bit stressed. Like being able to write neat/fast enough in English. My hand is always tense in English exams, from nerves, so it makes writing legibly really difficult! I also did a pretty old past paper for Maths which rattled my confidence a bit. Eeek!
I just hope I can get out of this mindset. I know I shouldn't be scared about the exams, because I have already conquered two, and I know they weren't as scary as I thought. ;D I am really happy with how well I have prepared these holidays, and my hard work throughout the year has put in a great place in this final stretch. But still, today I have felt really uneasy.
Just needed to get some of these thoughts out to try and make myself feel more confident. :)
dcesaona:
--- Quote from: kauac on October 12, 2018, 12:11:19 pm ---Hi...
I have managed to maintain my chill until, well, today. Perhaps because the exams are drawer closing, the reality of actually having to do them has set in. I know I am well prepared for the exams from a logical point of view, so I think its the little things that have made me a bit stressed. Like being able to write neat/fast enough in English. My hand is always tense in English exams, from nerves, so it makes writing legibly really difficult! I also did a pretty old past paper for Maths which rattled my confidence a bit. Eeek!
I just hope I can get out of this mindset. I know I shouldn't be scared about the exams, because I have already conquered two, and I know they weren't as scary as I thought. ;D I am really happy with how well I have prepared these holidays, and my hard work throughout the year has put in a great place in this final stretch. But still, today I have felt really uneasy.
Just needed to get some of these thoughts out to try and make myself feel more confident. :)
--- End quote ---
This is exactly how I feel! I basically had a mental breakdown last night because I'm terrified of the thought of having to actually sit these exams, but I did well in the trials and I have worked so hard. I did a discovery past paper yesterday from Sydney Boy's school, which was tricky as one might imagine, but was actually pleased with what I wrote! So I have no idea why I'm so scared!!!! I have 0 confidence in myself.
kauac:
Hi...
Just a quick update since I have a busy afternoon ahead of me.
English is forever done! "Never will I ever have to write an English essay again" - as my Mum reminded me after my exam. Glad to not have to think about for a while. I finished each exam with ~15 min to spare - normally only have around 5-10 minutes, so that was pretty good. Enough time to go through my intro's and conclusions, trying to resurrect my messy writing, rip! Adrenaline is unfortunately not very helpful, when trying to hold a pen. ;D
I'm not trying to reflect on the exams too much, because I will never find out where I went well/ not so well, and there is no point speculating...I don't think I did spectacularly, but good enough for what I need for uni.
Speaking of uni, got a lovely email Monday morning with an Early Offer for both B Nutrition & Dietetics and B Nutrition Science at UOW!
I wasn't too sure if I would get it, but it was a nice surprise - definitely gave me an extra confidence boost heading into the exams. Helped me slowly edge my way out of that fearful mindset I had previously.
So next is exam is Biology - Wednesday. Feeling super confident for that, especially since trials. Maths the day after, though - uggggh. I thought I was feeling ok for it, but it seems some of the English fear rubbed off on it, so will definitely be focusing on this in the coming days. And food tech is spectacularly a long time away. I did a bit of study for it in the holidays, but not too much. Not at all worried about it - 13 days is plenty of time for exceptional preparation for food tech (or exceptional preparation for this new subject, called 'Procrastination [2 units]' ) ;D
Maya24:
Good luck for the rest of your exams!
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