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Never Give Up - a university journey journal

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KatherineGale:

--- Quote from: Bri MT on February 29, 2020, 09:10:33 am ---Hey,

I have never heard a fridge do that either - would definitely panic me a lot too. I can so clearly imagine the relief and bewilderment of realising it was the fridge. (I really like your writing style btw)

Sleepless-ness sucks :( I hope you're able to get more rest soon.

Nice to hear about the sunburn fading & the family visit!  Hope you have a great day together :)

Nothing wrong with catching the shuttle bus being exciting it's new & having that link connecting campus is cool and useful imo.

I hope this week you have less issues with your health & although it can be very frustrating to manage your behaviour around it I'm glad you've had improvement from the past.

Glad to hear that the disability community at Deakin has been great so far!

--- End quote ---

Hi Bri MT :)

Thanks for the reply!

Haha, I wish I knew how to upload a recording of it onto this forum, it's so strange. It was one of those moments when you're so worked up and panicked that you're ready to cry, but then you can't because you're uncontrollably laughing in just pure relief.
Thank you :)

Family visited today. It was great to see them. My niece isn't well but as she is non-verbal we don't know what's wrong. She's just not acting like herself which is the usual way we know she's unwell but the GP said she wasn't sick. So considering she wasn't feeling well, was stuck in the car for a few hours, and was in an unfamiliar place, she was incredibly well behaved (though I don't think my neighbours would agree haha), but she was a bit upset at one point and so they only stayed for a little while. It was so great to see them though.

Yes, having a free way to travel to classes is a godsend! Particularly because I can use it as a free trip to Geelong and walk to places close by if I need to.

Thank you :) I really appreciate your support.




Just another quick update:

The spider launched another attack this afternoon. I was on my bed, leaning against the wall. I had sprayed spider spray to make sure it didn't come out but I think it backfired and was the cause of it attacking :/ Anyway, I'm about 58% sure I killed it, but I don't know. So now I feel like I'm crawling again :) I spent about ten minutes wondering if spraying the room down entirely with spider spray, possibly setting off the fire alarm and owing the uni $1500 was worth killing that bloody spider. I decided against it, but have left the option open if it decides to make a return :) if it is alive, I feel like because I've tried to kill it, it will come for me when I'm least expecting it again and that makes me nervous, haha (sorry, whilst I am mostly joking here, the best jokes come from truth and this is closer to the truth than I'd like to admit! As I said, genuinely paranoid arachnophobia here - I'm the kind of person who is so terrified of them that I can't even look them up to see which ones I should be most afraid of because pictures will come up and I just can't look at them) :)

KatherineGale:
Sorry the update is a day late. I was so tired yesterday :)

On Wednesday I went to the Waterfront campus - they had a few OT sessions that I had to attend. I had to wake up at about 5:30 to get ready and catch the shuttle bus in order there in time for the first session - which was not exactly fun, particularly as that's the time I normally get to sleep haha. I'm actually hoping to get into a better sleeping routine, which has always been difficult with the fibromyalgia, but all I can do is keep persisting :)

There was about a three hour gap between sessions, so I hung around, went to a study tips session and had a lovely orientation worker offer to show me where the rooms for my classes would be. I also ended up getting a library tour and sitting down at a cafe for a little while. It was actually really great to see how quickly time passed, as every Wednesday I have a two hour gap between classes (I did this intentionally so that I could go to the library and do a bit of study between classes).

The sessions about my course we're pretty basic, but generally informative. It looks like the Thursday class won't actually run from 9-5, but we'll be divided into groups and given a 2.5hr block alternating weeks, which was fantastic news!

The study tips session was great. I met a couple of people from study support, who I can contact if I want to improve on my assessment scores or if I'm struggling to understand something. Great to know that resource is available.

I also signed up for a program where another student a couple of years ahead of me and a group of my peers will meet weekly so that if there's anything we want to ask, we've got the chance to.

I got access to my unit sites, so I've spent the last couple of days combing through those and my unit guides to familiarise myself before I get started. I will need to make another timetable as I have a few online sessions to put in, but I'm not too concerned about that right now. In the unit site for one of my units, it said that I'd also get to learn a little Auslan, which I'm really excited about. I know a little bit from using a modified version with my niece, but I've always wanted to learn more and eventually be fluent (considering I'm going to be working with people with disabilities, I've always felt like this is something I should do to better communicate with my future patients/clients, I've just never been able to afford a course to learn), so going through a little bit will be fun.

I have to get a blood test to see how well the vaccinations I've had have worked and may possibly need to get a couple more if they haven't worked well. Little concerned about that as if you don't get them your placement opportunities reduce significantly, and there's certain vaccinations I can't get while I'm on methotrexate. Will need to contact my rheumatologist about this also, but I am due to have a phone appointment with her later next week for her to up my dosages, so I figure I'll just ask her then. No point asking until I know which, if any, vaccines I'll need. (I'm completely pro-vaccination by the way, it's just that with the medication I'm on, my GP told me some vaccines won't mix well)

I also have ordered a shirt for placements, which I'll pick up on Tuesday or Wednesday. I thankfully have some black pants, but I've ordered another pair (they won't come for another two weeks or so). I apparently have to wear this every Thursday, so I had to sort of rush to get things organised haha.

I did a police check and started my working with children's check, which I need to have done this Thursday.

Not much else to say really. I have an extremely busy week ahead of me. Not only study wise and class wise, but I have to go to Centrelink to sort out a number of issues, have to go to the dr's, call my rheumatologist, have a phone appointment with my rheumatologist, go to the post office to finish my working with children's check, pick up my shirt, try to figure out when my textbooks will get here, attend a compulsory residential meeting on Monday, etc.

I'm just looking forward to finally being able to start and begin making some progress with study :)

---------------------------

Oh, and because I've already mentioned it, the spider was not dead haha. It came for me again and now my bed is covered in spider spray and I've got a dead, curled up spider somewhere under my bed because I couldn't bare to pick it up with anything :)

This may become an ongoing saga throughout this journal of any terrifying spider incidences, particularly this year whilst I'm living alone and actually have to get rid of them myself haha.

KatherineGale:
Week 1

Hey guys, I've just finished my first week of uni :)

Monday:
I got up early and spent about six hours in a study room within my building going through the basics of two of my units - the anatomy and the communication units. It was really great to make a lot of progress early in the week (by the end of the day I was about three quarters through both), particularly as I knew I was going to have a busy week.

Tuesday:
I finished off the modules, picked up my placement shirt and went to the doctors so they could give me a slip to get a blood test.
At 3, I had an online class for the anatomy unit. It went for two hours, and although it took a bit to figure out how to get into the class, once I did, I found the class really engaging. I did online lessons in year 12, so I had a bit of experience with how that sort of thing tends to run and it was fairly similar, which was great. Apparently I used to wrong browser to open it though, because in the last twenty minutes sound cut off for me and me only. I had to download Firefox for it to work but by then I'd missed the rest of it, so I ended up watching the last bit of the recording instead.

Wednesday:
I had my first in-person class at 10 on the waterfront campus, so I took the shuttle bus. I knew where my room was, so it was fairly easy to get to. The class was quite full. I don't think there were many empty seats, if any.

The class was for my occupational therapy unit, and it was great to get a better outline for this unit as not much had been uploaded onto the site at that time.

I had a seminar at 1, and there were a lot less people, thankfully! Going through more basics - I think all my units really wanted to ease us into their content, which I appreciated, but it was almost like too easy, because I know it'll only get harder from here on out haha.

I took the shuttle bus home and then did some more reading before I had an online class for the commutation class from 5-7.

Before that though, between the seminar and class, I had a couple of hours to kill. I actually ended up at Deakins study abroad office. I've never considered myself one for travel, I've never been out of Victoria after all, but it had been on my mind what it would be like to study for a couple of weeks in some place like Scotland or Ireland. They didn't have anything specifically like that, particularly for health degrees, but they had a couple for business related units. As I want to eventually open my own clinic, I thought maybe for my two electives next year, I could take a couple of business units overseas instead. Still not too sure. Money is obviously an issue, but I'd have a year and a half to prep, so it might be an option if I'm careful, and they said there were plenty of grants available to help.

Whilst I was there, the person I spoke with also mentioned a program called Hacker. I don't know much about it, but apparently it's over in Singapore and they give a bit of guidance to entrepreneurs wanting to start small businesses. It's overly priced, but again, there are possible grants that can cover up to more than half of the costs. I'm a little torn, as on one hand, I don't exactly consider myself an entrepreneur and by no means have any grand visionary ideas but on the other hand, I'd really love the opportunity to learn more about running a business so I can transfer that experience to when I open a clinic of my own.

Don't know what I'll do, or if I'll be able to do either (certainly won't be happening any time soon anyway), but its been great to consider it as I hadn't previously given much thought to going overseas, let alone going overseas in a constructive way.

Thursday:
Wednesday had left me feeling sore and very tired, but Thursday was crazy.

I had a practical at 8 (which I had only been notified of on Wednesday evening). Previously, they had said to block out times between 9 and 5, so I wasn't expecting an 8am prac.

So, after around two hours sleep, I woke up at 4:30. It took a bit longer than normal to do my normal stretches that I have to do to get out of bed when my arthritis is playing up, and by the time I'd hobbled around, gotten dressed, packed the last of my things and made it down to the bus stop, the sun still hadn't risen.

I caught the 6:45 bus, as the next bus would've only given me five minutes to get to class otherwise, and the room was in the far corner up the very top, so that wasn't going to happen. And I was not getting up that early only to be late :)

And, this is very pathetic, I saw my first sunrise on a bus. Lmao.

The practical went for 2.5 hours, and I yawned through most of it. The tutor made us do YMCA in a circle because we were too quiet. That was mortifying, but it worked because everyone starting responding to her questions from then on.

Then I went to the bathroom to chang (I had to wear my Deakin polo shirt to the practical) because it was 30 degrees and those tops are really uncomfortable.

I walked to the post office to finish off my working with children's check, then I got the blood test and then headed to centrelink and waited there for two hours. Called a taxi to take me back to campus because I physically wouldn't have made it there, my back and ankles were killing me, and I didn't fancy hanging around Centrelink until my flare up backed off.

Got back on the shuttle bus, walked ten minutes back to my room and promptly died. I'm kidding, I still had work to do as my third unit had finally released their week 1 content.

My Rheumatologist called and she put me up to 20mg. Need another blood test in a month and then she will decide if I need to go on anything else as well. The script wasn't going to get here in time for my next dose, so mum picked it up and express posted it to me, thankfully.

Spent 2.5 hours cooking because I was so tired that everything that I did took much longer than normal. Didn't get to sleep until 2am because no matter how tired I was, I couldn't sleep. I don't know if it was the pain, or I got overtired or both, but I didn't appreciate whatever it was. Sorry to complain, it wasn't a very good day for my haha.

Friday:
Had to wake up early for a seminar at 9am. Yay! After the lack of sleep I've had the last couple of days, I'm sorry if this makes no sense haha.

After that, I finished off a couple of small things that I still hadn't done. I tidied up my room and started three folders for each of my units, picked up my shopping (just small easy things to keep my body moving so it wouldn't seize up entirely).

I want to type up and organise my notes, but haven't had the time. I'm not in a rush, the fact that I've gotten through this week having done as much as I have, for me, is an absolute miracle.

I received my script and had to call about four different chemists to see if they had it in stock or if they would order it in for me. None of them had it and most of them refused to order it in or were confused as to what it was. The last person I called was lovely and said he could do it for me, but to be sure that I came to collect it. He understood that I wasn't able to get down there to give my script (as they normally like you to do before they order anything in) because I wasn't well. Unfortunately, this chemist wasn't in walking distance like the other chemists I called, so if I still feel like this come Monday, I'll probably have to waste money on another taxi to get it.

Oh, and I spent two hours on the phone to Centrelink this morning. The guy on the phone was great, and apparently everything the person I'd seen the previous day at Centrelink had touched on my file was coded wrong. The guy on the phone joked that the only things he didn't have to correct was my name and birthdate.

So, after sorting all that out, I've finally got rent assistance on the way, and I no longer have to report and see a job agency, which will make life easier. And also, the Centrelink guy I saw in person put on my file that I had received a 7500 scholarship - though I will go on to receive this in parts throughout the year, the way he put it on the system meant that Centrelink thought I had 7500 in my account right now, which was going to definitely affect my payments. So glad I called to double check. Some of the thing the guy on Thursday was saying just didn't add up and I just wanted to make sure that I didn't have any more issues with it.

The guy on the phone also asked if I wanted a student support scholarship and as I'm fairly low on money right now (I've been living on my measly savings as without rent assistance I've had around $25 a week each pay once I take out my rent) so that's also a major relief. It will come in well before my scholarship money - which I was trying to hold out for - so I'm less worried about getting through.

Overall, I made progress in the beginning of the week and struggled from Wednesday onwards. I know next week is going to be a lot easier even though I'll probably have more content to go through because I won't need to do as much running around. I do have to go the chemist and see the nurse for my blood test results, but I've got no prac on Thursday this week so I can spread the workload out more evenly and take some of the pressure off :)

I'm planning on taking it really easy on the weekend, but my body is flaring up so bad that I don't know if I'm even going to be able to relax. This is what I was afraid of before I started. I can only hope that now that I don't have to do as much running around, I will get to a place where I can cope.







On another note. I've almost ran out of toilet paper and I can't order any online as they no longer even have the icon for me to try to add it to my shopping order. Wish me luck.

KatherineGale:
Week 2

Okay, so everything has kind of gone to shit. Lmao

All classes were put online or on hold. I'm in a pretty reasonable place, given that two of my units are already online, but the third unit is a bit more difficult to put online as it has a practical. Given that I have an assessment in a few weeks where I have to interview someone and another where I have to physically manouvre someone from sitting to supine, I have no idea how we are supposed to practice for those, but I guess we'll see.

And now we're apparently going on lockdown. I had a bit of a feeling that we were heading that way and after speaking with my mum, we both decided it was best to go home before I got caught out. I haven't been able to order food online and can't get to the shops easily. And then there is the fact that I'm immunocompromised, so I kind of want to avoid everyone anyway. I had a few supplies and mum also had a few supplies, so it was a lot easier to put everything together, especially given that we weren't able to get anything before the shelves emptied, so we have very little food and pretty much no money and we both have health issues so going to multiple shops is fairly difficult. I'm sure there are many people in the same situation, so I wish you guys all the best!

Sorry for my rant :)

I'm glad I'm back home for the next week. I'll have to see how things go and if the lockdown lasts longer, but I'll head back to my room when things are looking a bit better and are less risky for me.

Last week was hectic. I'm late again with posting, sorry! The coursework for one of my units was a bit more heavy, and I still have about three hours left to read through the module and make notes. I probably won't do that until I'm in a good position with study next week as I don't want to fall behind with everything. I hate being behind, but I'll catch up soon I hope. Fingers crossed.

On the other hand, seeing my niece again has been amazing! I've missed her so much!

Things are pretty up in the air at the moment. I haven't heard from Deakin since I heard everything was going on lockdown and I am expecting an update in the next couple of days.

Even though it's frustrating that uni is being disrupted, I'm a. more concerned about the people who are getting seriously ill and dying due to this terrible virus and b. at least it's happening in my first year near the beginning, as opposed to year 12 or my final year of uni because I can't imagine how much more stressful that would be. Wish you guys luck and hope everything turns out okay :)

So sorry for these disjointed ramblings! My mind is all over the place right now haha :)

Alright, that's it from me for now. Stay healthy guys!

KatherineGale:
Week 3

It's been a bit of a tough week.

Okay, so pretty much the day after my previous post, I got an email telling me I have to vacate my room by the following Friday. I had to get all my stuff out, sign some documents and hand over my key. Some people were allowed to remain but they had really strict requirements to be allowed to do that - for example, nursing and medical students still had some classes face to face and they were therefore allowed to stay.

I didn't mind having to vacate, it sucks because I wasn't there long and we didn't have much time to get all our stuff, but it really frustrated me that we had to vacate entirely as opposed to just leaving some of our stuff there and coming back once the dust settles. It took a lot to move everything in there and not only that, but I'm not guaranteed to get another room when everything starts back up, let alone that room, that building or even a studio apartment. I have to apply again and whilst I will be given priority as a precious resident, it just feels really uncomfortable that I might not get a place.

So, late Tuesday I went back to the uni and packed up the rest of my things to bring back. And I've spent the rest of the week unable to do work because I've had a major flare up due to that. So I am now scrambling to catch up - I have two assesments due next week and more the following week that I really should have definitely started last week, so that's been fun.

And on top of that, today I have discovered that because I don't yet have my textbooks and one of my units apparently heavily used the textbook and that what I thought was just further exploration of knowledge explained in the text (as mentioned above what pages to read) was really half of the content I need to know, so I need to go back over weeks 1-3 for that unit before my first assessment is due on Tuesday, plus all of week 4s content for that unit.

Sigh. Trying not to be negative, but I'm still not feeling great and it's been a struggle.

On a brighter note, I've worked out a great note taking framework that I started using yesterday and it makes the content connect in a much simpler and cohesive way, so I'm really excited about that! It's similar to the Cornel method or whatever it's called haha, but a little different. For my anatomy unit, we are given learning objectives under each subtopic, which has made it really easy to figure out what I need to know and what I don't. So I've put those into a table and then listed questions below of all relevant points, and as I've gone through the weekly modules I've just answered those questions, then summarised each subtopic into one sentence and then out those one sentences into another table that I can fit into one page for each week. Sorry, that was a bit of a mouthful! Haha. I've been writing long sentences all day - my longest for one subtopic was over 150 words lmao.

Alright, I'll leave this here. Got a lot still to do. Hope you guys are all healthy with everything that's happening.

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