G'Day :)
So the fantasy world officially ended in week 3. Now don't get me wrong, this still is paradise but it's very different than before classes began. In Australia the grading system and schooling is much different than in the states. For starters, they begin with 0 points and aim to gain 100 points for grades opposed to start with 100 points and lose them like we do in America. They also have either workshops or 2 meeting times for each course, one is a lecture and one is a tutorial ('tute' as they are called here) but all are once a week. The tutes are the most important to go to because they tend to be smaller (25ish students) and cover all of what was discussed in the lecture that is of any real importance. Basically, I have had friends go to lectures and tutes on the first day and been told by the professor that if they only attend the tute, they will succeed. Funny, American professors have never told me this before! Another big thing about Uni (university is called uni here) is that the majority of first years (freshman) are not straight out of high school. Many if not most, take gap year or years to work or travel. I am therefore in courses with students who are anywhere from 17-25 and I even have a couple classes with older adults. Uni here is very laid back, there is no one chasing you to go to class, and there are very few if any exams or coursework. Most of my course grades are based on a few major assessments throughout the 13 weeks, mainly a couple essays and a presentation kind of thing. The other big difference is that the Australian grading system doesn't give letter grades! They are called HD (High Distinction), D (Distinction), P (Passing), F (Failing) etc. most people get P's as it is VERY hard to get a HD in Uni, but who knows, maybe I can!
I am taking four courses. Luckily for me, I only have class on Mondays and Tuesdays though, which is kind of bittersweet. Monday's are easy. I have one workshop class from 11-2, it's called Pop Fiction and Mass Culture. We watch noir films and analyze crimes. We will have to write a crime story at some point too. It's probably my least favorite class of the ones I have but at the same time, not so miserable. Tuesday however, are the worst. I have classes from 9am-7pm with a 1 hour break in the middle. I start with 2 lectures, then 3 tutes and end with a lecture. My tuesday courses are Youth and Society (my favorite course), Cultural Perspectives 1, and Retail Marketing. I really enjoy the youth and society course. We analyze each others backgrounds and how we all got to be at Uni together, through the creation of digital narratives. These are 2-4 minute films about why we chose Griffith Uni. Included in this analysis are the sociological ideas of mobility, education, family, friends, culture, even chemical use. It's really interesting!! Cultural Perspectives is not what I thought it would be, I am still trying to figure out what it is we are learning but my tute professor is awesome and I am the only American in the tute, so it's cool because all the Aussies want to ask questions!! I also am liking retail marketing. However, I like it for the concepts- hate the lecture. I think the lecturer is so monotone it drives me straight into la la land where all I want to do is nap. It's the last course of my Tuesday and week, obviously not helping the cause!! I am also finding the tute hard because since everything is based on Aussie retail that I still know very little about, I tend to participate less. However, I am adjusting. Overall, classes have been pretty easy and go by quick. I love only having them on Mondays and Tuesdays because they give me a lot more motivation to attend them!!
One last comment, I absolutely hate not having a printer here! It has already cost me $27.70 to print the course outlines (syllabuses) for all 4 courses and assessment guidelines at the library! It is also the biggest pain in the butt. You need to find a computer, click print on that computer, then log off and go log into a printing computer and print from there using a pin # and everything. I think we might look into a group printer...we shall see.
Anyways, have a great week in America :)
xoxo
All the girls beneath the Griffith University sign on our walk to the Tavern!
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