Honestly, there isn't much going on down under these days, so I haven't updated in a while.
This past Sunday I went on a field trip for my Ecology class. Something that is pretty different here is that you are expected to meet at the field trip location. We don't just get on a bus and all drive somewhere together, which isn't good for me because I don't have a car...or any idea where I am going usually. This trip was at Williamstown Beach. I had to find my own way there via public transportation. I HATE public transportation! I always end up somewhere different than where I want to be. I have been actively avoiding taking a train because I figure if I end up blocks away from my goal via tram I would end up towns away via train. But I actually made it. I took a taxi to Southern Cross (one of the train stations) and then took a train to Newport. I felt like an idiot because I didn't realize they were doing track work between Newport and Williamstown. I sat on the train waiting for it to continue because when I looked at the map I still had like 2 more stops until I got to my destination. Then an employee came up to me and was like, "Dear...we are at the last stop." All I could think of was "SHIT! How did I miss my stop? I was staring that the Next Stop sign like it was going to tell me my future and I still missed it!" But then she told me I just had to get on a bus to take me the rest of the way. Crisis averted.
We basically spent all day exploring rock pools in Port Phillip Bay. We were divided into groups and given a species to search for. We were to devise an experiment answering an ecological question that we can up with. Our original species was red algae, but it wasn't that abundant and we were finding a lot of crabs. So we switched to crabs. We decided to discover whether crabs were more abundant under big or small rocks. We also wanted to ask if their were more crabs toward the beach or toward the ocean. I pretty much spent all day searching for cool things. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera so I didn't get any pictures really. I snapped a few with my cell phone, but they aren't that great. I saw two jelly fish that were stuck in small pools, a few shrimp, TONS of crabs, starfish, a few small fish, and and anemone. I really wanted to touch the jelly fish, and I had decided that I was going to touch the next one I saw, but the I didn't see another one. It was probably for the best.
On another note, I haven't been attending any lectures. I feel bad about it, but I just can't make myself go. I hate school. And the fact that I have done really well on all of the assignments I have done so far is only egging me on. I attend tutorials and labs and do really well so I'm not too worried yet. I just hate going to class. Skipping is a vicious cycle though. I miss classes because I am tired and don't want to go, and then I miss the ones after that because I don't know what is going on in them and I will just be lost. I know I am digging myself a hole, but I just hate school. I'm done. I just want to go home, have a great job, and get on with my life. I have been in school so long! Also, I would rather just sit in my room and do nothing than go. I am really down lately. I know I should go, but I just can't make myself care. I have a midterm in my genetics lecture this Friday, and I'm worried about it. The class is hard to begin with and I haven't gone to basically any lectures. I'm in trouble, but I got myself into it.
Depressing things aside, I booked my flights and hostel for Brisbane a week or so ago. Alicia and I are going whale watching and to the Australia Zoo Sept 17, 18, 19, and 20. I can't wait! I love the zoo, and I really hope that we see some amazing whales!
I am trying to decide what else I want to do. I'm looking at day tours to Phillip Island and a weekend tour of the Great Ocean Road. I want to book them, but I can't until I pick the scuba diving course I want to take. I need to pick a company and a date, but I haven't yet. It's just so expensive, but it is something that I want to do so I want to find the perfect one (read cheapest). They all have hidden fees and I hate that. I found one that I really liked but it was SSI not PADI.
Also, I can't wait for Grandpa to visit. It will be nice to see someone. I need to call him and talk about what days he wants to come.
I know this is a really boring post, but that's pretty much my life lately. I am going to go to the aquarium this weekend so I will probably post after that. Hopefully things are looking up by then.
Love you and I miss you.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Conservation Volunteers of Australia=)
Before I got to Australia, I had the chance to sign up for a volunteer weekend. Now, I hate the idea of paying to go volunteer, but I thought it would be a good idea to give back to my community while abroad. So I chose to travel to Inverloch, a seaside town in Victoria.
So Saturday morning I woke up a 6:30, ate brekkie and began the adventure to find the CVA office. The walk ended up being about 30-45 minutes so it wasn't too far away. I was the first person there, and the door was locked and I didn't see anyone around so plopped down on the front bench. I must have looked like a loser. But then another girl came in a taxi and we sat on the front porch and talked while we waited for people to show up. We realized we had been in Cairns together. Her name was Liz.
Once everyone arrived, we packed up the van and headed off. Two and half hours later we pulled up in Inverloch at our first site. I thought that we would go to our place of accommodation before we started to work, so when we pulled up and a saw a tiny shack with two walls in the middle of a field I was not prepared.
The first place we went was called Thompson Estate. It was just a big field surrounded by bushland. The task was to remove an invasive species of tree. The tree above is an example. The tree we were cutting down is originally from Sydney and looks like another indigenous (native) tree. The tree below is a hybrid of the two. It shouldn't be an issue because most hybrids can live, but not reproduce. So we didn't bother removing it.
I HATED the first day and I was so disappointed. The reason I hated it was because we were not forewarned that we would be working in a wetland, and I only brought hiking shoes, so obviously my feet were soaked. But I survived. We took a break for tea..then another for lunch. Then we got back to work. When we were done we headed to where we were staying. We stayed on a house which was basically right on the beach. So first order of business was to claim beds, then go explore. Unfortunately it was freezing, so swimming wasn't and option. But it was beautiful!
...And I saw a rainbow!-->
So that night, we had to decide what we wanted for dinner, then breakfast, then lunch for the next day. This was chore. We had 12 dollars a person for all three. We decided on pasta for dinner, scrambled eggs for breakfast, and sandwiches for lunch. 6 People went into town. 3 went to the store and 3 went to the pub. I went to the store. This was the first solo trip for the lady from CVA, Wendy. So everything was more difficult than it needed to be. In addition to making everyone agree on every little decision, she was a pain to shop with. I feel bad for saying that because it was nice to see someone who so obviously cared for the feelings of animals and the effects we have on the environment, but JEEZ! She wouldn't let us get packaged mushrooms because there was excess packaging. And then she wouldn't buy anything that she thought wasn't ethically farmed. She wanted us to shop cheap, but then when caged eggs were cheaper, she "splurged" on free-range and made me feel like I personally was the one caging the chickens and taking advantage of them.
BUT I'm off topic. (Just a side note, one of the guys that went to the pub HAD to be an alcoholic. He was talking about how he hadn't had any in four months....then he came into town to go to the pub. lol.) Anyways, we got home, made and ate dinner and went to sleep right away. The next morning I woke up angry. Why you ask? Because Wendy thought opening curtains to wake people up was a good idea. It wasn't. This automatically pissed me off. But that's besides the fact. We had breakfast, cleaned up and headed to our next location.....Where we were greeted by terrifyingly large Grey Kangaroos! There are four in this picture.
The land was public land owned by Victoria Parks. We planted 760 Eucalyptus trees. There were three different Australian species. Our goal was 1,000, but I feel like we did pretty darn good with only 10 people! The first picture is a before shot with the kangaroos, and the next shot is after.
The Process:
1. Someone dug a hole.
2. Another person dropped a tree by it.
3. The next person came by and planted it.
4. The last person used bamboo sticks and a carton to cage the plant in.
The Purpose:
They used round up and killed all of the plants that were previously there, so the young trees had not protection from the wind. The carton also served the purpose of making it difficult for the kangaroos to eat them. I guess eucalyptus sapling is a yummy dish to a roo.
After planting, we headed to an old rifle range. Vic Parks bought it and $150,000 later it was restore from an empty field back to a bushland with two wetlands. The wetlands not only provide habitat, but they take storm water and route it to farms to water crops. Wetlands clean the water and make it drinkable as well.
We left Inverloch about 3 and returned to Melbourne. 45 minutes later I was at my home away from home. 47 minutes later I was in the shower. I was too afraid to take a shower where we were staying because I saw a dead spider. Up until this point I had myself convinced spiders couldn't survive in such cold temperatures. Apparently the can up to a point...so now I'm paranoid.
I decided that I like planting trees. I just put my headphones in a jammed while I planted. Alysha Farson, saving the bushland, one song at a time!! I think when I go back to Carbondale I might volunteer for some projects at Crab Orchard or Giant City. It felt good giving back to the environment, and the time flew by on the second day.
More later! Love you and miss you!
So Saturday morning I woke up a 6:30, ate brekkie and began the adventure to find the CVA office. The walk ended up being about 30-45 minutes so it wasn't too far away. I was the first person there, and the door was locked and I didn't see anyone around so plopped down on the front bench. I must have looked like a loser. But then another girl came in a taxi and we sat on the front porch and talked while we waited for people to show up. We realized we had been in Cairns together. Her name was Liz.
Once everyone arrived, we packed up the van and headed off. Two and half hours later we pulled up in Inverloch at our first site. I thought that we would go to our place of accommodation before we started to work, so when we pulled up and a saw a tiny shack with two walls in the middle of a field I was not prepared.
The first place we went was called Thompson Estate. It was just a big field surrounded by bushland. The task was to remove an invasive species of tree. The tree above is an example. The tree we were cutting down is originally from Sydney and looks like another indigenous (native) tree. The tree below is a hybrid of the two. It shouldn't be an issue because most hybrids can live, but not reproduce. So we didn't bother removing it.
I HATED the first day and I was so disappointed. The reason I hated it was because we were not forewarned that we would be working in a wetland, and I only brought hiking shoes, so obviously my feet were soaked. But I survived. We took a break for tea..then another for lunch. Then we got back to work. When we were done we headed to where we were staying. We stayed on a house which was basically right on the beach. So first order of business was to claim beds, then go explore. Unfortunately it was freezing, so swimming wasn't and option. But it was beautiful!
...And I saw a rainbow!-->
So that night, we had to decide what we wanted for dinner, then breakfast, then lunch for the next day. This was chore. We had 12 dollars a person for all three. We decided on pasta for dinner, scrambled eggs for breakfast, and sandwiches for lunch. 6 People went into town. 3 went to the store and 3 went to the pub. I went to the store. This was the first solo trip for the lady from CVA, Wendy. So everything was more difficult than it needed to be. In addition to making everyone agree on every little decision, she was a pain to shop with. I feel bad for saying that because it was nice to see someone who so obviously cared for the feelings of animals and the effects we have on the environment, but JEEZ! She wouldn't let us get packaged mushrooms because there was excess packaging. And then she wouldn't buy anything that she thought wasn't ethically farmed. She wanted us to shop cheap, but then when caged eggs were cheaper, she "splurged" on free-range and made me feel like I personally was the one caging the chickens and taking advantage of them.
BUT I'm off topic. (Just a side note, one of the guys that went to the pub HAD to be an alcoholic. He was talking about how he hadn't had any in four months....then he came into town to go to the pub. lol.) Anyways, we got home, made and ate dinner and went to sleep right away. The next morning I woke up angry. Why you ask? Because Wendy thought opening curtains to wake people up was a good idea. It wasn't. This automatically pissed me off. But that's besides the fact. We had breakfast, cleaned up and headed to our next location.....Where we were greeted by terrifyingly large Grey Kangaroos! There are four in this picture.
The land was public land owned by Victoria Parks. We planted 760 Eucalyptus trees. There were three different Australian species. Our goal was 1,000, but I feel like we did pretty darn good with only 10 people! The first picture is a before shot with the kangaroos, and the next shot is after.
The Process:
1. Someone dug a hole.
2. Another person dropped a tree by it.
3. The next person came by and planted it.
4. The last person used bamboo sticks and a carton to cage the plant in.
The Purpose:
They used round up and killed all of the plants that were previously there, so the young trees had not protection from the wind. The carton also served the purpose of making it difficult for the kangaroos to eat them. I guess eucalyptus sapling is a yummy dish to a roo.
After planting, we headed to an old rifle range. Vic Parks bought it and $150,000 later it was restore from an empty field back to a bushland with two wetlands. The wetlands not only provide habitat, but they take storm water and route it to farms to water crops. Wetlands clean the water and make it drinkable as well.
We left Inverloch about 3 and returned to Melbourne. 45 minutes later I was at my home away from home. 47 minutes later I was in the shower. I was too afraid to take a shower where we were staying because I saw a dead spider. Up until this point I had myself convinced spiders couldn't survive in such cold temperatures. Apparently the can up to a point...so now I'm paranoid.
I decided that I like planting trees. I just put my headphones in a jammed while I planted. Alysha Farson, saving the bushland, one song at a time!! I think when I go back to Carbondale I might volunteer for some projects at Crab Orchard or Giant City. It felt good giving back to the environment, and the time flew by on the second day.
More later! Love you and miss you!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Alicia Marty's Section of Australia!
For those of you who don't know, one of my best friends, Alicia, decided to study abroad as well. She picked James Cook University in Townsville, Queensland. Queensland is in the North Eastern part of mainland Australia. The temperature is significantly warmer there than in Melbourne, where I live. I went to visit her this past weekend, August 13-16.
The first night I got there I arrived at around 9, so we didn't get back to her room until around 11:30, I think. We went back to her room and hung out and watched a movie. Well, we turned a movie on and then turned it off and went to bed.
The next day was a full one. We woke up, ate breakfast, hopped on a bus, and then climbed Castle Hill. The trail we picked was called the goat trail, which was a set of stairs all the way to the top. There were over 1,300 steps! I felt so accomplished when I got to the top!
One the way down my legs felt like jelly! They were shaking and twitching and it was really hard to stand still!
After that we went to the beach to relax for a while. We had lunch and sunbathed for a while. Then we collected seashells!
When we left the beach, we headed to Rowes Bay to look for creatures in the tidal pools. We found some really neat things! I saw a chiton, a starfish, a sponge, anemones, tons of snails, crabs, and two sea cucumbers=) Rowes Bay was beautiful, and it was so fun climbing the rocks.
To get there we had to wade out into the ocean to get around this fence. Alicia said that the last time she was there on a field trip and they barely had to touch the water to get around it. Alicia was curious about what was at the end of the bay and so was I. So I climbed up some rocks and looked and it just ended! There was a steep drop off and a few feet on the other side of it the rocks continued. I'm thinking it might have been a fault? But that's not the moral of the story. The point is, it was really fun=)
The next day we went to Magnetic Island, or Maggie Island, as the locals call it. We had a blast! We bought cheap snorkels, but we didn't really go anywhere we could use them, so it was kind of a waste. BUT I have them now, so if I need them I won't have to buy them. We went to Horseshoe Bay which was on the opposite side of the island from where the ferry landed. You could rent any kind of water craft you wanted there! Even a sea plane!! It was really expensive there. I wish that I would have had money because I definitely would have rented a scooter to drive around!
While at Horseshoe Bay, we buried ourselves in the sand and had some guy take a picture of us! I think I would like to add, "Get buried up to my neck in sand," to my bucket list. I was only waist deep this time. Right after this picture, I busted out of the sand like the Hulk!
As we were leaving Maggie Island, we saw rock wallabies! They were so adorable and there was a little boy feeding them crackers. Once we got back to the mainland, we went to the Strand (the name for the beach front) and play on this awesome climbing thing and the playground! While waiting for these annoying kids to leave the rope part, I heard a man refer to it as "The Drunk Ropes." haha. In my opinion, YOU WOULD DIE if you were drunk and climbed it. I wouldn't let my kids up there! You can see pictures of the ropes course on my Facebook. The first picture in this post is me and Alicia at the playground.
My last night there, we got gelato at Juliette's and at it under the stars on the beach. It was so romantic<3 It might have been a date considering she bought my ice cream! lol. The whole time we were eating our ice cream we were basically panicking, waiting for a saltie (salt water crocodile) to climb out of the ocean and chase us up the beach. Speaking of crocs, Alicia told me that people actually swim in the rivers up there! They say that they do it because only freshies live in the river, and they only bite, unlike the salties which will eat you. Either way...I'M not getting in a river up there.
On Monday, Alicia took me around her campus which really wasn't that different from Southern. It was very spread out and laid back. People went to class not wearing shoes! It made me jealous because its so warm and pretty there, and so cold and wet here. We live in two completely different places! They had turkeys running around campus and we saw possums in her back yard!
I am excited that time seems to be moving quickly. This weekend I am going to volunteer in Inverloch for two days. I will be camping, which will be fun. I'll post more later! Love you!
The first night I got there I arrived at around 9, so we didn't get back to her room until around 11:30, I think. We went back to her room and hung out and watched a movie. Well, we turned a movie on and then turned it off and went to bed.
The next day was a full one. We woke up, ate breakfast, hopped on a bus, and then climbed Castle Hill. The trail we picked was called the goat trail, which was a set of stairs all the way to the top. There were over 1,300 steps! I felt so accomplished when I got to the top!
One the way down my legs felt like jelly! They were shaking and twitching and it was really hard to stand still!
After that we went to the beach to relax for a while. We had lunch and sunbathed for a while. Then we collected seashells!
When we left the beach, we headed to Rowes Bay to look for creatures in the tidal pools. We found some really neat things! I saw a chiton, a starfish, a sponge, anemones, tons of snails, crabs, and two sea cucumbers=) Rowes Bay was beautiful, and it was so fun climbing the rocks.
To get there we had to wade out into the ocean to get around this fence. Alicia said that the last time she was there on a field trip and they barely had to touch the water to get around it. Alicia was curious about what was at the end of the bay and so was I. So I climbed up some rocks and looked and it just ended! There was a steep drop off and a few feet on the other side of it the rocks continued. I'm thinking it might have been a fault? But that's not the moral of the story. The point is, it was really fun=)
The next day we went to Magnetic Island, or Maggie Island, as the locals call it. We had a blast! We bought cheap snorkels, but we didn't really go anywhere we could use them, so it was kind of a waste. BUT I have them now, so if I need them I won't have to buy them. We went to Horseshoe Bay which was on the opposite side of the island from where the ferry landed. You could rent any kind of water craft you wanted there! Even a sea plane!! It was really expensive there. I wish that I would have had money because I definitely would have rented a scooter to drive around!
While at Horseshoe Bay, we buried ourselves in the sand and had some guy take a picture of us! I think I would like to add, "Get buried up to my neck in sand," to my bucket list. I was only waist deep this time. Right after this picture, I busted out of the sand like the Hulk!
As we were leaving Maggie Island, we saw rock wallabies! They were so adorable and there was a little boy feeding them crackers. Once we got back to the mainland, we went to the Strand (the name for the beach front) and play on this awesome climbing thing and the playground! While waiting for these annoying kids to leave the rope part, I heard a man refer to it as "The Drunk Ropes." haha. In my opinion, YOU WOULD DIE if you were drunk and climbed it. I wouldn't let my kids up there! You can see pictures of the ropes course on my Facebook. The first picture in this post is me and Alicia at the playground.
My last night there, we got gelato at Juliette's and at it under the stars on the beach. It was so romantic<3 It might have been a date considering she bought my ice cream! lol. The whole time we were eating our ice cream we were basically panicking, waiting for a saltie (salt water crocodile) to climb out of the ocean and chase us up the beach. Speaking of crocs, Alicia told me that people actually swim in the rivers up there! They say that they do it because only freshies live in the river, and they only bite, unlike the salties which will eat you. Either way...I'M not getting in a river up there.
On Monday, Alicia took me around her campus which really wasn't that different from Southern. It was very spread out and laid back. People went to class not wearing shoes! It made me jealous because its so warm and pretty there, and so cold and wet here. We live in two completely different places! They had turkeys running around campus and we saw possums in her back yard!
I am excited that time seems to be moving quickly. This weekend I am going to volunteer in Inverloch for two days. I will be camping, which will be fun. I'll post more later! Love you!
Full of Spirt, Full of Fight, A Tiger Win Will See Us Right!
Howdy!
I went to a footy game not too long ago! It was really fun, and I'm not usually into sports. Brunswick Tigers against the Adelaide Crows. Before I even got in the stadium I picked a team to cheer for. The Tigers...obviously. (Not "root" because root is a vulgar term for having sex apparently.)
It started out a really nice day! The sun was shining, there were birds on the field, and lots of people were there. I'm pretty sure there were 20,000 people that attended. The game was at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, or MCG. It was a such a massive stadium!
Anyways, near the end it started pouring down
rain. This was the hardest I have seen it rain since I got here. It made me miss home even more. Usually when it rains here it is just mist. It mists all day...for days on end. And it's cold. But I'm getting off topic.
The game. The tigers won. End of story!
I am either a good luck charm, or the team I picked is the shit. Probably a bit of both! ;)
Peace!
I went to a footy game not too long ago! It was really fun, and I'm not usually into sports. Brunswick Tigers against the Adelaide Crows. Before I even got in the stadium I picked a team to cheer for. The Tigers...obviously. (Not "root" because root is a vulgar term for having sex apparently.)
It started out a really nice day! The sun was shining, there were birds on the field, and lots of people were there. I'm pretty sure there were 20,000 people that attended. The game was at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, or MCG. It was a such a massive stadium!Anyways, near the end it started pouring down
rain. This was the hardest I have seen it rain since I got here. It made me miss home even more. Usually when it rains here it is just mist. It mists all day...for days on end. And it's cold. But I'm getting off topic.The game. The tigers won. End of story!
I am either a good luck charm, or the team I picked is the shit. Probably a bit of both! ;)
Peace!
The Zoo!
Hi, everyone!! It has been so long since I wrote and I have done so much since my last blog.
I went to the zoo! It was really exciting and massive, but it sucked that I had to pay like 20 AUD to get in. I saw this giraffe exhibit where the keeper was discussing the animal with an audience and the male giraffe was getting really close to her because he knew she had food for him. You could tell that she was really uncomfortable. His head was basically right above her, but she played it cool.
I'm not sure if I have mentioned this yet, but I am creeped out by apes. I think monkeys are cute, but apes are just so smart and so like us that they weird me out for some reason. I find them interesting, but in a "i can't look away from this car crash" kind of way. I feel like I am looking at distant relatives. haha.
When I was in the reptile house, I was watching a
snake...who was also watching me. I felt like dinner.---->
I also saw my two favorite animals: the tiger and the leopard! The tiger had young-uns! Granted the babies probably weighed as much as I do.
I watched a meerkat that was simply adorable, he was running all around his enclosure and checking people out. When he finally stopped for second I snapped a picture!-->
And now
what everyone has been waiting for... A PLATYPUS!!!
They also had a baby elephant at the zoo. Her name was Mali, but I didn't get a good picture. Her exhibit was really busy.
More Later! <3
I went to the zoo! It was really exciting and massive, but it sucked that I had to pay like 20 AUD to get in. I saw this giraffe exhibit where the keeper was discussing the animal with an audience and the male giraffe was getting really close to her because he knew she had food for him. You could tell that she was really uncomfortable. His head was basically right above her, but she played it cool.
I'm not sure if I have mentioned this yet, but I am creeped out by apes. I think monkeys are cute, but apes are just so smart and so like us that they weird me out for some reason. I find them interesting, but in a "i can't look away from this car crash" kind of way. I feel like I am looking at distant relatives. haha.
When I was in the reptile house, I was watching a
snake...who was also watching me. I felt like dinner.---->
I also saw my two favorite animals: the tiger and the leopard! The tiger had young-uns! Granted the babies probably weighed as much as I do.
I watched a meerkat that was simply adorable, he was running all around his enclosure and checking people out. When he finally stopped for second I snapped a picture!-->
And now
what everyone has been waiting for... A PLATYPUS!!!
They also had a baby elephant at the zoo. Her name was Mali, but I didn't get a good picture. Her exhibit was really busy.
More Later! <3
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Bucket/F*ck it List
For those of you who are curious, here is my Bucket/F*ck It List:
Bucket List:
1. Scuba DIve
2. Learn to play and instrument
3. Learn Italian
4. Make enough money to live and be happy, but not be rich.
5. Have a baby
6. Graduate college
7. Own my own home
8. Own a snake
9. Work with animals
F*ck It List:
1. Open water dive with any of the follow sharks: Tiger, Bull, Great White, Hammerhead-basically ANY shark aside from the whale or nurse sharks.
2. Own/touch a spider
3. Move back in with family after I move out for good
4. Get stung by a stinging tree
5. Get stung by a jelly fish, box or other wise.
6. Be poor, or needing money all the time.
7. Mooch off people to get by: i.e. ask for money, live with a friend or family rent free.
8. Have a child before I graduate college.
Now, you can cross off scuba dive because I went scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef. This list is open to change in the future.
Bucket List:
1. Scuba DIve
2. Learn to play and instrument
3. Learn Italian
4. Make enough money to live and be happy, but not be rich.
5. Have a baby
6. Graduate college
7. Own my own home
8. Own a snake
9. Work with animals
F*ck It List:
1. Open water dive with any of the follow sharks: Tiger, Bull, Great White, Hammerhead-basically ANY shark aside from the whale or nurse sharks.
2. Own/touch a spider
3. Move back in with family after I move out for good
4. Get stung by a stinging tree
5. Get stung by a jelly fish, box or other wise.
6. Be poor, or needing money all the time.
7. Mooch off people to get by: i.e. ask for money, live with a friend or family rent free.
8. Have a child before I graduate college.
Now, you can cross off scuba dive because I went scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef. This list is open to change in the future.
Monday, August 2, 2010
First Week of Classes!
I realize it has been quite a while since I posted, I'm either busy doing something really fantastic or doing nothing at all. lol. I have finished week 1 of classes and am now beginning week 2. I have said it before and I will say it again: This semester is going to be rough!
Comparative Animal Physiology:
This was the class that I was most excited for. Unfortunately, I think I am going to be let down. Right now we are learning about how stress affects the neural and endocrine system which is not at all interesting. For this class in particular, I was really excited about the practical. I was expecting something different. I haven't had my first prac yet, but the main professor told us we would be dissecting a squid at some point. I am somewhat disappointed. I don't know why, but I expected to be dissecting a lot of new different animals. I read the prac manual for our first lab and it is all about statistics. I really hope this class turns into something I am interested in, but I feel like it isn't going to.
Ecology:
Shockingly, this has been the one class that I haven't been bored out of mind or completely lost in. I'm not usually a fan of ecology, but for some reason today's lecture flew by! It was actually interesting! I really hope that it stays that way. The class has 4 professors, and the one who is lecturing now is a huge beetle fan. He went to the rainforest in Borneo and used fog machines to kill bugs in the canopy and then he recorded them. He used to work for a Natural History Museum in England. He was in charge of the beetle section. Now, I know this doesn't sound really interesting, but he discovered several new species of beetles! It took him and his colleague something like 2 or 3 years to classify all of the insects that fell out of the canopy. I found this really crazy. He told us today that out of all the animals on the planet 3/4 are insects, and 1/4 of that is strictly beetles. That's a shit ton of bettles. Our first prac is a field trip to Yarra Bend Park, I haven't read the manual yet to know what we are doing, but I am pretty sure I have to write a report on it. Way to jump right into this semester! Also, sometime before Thursday I need to figure out how to get there.
Genetics and the Evolution of Life:
I have no idea what is going on in this class because I have only been to the first lecture. I know. Mistake on my part. But they are at 8am!! Jesus, that's early. Right now this is the class that is most demanding. There is a lot of outside work I have to do, so I have been justifying not going to the lecture because I have to reteach myself mitosis and meiosis. The first day I went the professor basically continued on from last semester with a very, very small bridge connecting the two of them. So, because I wasn't here last semester I'm lost. I have some homework due by Friday which is what I have been working on instead of attending lectures. (I'm just being honest. lol. Skipping class has gotten me this far, but I am starting to think it isn't going to work here.) I am going to catch myself up and then start attending.
Genes and Genomes:
Pardon my french, but what. the. hell? This professor barely even gave an introduction and then started lecturing. I don't have the foggiest what she is talking about. No clue, whatsoever. So I don't really have much to say on this subject. The end.
I am going to have to change a lot about my M.O. to get by this semester. I just feel so overwhelmed! Even though I didn't used to agree, professors in the states practically baby you. Here they really place everything on you. You do most of the work outside of class. And that is my problem. I am such a procrastinator! I do everything at the last minute, AND IT WORKS! I am proud of my gpa, but I have to tell you, I don't know how I got it! This semester I am really going to have to buckle down to get by. That is going to be the hardest lesson I learn here. And guess what? I am procrastinating reading for this assignment by writing this blog.
I'm screwed.
Comparative Animal Physiology:
This was the class that I was most excited for. Unfortunately, I think I am going to be let down. Right now we are learning about how stress affects the neural and endocrine system which is not at all interesting. For this class in particular, I was really excited about the practical. I was expecting something different. I haven't had my first prac yet, but the main professor told us we would be dissecting a squid at some point. I am somewhat disappointed. I don't know why, but I expected to be dissecting a lot of new different animals. I read the prac manual for our first lab and it is all about statistics. I really hope this class turns into something I am interested in, but I feel like it isn't going to.
Ecology:
Shockingly, this has been the one class that I haven't been bored out of mind or completely lost in. I'm not usually a fan of ecology, but for some reason today's lecture flew by! It was actually interesting! I really hope that it stays that way. The class has 4 professors, and the one who is lecturing now is a huge beetle fan. He went to the rainforest in Borneo and used fog machines to kill bugs in the canopy and then he recorded them. He used to work for a Natural History Museum in England. He was in charge of the beetle section. Now, I know this doesn't sound really interesting, but he discovered several new species of beetles! It took him and his colleague something like 2 or 3 years to classify all of the insects that fell out of the canopy. I found this really crazy. He told us today that out of all the animals on the planet 3/4 are insects, and 1/4 of that is strictly beetles. That's a shit ton of bettles. Our first prac is a field trip to Yarra Bend Park, I haven't read the manual yet to know what we are doing, but I am pretty sure I have to write a report on it. Way to jump right into this semester! Also, sometime before Thursday I need to figure out how to get there.
Genetics and the Evolution of Life:
I have no idea what is going on in this class because I have only been to the first lecture. I know. Mistake on my part. But they are at 8am!! Jesus, that's early. Right now this is the class that is most demanding. There is a lot of outside work I have to do, so I have been justifying not going to the lecture because I have to reteach myself mitosis and meiosis. The first day I went the professor basically continued on from last semester with a very, very small bridge connecting the two of them. So, because I wasn't here last semester I'm lost. I have some homework due by Friday which is what I have been working on instead of attending lectures. (I'm just being honest. lol. Skipping class has gotten me this far, but I am starting to think it isn't going to work here.) I am going to catch myself up and then start attending.
Genes and Genomes:
Pardon my french, but what. the. hell? This professor barely even gave an introduction and then started lecturing. I don't have the foggiest what she is talking about. No clue, whatsoever. So I don't really have much to say on this subject. The end.
I am going to have to change a lot about my M.O. to get by this semester. I just feel so overwhelmed! Even though I didn't used to agree, professors in the states practically baby you. Here they really place everything on you. You do most of the work outside of class. And that is my problem. I am such a procrastinator! I do everything at the last minute, AND IT WORKS! I am proud of my gpa, but I have to tell you, I don't know how I got it! This semester I am really going to have to buckle down to get by. That is going to be the hardest lesson I learn here. And guess what? I am procrastinating reading for this assignment by writing this blog.
I'm screwed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)