Love Hate Relationship

I'm sure it is the same for many students, but I'm finding a rather volatile love/hate relationship with university. It is always hard to get back into studying after a break. Even a week off can stuff up the zone I feel myself in after even just a few weeks of grueling lectures, tutorials and assignments. So this week has been my first of 3rd year social work. Mostly it has seemed a bit of a waste of time as the timetable I was given was wrong, the rooms I'm in are of course not sufficiently sized to actually fit the number of students who are supposed to attend and the few lectures/tutorials I did have this week were generally waffling on about Field Education 1 (also known as prac in second semester) or what is to come in semester 1 and 'try not to panic about the workload' being repeated.

As a week at uni goes, starting at midday on Monday was pretty awesome even with 2x 2hrs of class with a 1hr break, Wednesday I'm supposed to have a 3hr tutorial which was replaced with a 1.5hr library class. This meant that my normal 2hr break turned into a 3.5hr break! Initially I had many noble ideas about setting up the free uni internet access on my laptop, purchasing my textbooks, picking up my readers and even doing some of my readings...instead I went and saw a movie! I was sitting in Manning doing the stupid internet things which was slow and painful and seemingly not worth it...but then, my friend Marissa, who possibly wasn't feeling quite so motivated, made a joke about seeing a movie. Now it just so happens that there is a Hoyts at Broadway shopping centre and there was a few sessions starting at 11:30 which gave us 10mins to get there for the start of the previews. Free uni internet, you were totally worth it! We did hoof it over there only to sit sweating through a further 15mins of previews and ads, but with 30mins to get back for a 2hr class made the day much more bearable. Thursday's are only 3hrs at uni normally, with a lecture first thing followed by a 2hr tutorial. Initially the timetable said no lecture and a tutorial, but it turns out I had a 1hr lecture and got to go home.

Overall you'd probably say that was a pretty good week...a few other highlights include seeing what I can only assume would be pure arts student...slightly baggy overalls and a clean paintbrush holding up her hair. It made me smile at the wonderful uniqueness and freedom of expression at uni. This was unfortunately ruined by being told that to gt access to free uni internet I had to pay a $0.02 fine on my account. Now apparently this account is related to computer access where you get 6MB free per day on computers outside the libraries. This account also controls your ability to print from these computers. How on earth I can incur a $0.02 fine with no money in there to start with baffled even the IT nerd. To pay this fine, had to be done by credit card, either online or at the IT centre with a minimum of $10 needing to be paid. Now I find myself lacking in confidence when the guy who is supposed to be explaining the issue to me also seems baffled but I paid my $10, which of course became $9.98. Completely ruined my morning...grrrr

This week I also made a new friend. His name is Stefan (Stef) and he did a communications degree at UTS and has transferred to the degree all brand new this year. He walked up to one of my other friends on Monday and said "Hi. This is my first day and I noticed you in the lecture. Want to be friends?" Not a shy kind of guy, but used to not having classes with many of the same people from his old course. Turns out he and I have a tutorial together and then sat together in our lecture yesterday. He thinks my husband is cute (as per one of our wedding photos that is my desktop background), we walked to Central station madly chatting away and I think I've made a new friend...a new gay friend. He seems lovely and I am just glad that uni is not the cold lonely place it was for the first few weeks of 1st semester last year as I do not have the courage to just walk up to people like Stef did.

I'm certain the hate rating of uni will go up with the large number of group activities to come, plus a video 'interview' and then report on our video and not to mention several in class mini exams and a few nasty looking essays. But such is life and I should be thankful for my extended and privileged education. I am also thankful for weekends, no assignments yet and celebrating friends babies this weekend. Happy days :)