Week 11

Hello there, and a happy Wednesday to you,

Can you believe that it is week 11 already.

Oh my - I don't know where the time is going.

It feels like I wake up each day only to feel like the next minute I am going to bed again.

This week is the final week containing assessable content for two of my courses, the other has a non compulsory subject which is Intro into behaviour modification (which I am looking forward to).

Then next week has some more non compulsory subjects and review for all three courses.

Then the first week of June I sit my three exams - so much study to do before that gets here - URGH.

I have sat some moch exams and they made me realise that I need a lot more work in the revision department.

Anyway I am taking one step at a time and plodding along, I am trying to do my best and have a variety of strategies for study.

There is sooooo much information to take in, I am worried that I will not get it all. Each week my head is swirling with new information still and sometimes when I reread something I cannot recall anything at all.

Ok well it is just a quick post today as I still have a bit to get through before I can call it a day.

So I had better go and get into it.

Have a great day

talk soon

x joy

Week 7, with week 8 popping its head round the corner

Good Morning,

a hearty, healthy, happy hello to you all.

It's Thursday in Smithville today - where is the time going?

It seems I start one week and before I have had a blink of an eye, it is the next week already.

The time is flying by

and if it continues the way that it is I will be finished this degree before I know it.

 

Not that I want it to hurry up and end or anything, cause I  am enjoying it sooooo much.

The human brain would have to be the most amazing thing on earth.

It is fascinating and the more you think about it the more fascinating it becomes.

 

I am finding all the study so far rather easy in that I am loving it so much, it is not a chore to sit down and do it.

However the stressful part comes into play when it comes to remembering all that I have to remember - my brain is swimming!

There is a whole new language to learn - the language of psychology and it is not simple.

 

Yesterday I was having a conversation with someone and they asked me about my OP or rank and I was trying to tell them that I have received a Grade Point Average (GPA) but do you think I could recall what it was called - hahahaha I musta looked a bit dumb hehehehe.

Here I am studying a university undergraduate program but I can't remember the term GPA .

 

Anyway I gotta laugh and I am sure my brain will settle the more I do.

 

That reminds me of something that I have found during this past year.

When I first started studying I had trouble concentrating, reading and focusing.

But I have discovered that the more I do, the better I get.

hahaha go figure!!!! Isn't that what I was told at school all those years ago.

 

I can now sit for hours reading, note taking and concentrating.

I still have trouble focusing in that I sense way too many distractions within my environment. It drives me nutters, I can be studying away and then something will drive me to distraction. Yesterday Hubby was home and  he knew that I had to spend the day studying and he tried really hard to not be annoying but he drove me crazy hehehehe, firstly sneaking into my study area to find his wallet, then something else, then something else ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!

He is very supportive and I am very lucky but as much as he wants me to study he also wants me to be there to do all the fun things we did. So I have to major focus on study while still paying my main man some attention. It has to be a balancing act.

 

So here we are nearly week 8 - only four weeks of teaching left before exam period is upon us.

Each week I submit answers to 3 lots of focus questions and on Sunday (or was it Monday - I can't remember what day of the week it is anymore) I submitted my first larger assessment piece and now I am starting to get heavier into my next one. That is going to be my major focus for the next few days.

 

Although before I get into anything today I need a coffee!

And for those of you that know me well - will go COFFEE what the ????????

Joy never drinks coffee!

Well times are a changin' here in Smithville hehehe

After suffering with a horrendous headache for three days that laid me up in bed for two, I have decided I need to take a much more active approach in my health and well being.

The headache all began Friday when I consumed 7 (yes I said 7) coke zero's along with hardly any water. I could feel the head ache coming on but I just ignored it and carried on chatting and going about life as normal. But by Saturday morning my head felt like a freight train was chugging straight through my frontal lobes. URGH - I carried on but ended up out for the count - it dropped me on my bum.

So I started thinking about what I had done on Friday that could of caused such a beauty of a headache. I started thinking about some MSG that I had consumed via some very tasty morsels, then was it being in the sun with no hat but in the end I admitted that perhaps the 7 coke zeros had something to do with it hehehehe

So to cut a rather long winded story short I am now adding giving up caffeine to my healthy eating and walking lifestyle. Hence the coffee drinking - I am switching to coffee for my caffeine hit and then (because I don't find having a hot drink as much fun as a nice cold, icy drink) I will cut it down to nil caffeine intake.

Wish me luck!!!!!

 

Ok well you have a great day 

I sure intend to - my day is all about consciousness today

Not my consciousness directly (I will be awake hehehe) but consciousness in general and it's altered states - fascinating!

talk soon

x joy

End of week 4, start of week 5

A big hearty

HELLO

to you all.

I hope you are happy and healthy in whatever you are doing and where ever you may be at the moment.

I am this morning feeling a little brain dead and fragile hehehe

perhaps I will need three cans of diet coke to get me through the day instead of my usual two cans.

I worked very late into the night last night to finish off one of week 4 focus questions

I didn't have to - it was my choice, but I was on a roll so just kept going. And for those of you that know me, you know that I am usually an early to bed kinda girl - I luv my zzzzzzzzzzz's

So I may need a Nana nap this after noon as well as 3 cans of diet coke

 

Well there is no point moaning, I came here to say hello and tell you where I am at.

I am just loving my studies at the moment, my brain is buzzing with so much amazingly interesting stuff . WOW, how our brain and body functions is just a miracle!!!!!!! And to say every function begins at the level of a neuron (well lower if you want to go that low, but I am just amazed at the neuron level) is just mind boggling.

 

This week has been very sad though as one of my lovely lecturers had a devastating, family tragedy. My heart just goes out to her, I cannot even begin to imagine how she is coping. It certainly has added a heavy heart to this weeks study. I do hope she is ok. My other lecturer is this ladies good friend so she is also having a hard time. Just all so sad.

 

But amazingly everything that was supposed to happen for study purposes still went ahead this week.

Everything has been handled so professionally, despite the sadness that must be being felt in the uni. I take my hats off to them.

 

And in comparison my tiredness today is nothing to what these people are going through, so I should not complain at all. So I need to shake myself and just get on with the day.

I have the last of my focus questions to complete today, well actually it is a stop and reflect question, not an overly hard one, just one that needs attention to detail.

 

I think my one major concern with everything that I am studying is "Am I going to remember it all"

Oh by crikey, there is information overload - big time. My head is just swimming most of the time.

Yesterday I went and looked at one focus question and the main term in it seemed as if I had never seen it before. But once I reviewed the week, I found it and of course I knew what it was but my brain must have filed it away. Anyway I will take it one step at a time and see how I go. The week between week 5 and 6 is vacation week and although I have my darling little rug rats home on school holidays, I intend to spend the week refreshing and re watching all of my lectures again. Hopefully that will help reinforce the main concepts. 

 

Ok well I think I may go and have some sugar and a diet coke to help kick start my day.

I hope you have a super happy day.

talk soon

x joy

 

 



Week 2

Hello and happy Tuesday to you,

It is a rainy old day here in Blackall, perfect indoor weather,

 perfect for sitting here at my fishbowl (what I call my windows above my desk). I can work away while watching the rain come down - it is very peaceful.

 

Well I got through week 1 and now am successfully getting through week 2 schedules even when I played hooky yesterday to have a well deserved break and had moring tea with my lovely friends.

 

 It was full on getting back into 3 courses after doing only one course last term but I like being busy and it is filling each day lovely. I definately need to do all six hours each day that the boys are at school and then some more after they have settled into homework. I have been jotting down how many hours I spend each day and to complete all duties that where expected of me last week - I spent a total of 37.5 hours which is exactly 12.5 hours for each course. I realise I will probably need to spend more with assessments but if I do them as I go along - I will be fine.

 

Ok well I am off to go cook some dinner for my boys - I probably need to think about exactly what we will be having first hehehehe I hope there is something in the cupboard (or will I be like old mother Hubbard).

Have a great day.

talk soon

x joy

Day 1 Week 1 Term 1 of Psychology

Hello and a super happy Monday to you,

WOW

how excited am I!

Today is Day 1 Week 1 Term 1 and even Year 1

and I am so excited my fingers are tingling hehehehe

Three subjects this term - so I will be a busy little pumpkin but I can't wait.

My three subjects are

 Biological Foundations of Psychology

Fundamentals of Psychology

and

Introduction to Allied Health

I started doing my readings over the weekend so today I will pop onto Moodle and get sorted with this weeks to do's.

Then I want to pop onto Cyberpsych to get going on the extra activities on there - I figure that anything extra will be beneficial.

I have discovered that these courses involve a lot of reading, which is to be expected. Similar in a way to my Introductory Biology course last year. So I came up against my first challenge yesterday and that is I find it very hard to read with any distracting noises around - I need silence which in a house hold of three others is impossible. So the boys are at school today but the big fella is on holidays and is cracking away with our renovations. So do I get him to stop sanding walls and sit still while I do my reading hahahahaha not a chance (I'm not silly - I want my reno's done as well)! I worked out last year that I could concentrate with some soft study music playing - it drowns out any other distracting noises. I listen to Strauss - just perfect! I cannot have any music with singing, as me being me - I always end up singing and sometimes dancing along - not good for study. So the soft, uplifting Strauss it is. 

Oooohhhhhh Ok well I am so excited, so I had better go and get into it.

Have a great day - whatever you are doing.

Talk soon

x joy



Who's a happy little vegemite?

Hello and happy Thursday to you,

I am one happy little Vegemite today!

I have just got my end of course test results for Maths

and I got a High Distinction!!!!!

YAY!!!!!!!!

I am so happy and relieved - I really thought I had stuffed up in the test and was expecting only 70%. So how amazed was I to see 85%.

I must say that the excitement that I felt when I got the results was amazing and it made all the stressing and hard work so worth every minute.

 

I have been spending some time thinking over this last week or so about my whole journey so far.

And really it has been hard work - but has been so worthwhile and rewarding. I am so happy that I have had this opportunity to begin study. And although there have been moments when the stress has got high and I have thought that it has all been too hard  - I am so glad that I am doing it. It has certainly enhanced my life and has given me back a spark that I thought has gone out a long time ago.

 

I am eager for the new term to begin and to undertake my Undergraduate Program - how exciting is it to have such a journey ahead of me. I know it will be hard work and I know I will get stressed but I want it. I have begun my prep for the term ahead, downloaded course profiles, set up my study plans, done orientation and started reading my text books.

 

I still have to do some work on juggling family life and study. As sometimes it is hard for the family to remember that I cannot just drop everything and do what needs doing. But we are getting there and I think they do realise just how important this is to me - so generally there is mostly support (just that occasional time when it all gets crazy).

 

Ok well I am off to go do some mothering duties now - I have Benji home sick today from school. Thank goodness it is not a study day as he is watching movies and it is a loud, noisy, boy movie - you know the ones with 'bang, kapow, clank, whack, sirens blarring and all with yelling and screaming. One of those ones that if you turn it down you can't hear what they are saying when they talk but the bangs and explosions are so loud the ricter scale registers them - eeekkkkk (certainly not a noise I like in the house - I do love my peace and quiet).

 

Ok have a great day

talk soon

x joy



Year one and STEPS program done and dusted!

Hello and happy Tuesday to you,

Can you believe it?

Year one done and dusted!

WOW

How happy am I!!!!

I cannot believe how fast this year has gone and if I hadn't enrolled in STEPS I would still be sitting here doing all the things I used to do and would still be bored and feeling uninspired.

 

But here I am instead feeling so proud and totally inspired to keep going. I have an excitement inside that is a great feeling.

I finished up all of my responsibilities with STEPS yesterday, completing my exit survey and evaluations and to tell you the truth - I am a little sad - everyone has been so happy and helpful throughout the whole STEPS program - it has been so amazing. I cannot thank everyone enough for all the help that I received and I would certainly recommend the program to anyone wanting to start University studies.

 

So - what now?

Well I have until the 25th Feb before I start my undergrad program and in that time I have to complete my orientation online. Which by the look of it - will all be kinda easy because it is alot of what I covered in  the STEPS prep course.

But otherwise I am planning nothing other than relaxing, mothering, house working, a spot of crafting and some more relaxing. (ohhh guess I should add doing some wifey duties as well - but thought you might think I was being rude - but really I just mean going that extra bit to give Hubby the attention that all men seem to need) Sounds super good to me and just what I need to recover from Maths (hehehehe - it really wasn't that bad - but it just doesn't come naturally to me). So if you are looking for me - more than likely you will find me over at my crafty blog

Franjopani cards 

where I will be crafting up a storm hehehehe I wish anyway!

 

Well you enjoy what ever it is you are doing

we will talk again soon

x joy