By popular demand, this post is strictly about Deakin, my classes and the people I have encountered at school.
In general, the school work, I feel is less demanding than at home. With that said, it is definitely left more up to the students to get things done. Typically for classes there are two tests and one major assignment. Attendance counts only for tutorials, and not for lectures. This is apparent too because as weeks go on, less and less people show up to lectures. This is common because lectures are put online. Not only are the presentations put online, but recorded lectures are as well, so you actually get to see your professor, or hear them.
I am taking four classes at Deakin and one online for Marist. The classes at Deakin I am taking are: Marketing Management, Organizational Behavior, Public Relations and Australia Today. The Marist class I am taking is Gender, culture and communications.
Marketing Management I have with Lauren, Christina and Ryan, so we are all working on our project together where we have to convince generation Y to become organ donors. We have to make a PSA and a business plan, but it is as creative as we want. The lecturer is a bit dull, and there is a slight language barrier because he is from Sri Lanka.
Organization Behavior I have with Lauren, Abby and Ryan, and for our big project I am working with Abby and Ryan because we have the same tutorial professor. This project we have to look at businesses and see if bosses or managers have an effect on absenteeism and turnover rates. The lecturer for this class is also boring, but not as bad as the marking professor, but I have a different man for my tutorial who knows his stuff.
Public Relations is really interesting. I guess this is because it is my major, so it is good I enjoy the class, but my professor really knows what he is doing and has tons of experience in the world of Public Relations in Australia. Also, in a lecture of 100-200 people he knows who I am, notices when I am in class and likes to make it known I am America. I have him for my tutorial also, and he always asks me to read what I have written or ask me to recite a definition. I think it is because I have an accent and in most classes when I speak, everyone turns to see where the different accent is coming from. The past few classes we had to make an eight step plan for an imaginary scenario that needed assistance of a PR agent. My professor would always make me read for my group, but I guess it is good he knows who I am by name in such a large class. We have two quizzes for this class, a final and a big project. I don't mind any of the work and I am learning a lot.
Australia today is a class for international students. The woman who teaches it is a character though. She is incredibly nice, but she does love to hear herself speak. She also can talk about sheep and geography for hours. (Those are her two specialties.) For the class I had to make a presentation of Indigenous Australia, which I have researched in the past for a class in high school and history at Marist. We also had to attend a footy game and that paper is the main one for the class. Last week we had a guest lecturer on ANZAC (Australia New Zealand Army Corp) which was nice to get a break from sheep lady. Overall, the class is nice to have being an international student.
My Marist online class seems oddly easy. I don't think the professor has time to make it more demanding, or she just does not care. When I wanted to get permission to get into the class she forwarded my email to someone else to answer me, and all we have to do is make weekly posts in the forum, respond to someone's post and write three papers. One paper I have already gotten a 95 on, and the next one is due this week on a company with a woman in power. I picked PepsiCo and Indra Nooyi.
The people I mainly hang out with are international students. We are all from North America, but mainly the states, minus Lilly from Mexico and Jenn from Canada. The girls on my floor are all very nice and Australian, and for dinner every night I sit with the internationals, the girls on my floor and other people from the block, which is what my building is nicknamed. Through the internationals we have all met other Australians from their buildings and all of the RAs love the internationals too.
The campus I am on is small, but it has a lot of greenery and the lakes are nice. The other day actually reached high 60s, which it has not in a couple weeks or so, so Jenn and I did homework by the lake in the grass. We felt like the only two on campus because Deakin is a big suitcase school, so a lot of students go home on the weekends. It is sometimes a little too quiet on the weekends, but it is nice to spend time with the internationals and the RAs.
This week is the famous Rip Curl Pro surf competition at Bells Beach, which is right down the road from Geelong in Torquay. This is the biggest surf competition in Australia that surfers come to from all over the world. This year is the 50th anniversary of the competition, so I am pretty excited to go watch.
I know I said this post was only about school, but to get excited for the surf competition, here is a video I took of Byron Bay's beautiful water...if it shows up.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Byron Bay and Surfer's Paradise
First off, I would like to apologize to my mom, and maybe my dad for the video that is about to follow. Do not freak out until you have finished watching the video in its entirety.
So yeah, I went skydiving! It was the most amazing experience ever, and I went at Australia's top rated skydiving company, and the highest offered in Australia: 14,000 feet! The location was beautiful. We took off in an open field and flew over the ocean then circled back around to drop right over the beach then land on grass.
In the video you notice one girl going first, then an older couple going second. This older couple were stunt skydivers and at least 60 years old! Abby and her profession went next, followed by one other guy. Me and Nathan, my professional skydiver went third and Matt, my video guy went at the same time. The free fall was about a minute and ten seconds long and then the float down after was about five minutes. We went through clouds and got to see everything around the Gold Coast. You free fall at about 200 kilometers per hour, or 124 miles per hour. I imaged that once I got into the plane, I would be nervous. Oddly enough, the nerves never really set in. When it was my turn to go and I was hanging out of the plane, I had a slight "oh my goodness" moment, but I was more excited than anything. It is an exhilarating experience that I would totally going again, this time warning my parents!
After lunch we got dropped off at Byron Bay. Byron Bay is the cutest town. Very Hippie-esque. The beach itself was gorgeous. The water was so blueish green and surrounded by mountains. Abby and I walked down the beach for a while then napped on the beach until we got picked up.
My trip overall was amazing. I loved every city I visited. Abby, Jenn and I flew into Brisbane Thursday night, check into the hostel, and woke up early the next morning to make our way to the Australia Zoo. The Australia Zoo aka the late Steve Irwin's Zoo was on my bucket list for Australia. I have read so much about it, especially about the crocodile shows. It was a cloudy/ rainy day, but it worked out because it was less crowded. We went to a giant tortoise show, a koala show, an elephant show, the croc show and a tiger show, along with seeing other animals at the zoo. All of the shows were very informative, and fun. It basically monsooned during the koala show, but I still got to pet a koala. I also got to hang out with kangaroos and I touched them and hand fed an elephant. Unfortunately, I did not see any of the Irwin's, but I did get to yell CRIKEY as much as I wanted to without being judged.
We spent the entire day at the zoo then headed back to the hostel to clean up and grab some food. After, we explored Brisbane and walked across the main bridge to go to South Bank Park. Despite it being night time, it was still so warm and the city was beautiful and bustling. In the main square there was a Latin music band and lots of people dancing. The three of us had to make it a fairly early night though because we had to be up early to catch a train to the Gold Coast. Once in bed, Cassie and Christina arrived at the hostel.
The train ride to the Gold Coast was about an hour or so, and we caught a bus after that dropped us right off at the hostel. Courtney from home recommended the hostel we were staying at and it was actually really nice. We had a pool and game room, none of which we used, but it was still pleasant. After getting settled we caught yet another bus to the famous theme parks of the Gold Coast. There are four in total, but a kid in my housing unit at Deakin who is from the Gold Coast recommended DreamWorld and Whitewater World. He told us they were the most like Disney. The theme park and water park were attached and our ticket gave us access to both, so it was really convenient. It was such a nice day and the lines were not long at all for every ride. We hit all the rides at DreamWorld first, then hit all of the water rides at Whitewater World second. To finish off the day we decided to nap by the wave pool in the sun, then go on our favorite DreamWorld ride one more time before the parks closed. We rode the ride and after it finished, the guy controlling it asked, "Do you guys want to go again?" So we went again without waiting in line, with a huge line of people behind us. The big laugh of the day was looking at all the pictures taken on each ride. I decided I need to be aware of these cameras more often because natural Julia is not a flattering Julia. Every picture was so awful of me, that I considered never letting my picture being taken ever again. One ride I actually posed for the camera because we all planned it. It was the coolest concept of a roller coaster ever. The seats were motorcycles so the ride was like we were racing these motorcycles.
After theme parks we headed back to the hostel, washed up and explored the town. The Gold Coast was also the coolest place. I felt as though Jack Johnson should be playing everywhere I walked. This night was another early night because Jenn had to wake up early for scuba diving, and Abby and I had to wake up early for skydiving.
The last and final day (sadly) we woke up bright and early, hit Starbucks then Surfer's Paradise! Surfer's was right down the road from our hostel, and it was a Monday so the beach was pretty empty. The water was warm, and similarly to Byron Bay you could go out really far and the water would still only be up to your knees. It was a perfect beach day. After taking a walk and laying for a bit, Jenn and I decided we needed to be active so we went and bought a AFL football and tossed it around with Abby. After a while of playtime we decided to get some lunch, and that is when the clouds and rain rolled in, cutting our beach day in half. We wasted time before the airport playing cards in the lobby of our hostel for four hours.
The flight home was pretty empty. I got a whole row of seats to myself, so I could lay down and sleep. We arrived back in Geelong and it was cold and rainy. Such a downgrade from beautiful Goldie (as the locals call it).
Take me back to the Gold Coast!
So yeah, I went skydiving! It was the most amazing experience ever, and I went at Australia's top rated skydiving company, and the highest offered in Australia: 14,000 feet! The location was beautiful. We took off in an open field and flew over the ocean then circled back around to drop right over the beach then land on grass.
In the video you notice one girl going first, then an older couple going second. This older couple were stunt skydivers and at least 60 years old! Abby and her profession went next, followed by one other guy. Me and Nathan, my professional skydiver went third and Matt, my video guy went at the same time. The free fall was about a minute and ten seconds long and then the float down after was about five minutes. We went through clouds and got to see everything around the Gold Coast. You free fall at about 200 kilometers per hour, or 124 miles per hour. I imaged that once I got into the plane, I would be nervous. Oddly enough, the nerves never really set in. When it was my turn to go and I was hanging out of the plane, I had a slight "oh my goodness" moment, but I was more excited than anything. It is an exhilarating experience that I would totally going again, this time warning my parents!
After lunch we got dropped off at Byron Bay. Byron Bay is the cutest town. Very Hippie-esque. The beach itself was gorgeous. The water was so blueish green and surrounded by mountains. Abby and I walked down the beach for a while then napped on the beach until we got picked up.
My trip overall was amazing. I loved every city I visited. Abby, Jenn and I flew into Brisbane Thursday night, check into the hostel, and woke up early the next morning to make our way to the Australia Zoo. The Australia Zoo aka the late Steve Irwin's Zoo was on my bucket list for Australia. I have read so much about it, especially about the crocodile shows. It was a cloudy/ rainy day, but it worked out because it was less crowded. We went to a giant tortoise show, a koala show, an elephant show, the croc show and a tiger show, along with seeing other animals at the zoo. All of the shows were very informative, and fun. It basically monsooned during the koala show, but I still got to pet a koala. I also got to hang out with kangaroos and I touched them and hand fed an elephant. Unfortunately, I did not see any of the Irwin's, but I did get to yell CRIKEY as much as I wanted to without being judged.
We spent the entire day at the zoo then headed back to the hostel to clean up and grab some food. After, we explored Brisbane and walked across the main bridge to go to South Bank Park. Despite it being night time, it was still so warm and the city was beautiful and bustling. In the main square there was a Latin music band and lots of people dancing. The three of us had to make it a fairly early night though because we had to be up early to catch a train to the Gold Coast. Once in bed, Cassie and Christina arrived at the hostel.
The train ride to the Gold Coast was about an hour or so, and we caught a bus after that dropped us right off at the hostel. Courtney from home recommended the hostel we were staying at and it was actually really nice. We had a pool and game room, none of which we used, but it was still pleasant. After getting settled we caught yet another bus to the famous theme parks of the Gold Coast. There are four in total, but a kid in my housing unit at Deakin who is from the Gold Coast recommended DreamWorld and Whitewater World. He told us they were the most like Disney. The theme park and water park were attached and our ticket gave us access to both, so it was really convenient. It was such a nice day and the lines were not long at all for every ride. We hit all the rides at DreamWorld first, then hit all of the water rides at Whitewater World second. To finish off the day we decided to nap by the wave pool in the sun, then go on our favorite DreamWorld ride one more time before the parks closed. We rode the ride and after it finished, the guy controlling it asked, "Do you guys want to go again?" So we went again without waiting in line, with a huge line of people behind us. The big laugh of the day was looking at all the pictures taken on each ride. I decided I need to be aware of these cameras more often because natural Julia is not a flattering Julia. Every picture was so awful of me, that I considered never letting my picture being taken ever again. One ride I actually posed for the camera because we all planned it. It was the coolest concept of a roller coaster ever. The seats were motorcycles so the ride was like we were racing these motorcycles.
After theme parks we headed back to the hostel, washed up and explored the town. The Gold Coast was also the coolest place. I felt as though Jack Johnson should be playing everywhere I walked. This night was another early night because Jenn had to wake up early for scuba diving, and Abby and I had to wake up early for skydiving.
The last and final day (sadly) we woke up bright and early, hit Starbucks then Surfer's Paradise! Surfer's was right down the road from our hostel, and it was a Monday so the beach was pretty empty. The water was warm, and similarly to Byron Bay you could go out really far and the water would still only be up to your knees. It was a perfect beach day. After taking a walk and laying for a bit, Jenn and I decided we needed to be active so we went and bought a AFL football and tossed it around with Abby. After a while of playtime we decided to get some lunch, and that is when the clouds and rain rolled in, cutting our beach day in half. We wasted time before the airport playing cards in the lobby of our hostel for four hours.
The flight home was pretty empty. I got a whole row of seats to myself, so I could lay down and sleep. We arrived back in Geelong and it was cold and rainy. Such a downgrade from beautiful Goldie (as the locals call it).
Take me back to the Gold Coast!
Adopted by the Irwin's
Blurry, but feeding an elephant
CRIKEY
Look at that beauty!
My new friend
Look at this fuzzy guy
Tiger show
Brisbane
View from our Gold Coast hostel
DreamWorld
Before skydiving...
After skydiving...
Byron Bay
Surfer's Paradise
Monday, April 4, 2011
Australian Football
For my Australia today class, one assignment is to attend an Australian football game (Footy) and reflect on it in a paper about culture. This paper gave me an extra excuse to go to a footy game, which I have been dying to go to since I have gotten to Australia. My friends and I here have watched a footy game on TV and it is incredibly different from any American sports, but the best way to describe it is that it is a combination of rugby and football. The sport began in the state Victoria, but since then it has expanded to the entire country, but most of the teams are centered in Victoria. There are 22 men on the team, but only 18 are allowed on the field at once, and the field is a giant oval. There are no cheerleaders, timeouts and the clock counts up, similarly to soccer. Because there are no time outs, trainers and coaches can run onto the field at anytime to talk to players and tend to their needs. We all found this bizarre that you randomly see coaches running out in the middle of the game. Another very different quality was that the umpires were very involved in the game and need to be equally as physically fit as the players. They bounce the ball to start off the game and bounce it in when it goes out. I feel as though certain umpires could be kind of biased, but the game yesterday it didn't appear any were.
The rules are also hard to follow. Tackles are allowed (no padding is worn), interceptions are common, and if the ball is intercepted by a player who jumps in the air for it, they get a free kick at a goal. There are also three goal posts. The center one is worth 6 points under certain conditions (conditions such as distance away from the posts, the way they score, as in a kick, pass, run and the height the ball goes through the posts), while the others are worth one. The players also can't carry the ball for more that 15 meters, and must bounce it if they don't intend to pass. The games can end up being pretty high scoring as well.
Etihad Stadium is the home field for many Melbourne teams, and this is where we traveled to yesterday. It was an easy commute into Melbourne and a four minute walk from the train station to the stadium. North Melbourne Kangaroos were hosting the Collingwood Magpies. North Melbourne is who I am seeing with Claire and her dad in May, so I figured I should root for them and buy apparel for the Kangaroos. Collingwood is ranked second in the league though, and apparently they have a very high fan base, compared to North Melbourne who does not have many followers. Scarves representing your team are huge, and jerseys are expensive, so I bought a scarf for North Melbourne. All of my friends I went with bought scarves for Collingwood, so I decided I would be the lone person rooting for the underdog. I admit, I did cave in and buy a Collingwood baseball hat because I really liked the style of it. Each team has their little says, for example, Collingwood is "Side by Side" and North Melbourne is "Ignite". The hat I bought says, Side by Side on it, and it did come in handy when the sun came out. It looked as though I was suffering from identity crisis though rooting for both teams, but I would only cheer for the Kangaroos.
We bought general admissions seats, which were not bad at all. For 20 dollars we could see everything and got seats together. Overall, the game was fun, and we began catching onto the rules as the game progressed. The sun even came out and warmed us up half way through the game! North Melbourne got killed, but this was expected. Poor underdogs.
The rules are also hard to follow. Tackles are allowed (no padding is worn), interceptions are common, and if the ball is intercepted by a player who jumps in the air for it, they get a free kick at a goal. There are also three goal posts. The center one is worth 6 points under certain conditions (conditions such as distance away from the posts, the way they score, as in a kick, pass, run and the height the ball goes through the posts), while the others are worth one. The players also can't carry the ball for more that 15 meters, and must bounce it if they don't intend to pass. The games can end up being pretty high scoring as well.
Etihad Stadium is the home field for many Melbourne teams, and this is where we traveled to yesterday. It was an easy commute into Melbourne and a four minute walk from the train station to the stadium. North Melbourne Kangaroos were hosting the Collingwood Magpies. North Melbourne is who I am seeing with Claire and her dad in May, so I figured I should root for them and buy apparel for the Kangaroos. Collingwood is ranked second in the league though, and apparently they have a very high fan base, compared to North Melbourne who does not have many followers. Scarves representing your team are huge, and jerseys are expensive, so I bought a scarf for North Melbourne. All of my friends I went with bought scarves for Collingwood, so I decided I would be the lone person rooting for the underdog. I admit, I did cave in and buy a Collingwood baseball hat because I really liked the style of it. Each team has their little says, for example, Collingwood is "Side by Side" and North Melbourne is "Ignite". The hat I bought says, Side by Side on it, and it did come in handy when the sun came out. It looked as though I was suffering from identity crisis though rooting for both teams, but I would only cheer for the Kangaroos.
We bought general admissions seats, which were not bad at all. For 20 dollars we could see everything and got seats together. Overall, the game was fun, and we began catching onto the rules as the game progressed. The sun even came out and warmed us up half way through the game! North Melbourne got killed, but this was expected. Poor underdogs.
Etihad Stadium
North Melbourne Kangaroos
Abby, Julia, Lilly, Lauren, Jenn
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