After working on my journalism feature story for 2 weeks, and studying for my communications exam for 5 days, I think I can take a well-deserved (albeit short!) break from researching for my international studies exam ... to blog! :)
My next exam (Contemporary Worlds 2) is on Tuesday, November 4th. I know it seems like a long time to go, but it's really not. Hahaha. I have to prepare answers for 15 key terms and a 1500-word essay. But at least the questions are given in advance! I love my School of ASS. :D
Even the Introduction to Communication Studies (COM1020) exam was a godsend of sorts, because the questions were a cut-and-paste combination from the 2007 and 2006 past year questions! :) I want to give the unit coordinator a big hug, whoever he/she is.
Some other people I wanna hug:
I haven't seen them in months/weeks/days! :( But once this semester's last paper is over, I get to see my friends again! :D Especially since Denise's coming back on the 28th, Tse Mun's transferring to SeGi (so close to Monash that it's too cool!), Leila will *hopefully* be able to renew her visa (no thanks to you, Reading! >:(), and Carmen and Vanessa will *hopefully* be able to steal a couple of hours away from their crazy lives of medical students and spend some time with yours truly! And Cheryl is in Reading until June 2009. :( Boo. Hahaha.Ooooh and Ms Edwina Goh (from Student Admin Office) has been so kind as to e-mail us the group photo from the scholarship presentation ceremony! :D Below is the cropped version 'cause the full one is so small you can't see
The full photo is already on Facebook because Shangari thought it would be funny to tag herself, me, and my "Love our oceans!" T-shirt. -_-"
Behind the first row of the 4 VIPs: Students of FTV1010 (Contemporary Television Studies) have received their finalised marks. :D I still can't believe the score I received for the take-home test (see 2 blog entries ago for my big complaint about downloading Pride & Prejudice off YouTube!)! And in response to what I said earlier (ie: "This better be worth it"), it was soooo worth it. It's such a miracle, and it will do be the big favour of pulling my average up. :)
Just like how I can't believe what mark Dr Julian awarded me with for my International Studies essay on free trade. *dreamy smile* I will keep that paper forever, I swear! Pity I won't get my take-home-test back. :( I want to frame it up hahahahhaha.
But I shall also adhere the advice that Melissa, one of the television studies tutors, gave me: Don't care so much about marks, just try your best. :)
How true. Especially when the grading is so subjective. It's like... you flat-out cannot predict your mark. Seriously.
I thought my INT essay was a big disaster, especially the more I thought about it, but Dr Julian didn't think so. I thought my COM essay was a good piece of work, but clearly Mr Kumar didn't think so. I thought my story on migrant workers was a big disappointment, but Chin Huat didn't think so. I thought my take-home-test bombed, but Melissa thought it was deserving of an absurd score. I thought my first journalism assignment was a success, but I got a C. Hopefully the only C I will ever get in my beloved School of ASS, but again...
You flat-out cannot predict your mark.
Hahahaha. That's one of the things I've learned from nearly completing 1 semester at Monash. The only essay I was really, really proud of and then got a mark that reflected it, was my contemporary tv studies essay on "Friends" (the TV show).
I will love "Friends" forever!! :D I'm still so happy that one of my many obsessions has finally paid off.
Now... if only I can do my Honours/Masters thesis on Harry Potter...
Hahaha. Anyway, as usual, post-exam plans have sneaked mischievously into our minds before the exams are even over.
My "To-Do" List (subject to change, lol):
1) Steamboat with Tharsh, May & Jas right after INT1020 exam.
2) GO OUT WITH EVERYONE.
3) Collect my pixelart and clay art from Michelle http://www.dwotties.blogspot.com%20shopping/ while shopping with An, Leila, and her Bangladeshi friend (who's also studying at Monash) she wants me to befriend and show around.
4) Volunteer with May Yen - probably at Bangsa Ria Center for the Disabled. She found it via her journalism feature story (a profile on a handicapped man). What did I find through my story? People in their forties, fifties and sixties who decide to go back to school. Hahaha.
5) Ride a rollercoaster with Leila and whoever else. This must be done! Compulsory. Haha. Ah, shoot, I'm feeling nervous just picturing it. I hope I don't throw up like in one of those C-grade comedy/horror flicks.
6) Read the (non-academic) books I have but haven't read. Bring on the Austen, Bronte, Dickens and Shakespeare! I shall persevere. And I'll re-read Harry Potter in between those so that I don't feel like the most pretentious person on earth. Hahahaa. I wonder if I should give a second stab at finishing "To Kill A Mockingbird"? Gah. I get so surprised at myself when I get bored with supposedly "really good" books or "classics" - I love reading, but for some strange reason, some books that I really expect to like, I wind up chucking out of the first window of opportunity. Take Lord of The Rings, for example. Everyone was raving about it. It was the sort of literary phenomenon I was "supposed" to love. But I wasn't so crazy about it! I had to force myself to turn the page and finish the book. It was the longest story EVER. Maybe it's because I wasn't supposed to read the trilogy all at once or something. :( And yet there are some obscure books that keep me wide awake all night reading it under the bedcovers, like Katherine Neville's "The Eight" or Lucy Kellaway's "Who Moved My Blackberry?". And then there are always books like Jon Stewart's "America" and "Freakonomics". :D
7) Watch old movies that some people talk about but I have no idea what they are about. Like The Godfather. Or Run Lola Run. Or Desperate Housewives and Prison Break, which I have but never finished. Hahaha.
8) Read up on world history and other things that may be useful for the rest of my journey through the School of ASS. I realise I don't know squat about the world or what's been happening to it. :(
I don't want to be overly ambitious (LOL) so I think 8 things to do in 1 month are more than enough. It's not like I'm going to get to do all of them anyway. Like the old movies - where am I supposed to get them? YouTube? Hahaha. And I have a strong feeling I may very well chicken out of the rollercoaster ride. -_-" What is it that I'm afraid of? Plummetting to a premature death? Yeah, probably that.
Come December, things get a bit more focused, but interesting! :) Psychology 1A commences in the summer semester, so I'll be learning something about psychology (no idea what).
And Chin Huat's recruiting 4 research assistants for December/January! He's doing a project of studying media reports of the GE, so the research assistants will be "coding" political news reports. He needs a research assistant (RA) for each language - English, Malay, Tamil, and Chinese. But it's like a pretty formal application process, I think, because we're required to send in CVs and be shortlisted for interviews!
The more I consider this, the more I'd love to be considered! So I sent in my CV and e-mailed him about it. I said that I can do English or Malay, either one is fine, but I'd like to do the Malay one. I miss Malay! :D And it would give someone else a chance to do the English one, especially if he/she only speaks English and not Malay/Chinese/Tamil. :)
He said he'll keep me in mind for when the thing starts, and see if I can still do it with my Psychology 1A classes. Ah, I really hope I get to be one of the research assistants!
Why, oh, why do there have to be so many obstacles when it comes to something I really want to do? Not only are there my summer classes, there's also the fact that I have to be shortlisted, and then interviewed (oh my goodness, I hope it's not a quiz about Malaysian politics), and pitted against interested applicants from ALL his journalism and communication classes.
If I can do this, I'll be really thrilled. If not, then, oh well, I have to learn how to handle rejection anyway! :)
Oookay. Back to international studies and globalisation research now. Have a good weekend, all!!
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