Muditha on Studying at UniSA - Part 3

The Library at Mawson Lakes

In the first half of 2008 Muditha began the Masters of Teaching (LMTC), a two year PG Masters by coursework degree. She is planning to teach SOSE and English. See earlier posts.

Study here is different. As a class we share problems.

I soon found the lectures were very good. They were different from my experience in Sri Lanka because they are done as a presentation not in a lecture form. It’s all about sharing information, arranging discussions with groups, talking with individual students. Lecturers give handouts that are very good. I’ve really enjoyed my studies in all my courses. Even the readings are good: they back me up. My favourite course was Introduction to Australian Education by David Williams. His teaching is very interesting. Earlier I had no idea about the Australian education system. We also got help from Gretchen, a former International graduate student who comes to the lectures and helps with assignments. She is very good.

I was worried about understanding and speaking English: I thought I would not be able to understand the language here. But after coming to class I thought 'I can get it'. The lecturers always give handouts on the topics. I also find that lecturers speak slowly and clearly. Other Australians, in schools and restaurants, speak very quickly. And they speak slang which is not spoken by the lecturers. Here we get lots of encouragement to develop our English and learn local sayings so we can understand other people.

Muditha’s important tips for new students:Make lots of friends in different groups: do not limit yourself only to the people from your own country. Australian friends will help you get an understanding of Australian culture. It’s so interesting: everything is different: eating, talking, everything.

My top 3 tips for new students are:

1. don’t be anxious about asking for help



2. give priority to your studies at first. It is easy to lose that focus if you have a job.



3. be positive about everything that is happening

Muditha

Reading and Writing - Natural born friends?

Reading and writing go together naturally – or do they? Understanding the various readings set for study and then explaining those ideas in your own words is a challenge for many students.

We find that it doesn’t matter what level of study you’re doing there are always new demands.
If you’re studying in Oz for the first time or starting Uni from school, you are sure to find some things are different. Students are confronted by:

• The amount of required reading
  
• The emphasis on using academic sources
  
• Understanding the nature and purpose of some of the reading
  
• The complexity of some texts –so many new terms
  
• Keeping track of ideas – theirs and yours
  
• Critically analysing texts as well as understanding them
  
• Using sources without plagiarizing accidentally – such a big issue!

How can you build on your existing reading strategies? Check out these Learning Connection resources for great suggestions:

Notemaking from reading

Reading Log

Critical and analytical reading

Best of luck

Helen

We would like to hear from you! Now that we are in Week 1 of SP5 do you have any questions? Post a comment below.

Finding a Home Muditha's story... Part 2

In the first half of 2008 Muditha began the Masters of Teaching (LMTC), a two year PG coursework degree. She is planning to teach SOSE and English. Here are some of her early impressions of moving to and studying in Adelaide.

The main problem was finding a room. The motel was very expensive. Because we came during the Fringe Festival it was hard to find accommodation: it took one week to find us a room in a shared house.

We got addresses from the website then we had to catch the bus to go to look at places. One bus driver was very kind. We were setting out late to look at a house. He said he could drop us off nearby but there’d be no buses after 7pm and it was not a nice area. He called other drivers from his bus and confirmed there were no other busses. He arranged for another driver to collect us to drive us back to the main road. This showed us if you ask for help you meet good people. People will not try to cheat you or mislead you. We have found bus drivers here very helpful.

After a week we found a furnished house close to the campus and we share this with other students from the UK, India and China. We like sharing with different nationalities: it’s interesting. We help each other and we all speak in English. This is good for our English. The Indian guy in the house said he’d help find a job for my husband. This was good as we had to pay a deposit for our room and the rent was always high: $170 per week. The landlord wasn’t nice. But it was ok and good to be with students. To be continued...

Muditha

The wonderful world of wikis

Once you get the hang of them, wikis are great for group work and projects. They also take a bit of learning.

Here is a quick video which gives you a snapshot of the function of the wiki in plain English (produced by Common Craft). Highly recommended - especially for first year engineers!

Muditha's words of wisdom for commencing International students..Part 1

In the first half of 2008 Muditha began the Masters of Teaching (LMTC), a two year PG coursework degree. She is planning to teach SOSE and English. Here are some of her early impressions of moving to and studying in Adelaide.

Day 1
When I first arrived in Australia from Sri Lanka it was very strange, very. I was totally confused and didn’t know what to do. I arrived with my husband and we were just married. When we came into the airport after we landed it was very different: people moving about, talking in English, very busy, not smiling at all. We felt that we are strangers. Having come with him was the only relief because I could talk to him in my own language. My husband had travelled before but not me. Yet it was strange for him too.

We went to the motel that was booked for us: it was ok but although it was on the main road it was lifeless. There were not many people in the motel. We were missing the family, missing friends, everything. We felt very alone; we do not have anybody here.

We wanted to tell our parents we had arrived so we went in search of a phone box. We didn’t know about phone cards or anything. We couldn’t find a phone. A taxi driver, an Indian man, stopped and asked if we had just arrived. We said we had and were looking for a phone to call our parents. He gave us his phone and told us to phone our parents. He was very kind and helpful. He told us it was good in Australia but you have to ask for help. Ask people and they will help you. We were lucky to meet this helpful person the first day. He really encouraged us and gave us good advice. And he showed us the bus stop and told us about buying the ticket and how to come to the university. He gave us his number and said we could contact him for more help. He also said we should aim for jobs in the field we are experienced in.

It’s different here. If people go to my country, many people will talk to you. Here they won’t talk to you unless you ask them. But then they will be very helpful.

Muditha

What's Your Plan?

Congratulations to all of you who've successfully completed your exams and assignments for Study Period 2!

The next study period (i.e .SP 5) will commence on 28th July. In other words, you've another 2-3 weeks to enjoy your well-deserved break!

If you are unsure what to do during this break, here are My Top 10 Tips:

1) Clean your room/ kitchen/ toilet, or the whole house! :)

2) Go for a short-trip (or visit Recreation in Adelaide)

3) Look for part-time or casual job

4) Look for volunteer work

5) Hang out with family and friends

6) Exercise

7) Enjoy good food

8) Watch movies

9) Sleep

10) Plan and organize your enrolment/ study workload for Study Period 5.

Cheers,

Adiemus Seah

(Counsellor, Learning Connection)

Need some housing? Not sure where to start?

At this time of year you, like a lot of other students, may want to move to a new place. In a tight rental market and with limited time before the start of the next study period, where do you start?

Here are some practical suggestions:

As well as campus noticeboards and Classified Advertisements in the newspaper, there is a wide range of other options for different budgets and requirements. Just hop on to the Accommodation website http://www.unisa.edu.au/accommodation/

• Want to share a unit or house? Log in to the Rental Database. But remember to do it regularly, because the database is updated daily with new listings.
• Have you registered with the SA Student Housing Association? The email updates will alert you about upcoming vacancies.
• If you want to stay in purpose-built furnished student accommodation, head to the Student Accommodation part of the website for student hostels, apartments and residential colleges.
• Need some advice and tips on renting and protecting your rights? Browse through the Advice & Tips and FAQ sections.

Did you know that there are lots financial grants available to Australian citizens that are not allocated on the basis of academic merit? In other words, you don’t have to be genius to qualify.

And last but not least: never, ever agree to a lease before reading and understanding the entire contract.

If in doubt, get some reliable, independent advice.

Good luck,
Pat Petronio, Accommodation Services Coordinator

Got the sniffles? and assignments and exams as well?

(Vector Clipart Picture, 2008)

This is a time when you might feel really stretched by your workload. It’s also the season for coughs and colds.

• What do you do if are feeling too crook to sit your exam?
• What do you do if you sit the exam when you are ill and get bad results?

If you are not well enough to write your assignment or sit your exam, don’t!
Instead you need to go to the doctor and get

• medical treatment
  
• a medical certificate that you can use as documentary evidence of your illness.

In a big institution like UniSA there are guidelines that staff and students must follow when it comes to assessment. The rules are there to ensure that everyone has ‘a fair go’ i.e. the same chance of success as each other. But if you are sick it counts as an ‘unexpected and exceptional grounds’ and you can apply for deferred assessment (see Assessment Policies and Procedures 2008, Section 7.3).

Assignments
If you are ill and need an Extension to complete your assignment

• read your Course Information Guide to find out exactly who you need to contact and any instructions you need to follow
  
• contact your Course Coordinator as soon as possible (within 5 working days of the assignment due date)
  
• complete and submit your application for an extension and submit it with your medical certificate (also within 5 working days).

Exams
If you miss your exam due to illness

• contact your Course Coordinator as soon as possible (within 5 working days of the exam)
• complete and submit your application a deferred assessment and submit it with your medical certificate(also within 5 working days).
  

What happens if you attend the exam and then fail?
If you are not well, you sit the exam and do really badly, you need to see a doctor that day and get a medical certificate. You can then apply for Special Consideration: you must do this within 5 working days. If Special Consideration is granted, it may involve sitting a deferred exam, doing a written assignment or something else.

Emailing Course Coordinators

• write in plain English
• do not use SMS text.
  

Keep in mind that your email records your request. Keep it friendly and polite. Also keep a copy. Do not assume the Course Coordinator has seen or received the email, until they have replied and ensure you keep a copy of the reply.

If the extension was agreed to verbally, also send an email confirming the agreed arrangement. Ensure you get a reply and, again, keep a copy.

If Course Coordinators are not replying to your emails you can call them directly and if you are still not able to get through to them, try contacting them through the School office.

wishing you every success,
Helen

Lecturer: Learning Adviser

Staying warm in winter, staying fit for exams

It was 6 degrees last night. At last, I pulled out the electric blanket from my closet, set it up and turned it on. Ah... the warmness from the blanket immediately sent out waves of Z..Z..Z... signal to my mind and body. Yes, it's time to sleep.

But just before I swtiched off the light, I spotted my neighbour's light in his bedroom. It was still on. My neighbour is an international student and I guess he must be staying up late preparing for exams. Suddenly I had a flasback memory -- remembering those days when I was an international student, studying until late while battilng with the cold weather. Like some international students, saving $$ was important to me and therefore unless it was really necessary, turning on the heater or using the electric blanket was still a luxury for me.

Exams are just around the corner. So are the flu bugs. If you are not used to the cold weather, it can be a real challenge to study, to battle with the cold weather and to maintain health at the same time.

Here are some practical tips of how you can stay warm and stay healthy in this winter and exam season:

- Staying warm in winter

- Staying mentally fit for exams

All the best to everyone!

The Counselling Team

Learning Connection

Perfectly cool and ready for those exams?

Getty Images (2008)

Only a month to go and you need to be ready for your exams! Exams are more the rule than the exception if you are studying at Mawson Lakes campus. Here exams can be do or die: worth up to 70% of your grade. If you want to take them in your stride start planning now.

What do you need to do?

1. Find out everything you can about how exams at done at UniSA: the practical stuff about dates, venue, rules etc
   
2. Make sure you know the focus of your exams: see your Course Information guide, lecture notes, past papers, ask in tutorials
   
3. Develop your revision schedule and make it work for you
   
4. Feed your brain: keep active and healthy
   
5. Set weekly as well as longer term goals
   
6. Meet all your goals and get the grades you want.

Workshops and exam resources are available to support you as you prepare for your exams. Visiting School helpdesks (for example Maths or Java ) are an excellent way to improve your understanding of the challenging concepts in your course.

Success is within your reach if you get organised now!

Helen