It’s only been about two months since I finished my Economics summer course at McGill, yet here I am, hitting the books once again. At the moment it’s slightly difficult to stay motivated so early in the semester, even though the raw excitement of being so far away from home in a foreign country has faintly dissipated. The four courses I’m taking now will only count for credit on a pass/fail basis, so I don’t need to worry about marks or my GPA while I’m here. That doesn’t mean I’m not interested in the courses though! The design class in particular seems cool, and Australia Now is a laid-back class about Australian history, politics, and other relevant issues. The hard part is writing the essay!
The classes are set up similar to McGill. There’s about two or three 1-hour lectures each week, with one tutorial. They call the TA’s here tutes. I haven’t had one yet, since tutorials only start in the second week, but I think they’re only for showing us how to solve problems, just like back home. The Australia Now’s tutorial is more important because attendance is mandatory, and apparently we have to actively discuss different issues. Should be fun, as an engineer I don’t usually get the opportunity to discuss much in class.
Now that I think of it, engineering is a very closed-minded and cold field... With only two restricted elective classes in four years, we don’t really learn anything but math, physics, a little bit of economy and boring engineering ethics. Hmmm...
The lectures are carried out in the same way as they are back home. You come into class, say hi to your friends, listen/take notes/check facebook/nap for about 50 minutes, then leave. Locals tend to leave class immediately and stick to themselves. Luckily I’ve already met a few people in each class.
Funny story... We have to form teams of four in our design class to complete a couple of projects together. For example, we have to somehow design a gearbox for a wind turbine. So on the first class I’m getting a little worried because everyone seems to already know each other. By fluke a guy walks up to me, introduces himself, and asks me where I’m from. When I tell him, his eyes light up and he then asks me what school I go to. When I tell him I go to McGill, he insists I join his team, which apparently won 3rd place last year. I’m thrilled to be a part of a team, but I think it’s funny that people will judge me based on my school halfway across the world! Apparently McGill does have a worldwide reputation, although I personally think it’s incredibly overrated.
There are barbecues around here all the time. The Aussies love their BBQs! It’s almost like a sport to find free food somewhere on campus, and it’s usually not hard to find. I think most students are always on the prowl for free grub, especially considering how ridiculously expensive everything is here. I have yet to try barbecued kangaroo, since a lot of locals apparently don’t like the idea of eating their national animal! I’m determined to try some, maybe at our floor barbecue next weekend...
A few highlights over the next few weeks: paintball, another footy game, band camp (EMS), a Cat Empire concert, and a hiking trip. I’ve joined the Engineering Music Society’s concert band, which is a band of about 20 people playing relatively modern music and rehearsing every week for an end-of-semester concert. I brought my clarinet with me to Australia, and I’m hoping I can improve my skills while I’m here. I’ve also joined the Mountaineering Club, which basically organizes trips throughout the state of Victoria on weekends for hiking, skiing, climbing, camping, kayaking, basically anything in the outdoors. I figured it would be a great way to discover more of the country, without spending a fortune at a travel agency.
Unfortunately I’ve been sick with a sore throat for the past few days, so I can’t say this weekend was spectacular or anything. I’ve still partially lost my voice! I did get the chance to visit North Richmond (a suburb) and the beach on the bay at St Kilda, which was cool. And I tried Vietnamese Phó (beef soup with noodles) for the first time, which was delicious!
One last thing: INCEPTION IS INCREDIBLE!!! If you haven’t seen this movie yet, what are you waiting for???
Cheers!
- Sean
Cat Empire! :D that band makes me laugh cos one day I was bored and was browsing oddly named bands and discovered that one, listening to the music of it... it's not really my style but it's still pretty funny and cool music :D Have fun.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad for you that the classes are pass / fail ... it means you don't have to kill yourself trying to get A's (not saying don't study and learn :P) but at least it's less stress on your shoulders. I wonder if it's like that everywhere you go on exchange.
I hope you have a fun time especially with the new club you joined. You're keeping super busy & that's great :D Take care Sean!!!!