Productivity Week and Exam Nerves

The reasons why I haven't blogged are:
1) been working - worked a couple of days this week
2) been trying to study - studied on those days off, and it's been productive for the grammar exam on Monday. It's open book but I expect it to be tough and since I know I did quite badly for the Linguistics exam, I really need to get a high grade in this one. Just started on phonetics - the theory is not getting into my head, and I've been wasting trees trying to write sentence by sentence down repeatedly so I'll remember. If only there was such thing as a memory juice or some memory USB stick I can plug into myself.
3) been feeling quite nostalgic lately... and thinking of buying a phone card to call you guys. The thing is that because of work and tests every week at uni, I hadn't really had the time to social mingling...

Oh, my parents have left by the way. They're back in Melb with my sis... and my dad called me recently to say he left his wallet back in the hotel and needs me to pick it up. But I'll have to do that after the exam.

I did another productive thing this week which saves me time from having to do when sem 1 starts - which is, my car rego and driving licence. I have actually changed it to NSW. I have to say the colours are not as nice as the ones in Victoria. In fact, my car numberplate is bright yellow. It is the standard one and that is the cheapest, but it's not a bad number. You have to come down to see it... don't really wanna display my numberplate on my blog. Haha... As for my driving licence, yes, the Vic licence is so much nicer. I really like the green... but this yellow and white driving licence I have now... it's not that bad. I've got a decent photo too. =)

This week, I had most of my passes sorted out... from Ch 9 and SBS. It's pretty cool. I haven't actually worked at Ten yet but probably in the next next roster or something. Ch 9 and SBS are really down on people at the moment with one of the video c-a-p-t-i-o-n-i-n-g supervisors leaving for the same company up in the UK and another person leaving. In fact, they have asked me if I am interested to take up the position of video c-a-p-t-i-o-n-i-n-g supervisor over at SBS and have given me till March to decide. That is a major step because I would not only be doing c-a-p-t-i-o-n-i-n-g, but I will also be handling the feeds of the videos, liaising with the producers, cutting down and editing video stories... Plus I have a huge editing switchboard to myself. Pretty cool. I'll take a pic next time when I'm there. At the moment though I am going to be mainly at Ch 9 because I'll be training someone next week for about two weeks, showing him the ropes of the different types of software. Should be interesting.

Last week, I mentioned to the site manager at Nine that I might go part-time with my course, so that would take my studies to 4 years instead of 2. Well... it would be better in terms of allowing me to concentrate more on the study component. Looking at my sem 1 timetable, I have 5 subjects that run Mon to Thur full days. Then Fri to Sun, I'm working all days... which doesn't actually give me any off day really. And I kinda need one day off at least to study or have a social life. So I did think about it and it definitely more promising if I do it that way especially since I'm struggling right now. I was looking at Macquarie and they have only three days of uni and two hours less than us which I actually think is better... Oh well.. I have come across people who have said that the teaching for that course is not as good as in Syd Uni. Anyway, when I mentioned this to the site manager, apparently when he had a meeting with the big bosses here in Sydney, my name came up and this I heard from one of my colleagues... but they're kinda hoping that I go part-time and take that video supervising role at SBS and would certainly love for me to work more.

So I guess it's not a total loss if I do not pass. I am hoping to pass of course. But I guess if I don't, I'm gonna try to do a grad dip mid-sem and get into the MA the following year, maybe at Macquarie... but I'll do that once I know my results from summer school.

Well, can't wait for the exams to be over. I'll have to go for my doctor's appointment next week as well after the exams are over to find out what vaccinations I'll need to get.

Right now, I have to get down to business and try to memorise these phonetic rules - the big theory stuff for the Phonetics exam on Tues. Plus I have to master drawing up the faces too, to show the oral cavity and lips, teeth and stuff. I suck drawing those faces... If only I could trace a face out.

Signing off here... I'll be back after Tuesday to either complain or say how I went in the exams... And, of course, wish me luck and blessings for these two papers. Hopefully I get into the course.