Auckland OLY1 chat - archive

[ChocolateSunshine]

I trained in every morning and walked up from britomart...it's not a hard walk and only takes about 12mins. Plus it's nice getting a bit of fresh air before being crammed into a lecture hall for 4 hours...

It wasn't REALLY 4 hours in a row right? i've got 1 hour breaks breaking my '4' hours up

 

[camwells]

From what I've heard, PHIL 105G is a paper that most people either do really well, or really poorly in. I had to wait a while before I was accepted into biomed, as I put both NCEA and CIE on my application form, and ended up with a second semester timetable that didn't really work with many Gen Ed papers... So I'm doing SCIGEN 101G, which I know some people have found really hard in the past, but hopefully it all goes okay.

 

[ChocolateSunshine]

From what I've heard, PHIL 105G is a paper that most people either do really well, or really poorly in. I had to wait a while before I was accepted into biomed, as I put both NCEA and CIE on my application form, and ended up with a second semester timetable that didn't really work with many Gen Ed papers... So I'm doing SCIGEN 101G, which I know some people have found really hard in the past, but hopefully it all goes okay.

Are you allowed to do scigen? isn't that like science based?

 

[camwells]

Are you allowed to do scigen? isn't that like science based?

It was on the list of Gen Ed papers that were available, so I assume we must be allowed to. I think I read about someone on here doing it a few years back too (don't ask me who though)... It's about communicating scientific ideas, which I guess is why you're allowed to do it, as it's not REALLY science based in the way that biosci and chem are.

 

[ChocolateSunshine]

It was on the list of Gen Ed papers that were available, so I assume we must be allowed to. I think I read about someone on here doing it a few years back too (don't ask me who though)... It's about communicating scientific ideas, which I guess is why you're allowed to do it, as it's not REALLY science based in the way that biosci and chem are.

ok well if you are sure it will be counted as a valid gen ed.. why did you pick SCIGEN?

 

[camwells]

ok well if you are sure it will be counted as a valid gen ed.. why did you pick SCIGEN?

I might double check whether it's legit or not during O Week, just to be on the safe side...

Um well since it's about communicating scientific ideas, I figured it was probably a lot more skills focussed, rather than fact learning - something I figured would be a refreshing change, especially in the second semester, with MEDSCI to deal with. I've always been pretty good at essay writing; I did both English and History at Level 3, as well as the Sciences, so hopefully that gives me a fairly solid base to work from in the communicating ideas department.

 

[agentlucerne]

@ChocolateSunshine, @camwells *bow* Sometimes, 5 a.m., if I had an internal that needed some last minute work or I needed to practise piano for choir/band.

PHIL105 - I have no idea why I'm so interested in this. I was tossing up between Phil, Classics, History, and some Architecture paper, but I ended up choosing the Philosophy one, since it actually fit in my timetable, and it sounded like fun. I guess I'm just weird like that.

 

[camwells]

Now that is ridiculous. I can't remember the last time I got up that early.

I was actually quite interested in PHIL as well... It didn't fit into my timetable unfortunately. I was considering doing Film, TV, and Media studies at one point, cause one of my mates who wants to do Optometry was doing it, but decided to go with SCIGEN in the end. I found all the interesting papers that I wanted to do (History, Phil, etc...) were already full, or didn't fit into my timetable! So frustrating...

 

[agentlucerne]

It completely messes up my holidays, too. I always automatically wake up at around 5:15, even if my alarm clock isn't on. It's such a pain.

I was lucky to get in pretty early. Enrolling in classes was quite nerve-wracking. The spaces disappeared so quickly. SCIGEN sounds useful, too. Communication is always a good thing, especially for Med, right?

 

[ChocolateSunshine]

It completely messes up my holidays, too. I always automatically wake up at around 5:15, even if my alarm clock isn't on. It's such a pain.

I was lucky to get in pretty early. Enrolling in classes was quite nerve-wracking. The spaces disappeared so quickly. SCIGEN sounds useful, too. Communication is always a good thing, especially for Med, right?

But we only do one gen ed/only in this year right? So i figured, probably won't learn much/develop much interest in one semester, may aswell pick something 'easy'

 

[camwells]

I can imagine... My sleeping patterns in the holidays tend to get messed up, but in the opposite direction... Late nights and uber-long sleep ins make it hard to get back into the swing of things when school starts again...

Yeah, I swear the system is so confusing! It took me a while to get my head around what we actually had to do... The fact that more than half (if not all) the tutorial classes were full was kinda stressful at times too. That was one of my other reasons for choosing SCIGEN actually. I figured that as a doctor, you'll find yourself in the situation of having to describe a fairly complex medical or scientific idea to a patient fairly often. So any practice at communicating those sorts of ideas would definitely be helpful imo.

 

[agentlucerne]

But we only do one gen ed/only in this year right? So i figured, probably won't learn much/develop much interest in one semester, may aswell pick something 'easy'

It certainly makes studying (and doing well) easier if you enjoy what you're learning. I wouldn't want to be stuck doing a paper that I find wholly unchallenging/unenjoyable. Especially if I'm going to have to pay ~$600 for it in the end.

 

[camwells]

It certainly makes studying (and doing well) easier if you enjoy what you're learning. I wouldn't want to be stuck doing a paper that I find wholly unchallenging/unenjoyable. Especially if I'm going to have to pay ~$600 for it in the end.

This was much my way of thinking as well... In the long run, all you really need in it is a B/B+, otherwise it doesn't affect your entry into medicine in the slightest. So you may as well pick something enjoyable or interesting, or useful with regard to medicine in some way. (That being said, ECON could actually be very relevant, especially if you end up being a GP with your own practice).

 

[leiladian]

@camwells
Argh, I envy you. Yup. 8 a.m. Every single day except Wednesday. <_< To be honest, my second semester's not much better - lectures start at 9 a.m. I'm just glad that I get home pretty early on my non-lab days.
And South Auckland really isn't as bad as the news makes it out to be.
I went to St Mary's College (an all girls school). University's going to be interesting after 5 years of that kind of environment. I'm glad my parents put me there, though, since it gave me the chance to get used to being in the city, taking public transport, etc. And it was a great school.

@ChocolateSunshine
At high school, there was a school bus stop 5 minutes drive away from my house. However, it was the very first stop, so I had to wake up at around 5:30. For uni, I was considering taking the train, but that means I either have to wait around for the Link, or walk from Britomart. I wouldn't mind walking, but that Albert Park hill is kind of scary. I found out an express bus stops near me, though! It ends up by the Thomas Building at uni. I still have to wake up at the same time.

same here! all morning lectures for sem 1 & 2! According to the experiences from high school, its highly possible that I might fall asleep during lecs, especially in the biggest lecture room with hundreds ppl inside. -_-

 

[Nogeat]

I'm pretty glad that i got accepted late, cause the afternoon lectures only became available around mid jan. Thought that was a pain in the butt with 4 hours of lecture in a row. I guess it's more painful to wake up at 5am every morning (n)

I guess i'd hardly see you guys, unless some of you start 'stream hopping'

 

[agentlucerne]

[MENTION=12728]leiladian[/MENTION] Strangely enough, I have never fallen asleep in class. I don't know how I managed to stay awake for 100% of my school experience, especially during Y13 when I had to pull more than a few all-nighters. I suspect that's going to change this year, though.

 

[camwells]

same here! all morning lectures for sem 1 & 2! According to the experiences from high school, its highly possible that I might fall asleep during lecs, especially in the biggest lecture room with hundreds ppl inside. -_-

Haha I can certainly relate to this... There were more than a few 2nd period history classes where I ended up falling asleep on my desk... One day I was snoring and my mate had to wake me up so the teacher didn't realise I was sleeping.

[MENTION=13210]Nogeat[/MENTION] - I assume you're in the afternoon lectures then? Yeah, spending 1-5pm in the same lecture theatre didn't really appeal to me all that much either... Hopefully there's decent breaks in between to go outside and have a walk around and get some fresh air.

[MENTION=13281]agentlucerne[/MENTION] - I'm even more impressed... I could never pull an all nighter and then stay awake at school the whole of the next day. The least sleep I've ever gone to school on was 3 hours I think - after doing the whole Level 3 English research internal in one night - I got excellence though, so I guess it was worth it! I think one of the most important things this year is going to be time management, just so that you don't find yourself pulling all nighters to get stuff done at the last minute. Sleep is essential. ^_^

 

[agentlucerne]

English 3.7? Heh, I loved that research internal. It was a good excuse to read lots and watch lots of movies. I actually only used like half of the stuff I read, and ended up doing the bulk of my report over a weekend, and got the E. With an extra subject, I didn't have a study period last year, so the whole all-nighter thing was unavoidable in some cases, no matter how well I managed my time. Oh well. It was good exercise for my (previously almost non-existent) time management skills. Here's hoping there aren't too many all-nighters this year. :s:

 

[Nogeat]

Have you guys checked out the lecture guides for biosci 107. I saw the one uploaded on cecil and man...
Each lecture is like 10 pages (sounds like a months-worth of workload back at school), (n)
I'm just glad that there's no plants -_-

 

[Zippo]

At high school, there was a school bus stop 5 minutes drive away from my house. However, it was the very first stop, so I had to wake up at around 5:30. For uni, I was considering taking the train, but that means I either have to wait around for the Link, or walk from Britomart. I wouldn't mind walking, but that Albert Park hill is kind of scary. I found out an express bus stops near me, though! It ends up by the Thomas Building at uni. I still have to wake up at the same time.

Yes, the Albert Park hill is a killer. I used to catch the train from out west, and I walked up that hill for 2 weeks. I'm extremely unfit and I died lol. Eventually somebody recommended the following:

Get off the train at Britomart
Walk towards the back exit of Britomart
Then walk up Anzac Ave
It will take you directly to Symonds street, and it's more of a gradual climb as opposed to kill me now.

Hahah if you want to get fit Albert Park is a winner.