Well the student part of the exchange has been over for what seems like a very long time now (in reality it has only been a couple of weeks). I think it is high time I do a bit of a reflection on that aspect before it fades into a distant memory!
Here are some comments on the exams (being most salient in my mind). First of all, there is an allotted 10 minutes of 'reading time' at the start of every exam. During this time you are forced to confront your fate without the opportunity to start answering questions in any way. I found this practice to be much more stressful than practical but I suppose the time could be used to devise a strategy to manage one's time most effectively during the actual writing period. The second thing that was different from my previous exam writing experiences was the fact that seats were assigned! Sure we mark down our seat numbers in some of our exams at home but we are never fated to a particular seat. Finally, there was a lot more writing than I was used to. I think this can be blamed on the fewer teaching assistant marking hours we have at the University of Guelph. I was still able to employ some of my years of multiple choice experience however!
Ultimately I think I fared pretty well on the exam portion but we will have to wait and see my final grades before I can say that with ultimate certainty.
That provides a pretty good transition into a discussion of how my grades fared during the exchange process...
Although I have no final marks I know that they will be lower than the marks I have received at home. I partly account this to the marking criteria of the University of Sydney, being a world class university I have found that it was much harder to get very good marks there, although it also seemed to be harder to fail. However, I believe the predominant reason is one faced by exchange students around the world, the daunting challenge of balancing fun, excitement and experience with academic hard work! This is something that they don't worn you about as much as they maybe should. Along with being thrown out of every routine you have developed over your uni career you are constantly faced with adventure and opportunity that contribute just as importantly to your exchange experience. Striking a balance was what I found to be key to the success of my exchange. Being realistic about the strains that are put on your normal academic functioning but also keeping in mind that it is the academics that have brought you across the world are key to leaving your place of study satisfied with your accomplishments.
I have absolutely loved and appreciated my time at the University of Sydney and think that I have gained some valuable insights from studying under a different roof. I am, however, excited to head back to finish up my degree at the University of Guelph. The smaller campus in a quieter city, McLaughlin Library and reliable campus internet are things that I have grown to love and build my academic life around, not to mention living in a place inhabited solely by uni students!
So, armed with my USyd jumper, I will head into fourth year with a new appreciation of my life at U of G and an added work ethic resulting from my semester of relative leisure and distraction!
Here are some comments on the exams (being most salient in my mind). First of all, there is an allotted 10 minutes of 'reading time' at the start of every exam. During this time you are forced to confront your fate without the opportunity to start answering questions in any way. I found this practice to be much more stressful than practical but I suppose the time could be used to devise a strategy to manage one's time most effectively during the actual writing period. The second thing that was different from my previous exam writing experiences was the fact that seats were assigned! Sure we mark down our seat numbers in some of our exams at home but we are never fated to a particular seat. Finally, there was a lot more writing than I was used to. I think this can be blamed on the fewer teaching assistant marking hours we have at the University of Guelph. I was still able to employ some of my years of multiple choice experience however!
Ultimately I think I fared pretty well on the exam portion but we will have to wait and see my final grades before I can say that with ultimate certainty.
That provides a pretty good transition into a discussion of how my grades fared during the exchange process...
Although I have no final marks I know that they will be lower than the marks I have received at home. I partly account this to the marking criteria of the University of Sydney, being a world class university I have found that it was much harder to get very good marks there, although it also seemed to be harder to fail. However, I believe the predominant reason is one faced by exchange students around the world, the daunting challenge of balancing fun, excitement and experience with academic hard work! This is something that they don't worn you about as much as they maybe should. Along with being thrown out of every routine you have developed over your uni career you are constantly faced with adventure and opportunity that contribute just as importantly to your exchange experience. Striking a balance was what I found to be key to the success of my exchange. Being realistic about the strains that are put on your normal academic functioning but also keeping in mind that it is the academics that have brought you across the world are key to leaving your place of study satisfied with your accomplishments.
I have absolutely loved and appreciated my time at the University of Sydney and think that I have gained some valuable insights from studying under a different roof. I am, however, excited to head back to finish up my degree at the University of Guelph. The smaller campus in a quieter city, McLaughlin Library and reliable campus internet are things that I have grown to love and build my academic life around, not to mention living in a place inhabited solely by uni students!
So, armed with my USyd jumper, I will head into fourth year with a new appreciation of my life at U of G and an added work ethic resulting from my semester of relative leisure and distraction!
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