Chemistry musings...
*Blinkie of the Day*
Sometimes I think university isn't as great as it's made out to be. Now and again, I get pangs of missing home and 'my past life' in Malaysia, and now is one of those times.
OK, it's not really that strong .. it's not like i'm reduced to tears or anything like that, just been thinking and musing about it. I managed to read 3 pages of Advanced Organic Chemistry notes without an inkling of what I've just read due to random thoughts coming to my mind.
Going overseas to study can be quite a heroic task. Think about this : You're going to a foriegn country with different streets, shops, culture, people, cars, language, weather, etc. Unlike studying in a local uni, it is highly unlikely you'll be with people with whom you share any sort of history with. (Oh! I sat next to you in Std 2.. Wah! You look so different...) Yes, there will be the smittering of people who come from the same uni / hometown / country as you, but for the most part of it, you are thrown in a whole new world.
Of course this is not something I'm really complaining about. Cause I think that if you are prepared and embrace the experience, then it can be really interesting. After all.. ADVENTURE!!!
I never felt remotely homesick for the 1st semester I was here. I have undying gratitude to Mark for this, because he showed me all around Adelaide, and i'm sure i've seen almost all its crevices, and also he introduced me to so many Aussie things that I might never have thought of doing if a local wasn't by my side. Of course it's a win-win situation ... he got the honour of my company. hehe..
Back to Today's Musings, I suppose I also am quite disappointed at the social structure, if you can call it that, of my course. The pharmacy school is a pretty big one and I can't complain of its diversity; my coursemates are from all over the world (sort of) But maybe that diversity has caused the class to be segregated into many distinct cliques. the M'sian, the ABVs (Australian-Born Vietnamese), the Aussies, the *ahem* mature students, etc.. After a year of G3 where the whole class was so synonymous, this is kinda difficult. Yes, maybe outsiders could see groups in G3, but we definetely were not clique-y. Which 'clique' am I in, you ask? Well, seeing this happening right from the start, I vowed not to stick to a group of ppl, and just sit anywhere with random ppl, to get to know more people. While this, I think, is probably the right thing to do, it definetely wasn't the easier path. I don't regret this choice, though. I think I've gotten to know a lot more ppl than I would have by sticking with only a selected few.
But compare this to school days where you are 'stuck' in a class of 40-odd peers. Even if you didn't know any of them to start of with, it's quite guaranteed you will by the end of the year (unless you're completely anti-social). Plus, every year you most probably will get a new mix, so in the end, you know a whole lot of people.
Something like living in a house of people. I love living in a sharehouse. I really hated my days in Unihouse, where I had a hotel-like 1 bedroom apartment, with my own mini-kitchen and bathroom, but I was LONELY. You see, i've always had a noisy house, with things happening all the time (2 brothers = no peace) so living alone was often quite scary for me. Now in a house with 3 other people, I feel like they're almost family. Sharing a bathroom is definetely worth it. Again, being 'stuck' with people isn't a bad thing at all. I've not only found true friends in my housemates, I also have learnt so much about other cultures and languages. I also have Mark's parents to thank for this - they've been my Aussie family and even boarded me for the month I was 'homeless' inbetween shifting. (haha.. i feel like this is some gratitude speech)
But this is a serious post, nonetheless. What is the point? Well, I don't really know. It's the end of the semester, and the end of the year with my last exam on tuesday. Am just thinking about all that has happened this year.
Sometimes I think university isn't as great as it's made out to be. Now and again, I get pangs of missing home and 'my past life' in Malaysia, and now is one of those times.
OK, it's not really that strong .. it's not like i'm reduced to tears or anything like that, just been thinking and musing about it. I managed to read 3 pages of Advanced Organic Chemistry notes without an inkling of what I've just read due to random thoughts coming to my mind.
Going overseas to study can be quite a heroic task. Think about this : You're going to a foriegn country with different streets, shops, culture, people, cars, language, weather, etc. Unlike studying in a local uni, it is highly unlikely you'll be with people with whom you share any sort of history with. (Oh! I sat next to you in Std 2.. Wah! You look so different...) Yes, there will be the smittering of people who come from the same uni / hometown / country as you, but for the most part of it, you are thrown in a whole new world.
Of course this is not something I'm really complaining about. Cause I think that if you are prepared and embrace the experience, then it can be really interesting. After all.. ADVENTURE!!!
I never felt remotely homesick for the 1st semester I was here. I have undying gratitude to Mark for this, because he showed me all around Adelaide, and i'm sure i've seen almost all its crevices, and also he introduced me to so many Aussie things that I might never have thought of doing if a local wasn't by my side. Of course it's a win-win situation ... he got the honour of my company. hehe..
Back to Today's Musings, I suppose I also am quite disappointed at the social structure, if you can call it that, of my course. The pharmacy school is a pretty big one and I can't complain of its diversity; my coursemates are from all over the world (sort of) But maybe that diversity has caused the class to be segregated into many distinct cliques. the M'sian, the ABVs (Australian-Born Vietnamese), the Aussies, the *ahem* mature students, etc.. After a year of G3 where the whole class was so synonymous, this is kinda difficult. Yes, maybe outsiders could see groups in G3, but we definetely were not clique-y. Which 'clique' am I in, you ask? Well, seeing this happening right from the start, I vowed not to stick to a group of ppl, and just sit anywhere with random ppl, to get to know more people. While this, I think, is probably the right thing to do, it definetely wasn't the easier path. I don't regret this choice, though. I think I've gotten to know a lot more ppl than I would have by sticking with only a selected few.
But compare this to school days where you are 'stuck' in a class of 40-odd peers. Even if you didn't know any of them to start of with, it's quite guaranteed you will by the end of the year (unless you're completely anti-social). Plus, every year you most probably will get a new mix, so in the end, you know a whole lot of people.
Something like living in a house of people. I love living in a sharehouse. I really hated my days in Unihouse, where I had a hotel-like 1 bedroom apartment, with my own mini-kitchen and bathroom, but I was LONELY. You see, i've always had a noisy house, with things happening all the time (2 brothers = no peace) so living alone was often quite scary for me. Now in a house with 3 other people, I feel like they're almost family. Sharing a bathroom is definetely worth it. Again, being 'stuck' with people isn't a bad thing at all. I've not only found true friends in my housemates, I also have learnt so much about other cultures and languages. I also have Mark's parents to thank for this - they've been my Aussie family and even boarded me for the month I was 'homeless' inbetween shifting. (haha.. i feel like this is some gratitude speech)
But this is a serious post, nonetheless. What is the point? Well, I don't really know. It's the end of the semester, and the end of the year with my last exam on tuesday. Am just thinking about all that has happened this year.
This entry was posted
on Sunday, November 21, 2004 at 11/21/2004 10:26:00 am.
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