Week one done.
Yikes, it is scary to realise that i have just finished the first week of my course. The buildup to this has been so long, and so often i thought that it wouldn't happen. I must admit that when i first heard i had won the scholarship i thought there had to be a mistake. For about three months, everytime I received a letter from Rotary I was sure it would tell me that I hadn't actually got the scholarship. However here I am, doing the museum studies course.
The first week has been quite hectic. Not only have I had to try and organise study things, but so many administrative things as well. Registration for the uni, registration for the computers, registration for a student union card etc. We don't have student cards yet so we have to carry around our certificate of registration for access to the library. I was quite suprised to find that the library was not open to the public and that you had to prove you are a student to enter. It is a bit of a hassle until we get our cards, and borrowing is next to impossible. Hopefully we will get our cards late this week, or early next.
The lectures have been quite interesting, but it is worrying to realise that we are already 5 lectures into the first module. We have had a number of lectures by Simon Knell, the head of department. On Thursday he gave a really interesting lecture about the history of museum development. Rather than the traditional view of cabinets of curisosities to public museums he looked at the development of philosophical societies in Britain into county museums. He focussed on fossil collection and how the local museums in their own way supported all levels of society in 19th Century England through these societies. It was really interesting.
Friday was wonderful - Eilean Hooper-Greenhill lectured. This is the person who has practically written the bible on museum studies and learning in museums. Her text 'Museums and the shaping of Knowledge' is the first text given to most museum studies students. So to listen to her lecturing, and discussing her thoughts, ideas and research into post-modern learning in museums was just wonderful. It was also a really interesting lecture, with some fascinating insights into school children's learning experiences in museums. She discussed an indepth learning program in the British Empire and Commonwealth Museum and read the response from a girl of African Heritage to the slavery section of the program. The girl (16) discovered a new way of seeing herself and her abilities through this program. Stating that she should be trying harder to achieve to give back some of the pride taken from the black slaves. (I can't remember the exact quote, but that is the general feeling of it). I still get shivers thinking about that. It is things like that that make me so keen to work in museums.
The weekend has been quite relaxed. yesterday morning i went to watch some hockey matches being played by the club i am hoping to join. I watched some of their 2nd grade, and some of the 5th grade. If i play really well i might make the second grade team, but they play on sand turf and i think it will take me a few weeks to adjust to sand, after playing on water for so long. I hung around after and met some of the girls, they were really nice. i start training tomorrow night.
After the hockey i met another girl from the course in the city and we wandered around for a few hours. Nicola introduced me to a number of different shops. telling me which were cheap and nasty, which were cheap and good, and where you could get good bargins. It was great having someone who was happy to do that. I was able to relate them back to chains in Australia for reference. We wandered back to the hall as it was starting to rain. Nicola lives a few floors above me, also in a studio, so later in the evening i wandered up to her flat with some tim tams and we sat and half watched TV and chatted. It was a very pleasant way to spend the evening.
Today the sun came out! I was so excited. I haven't seen the sun in over a week, so the glimpse of it today was very nice. I can see why brits go a bit mad when they get to australia and seem to sunbake until they are crisped. I'm sure i will get used to it to some extent, but right now i miss regular sunlight.
Despite the sunny, but cold, weather i spent most of today indoors. We already have an essay due next week, so i spent my time at the library, then in my room studying for that. it isn't very long, only 1,000 words, and it isn't for marks, but i don't want to start the year procrastinating and leaving everything until the last minute. I'll try to set a good example for myself.
I still can't quite believe that one week is over already. I am sure that the weeks won't slow down, in fact they are likely to get faster. The good thing is with uni now getting into a bit of a pattern, a hockey club sorted out and a few friendships developing i am feeling much less lost. I am sure that there will still be things that throw me, times when i wish i was home, but hopefully once i create more of a life here those things won't cause problems for too long.
I have added some extra photos to the previous posting if you are interested. Sorry there are none for this posting. I will try and remember my camera a bit more this next week.
The first week has been quite hectic. Not only have I had to try and organise study things, but so many administrative things as well. Registration for the uni, registration for the computers, registration for a student union card etc. We don't have student cards yet so we have to carry around our certificate of registration for access to the library. I was quite suprised to find that the library was not open to the public and that you had to prove you are a student to enter. It is a bit of a hassle until we get our cards, and borrowing is next to impossible. Hopefully we will get our cards late this week, or early next.
The lectures have been quite interesting, but it is worrying to realise that we are already 5 lectures into the first module. We have had a number of lectures by Simon Knell, the head of department. On Thursday he gave a really interesting lecture about the history of museum development. Rather than the traditional view of cabinets of curisosities to public museums he looked at the development of philosophical societies in Britain into county museums. He focussed on fossil collection and how the local museums in their own way supported all levels of society in 19th Century England through these societies. It was really interesting.
Friday was wonderful - Eilean Hooper-Greenhill lectured. This is the person who has practically written the bible on museum studies and learning in museums. Her text 'Museums and the shaping of Knowledge' is the first text given to most museum studies students. So to listen to her lecturing, and discussing her thoughts, ideas and research into post-modern learning in museums was just wonderful. It was also a really interesting lecture, with some fascinating insights into school children's learning experiences in museums. She discussed an indepth learning program in the British Empire and Commonwealth Museum and read the response from a girl of African Heritage to the slavery section of the program. The girl (16) discovered a new way of seeing herself and her abilities through this program. Stating that she should be trying harder to achieve to give back some of the pride taken from the black slaves. (I can't remember the exact quote, but that is the general feeling of it). I still get shivers thinking about that. It is things like that that make me so keen to work in museums.
The weekend has been quite relaxed. yesterday morning i went to watch some hockey matches being played by the club i am hoping to join. I watched some of their 2nd grade, and some of the 5th grade. If i play really well i might make the second grade team, but they play on sand turf and i think it will take me a few weeks to adjust to sand, after playing on water for so long. I hung around after and met some of the girls, they were really nice. i start training tomorrow night.
After the hockey i met another girl from the course in the city and we wandered around for a few hours. Nicola introduced me to a number of different shops. telling me which were cheap and nasty, which were cheap and good, and where you could get good bargins. It was great having someone who was happy to do that. I was able to relate them back to chains in Australia for reference. We wandered back to the hall as it was starting to rain. Nicola lives a few floors above me, also in a studio, so later in the evening i wandered up to her flat with some tim tams and we sat and half watched TV and chatted. It was a very pleasant way to spend the evening.
Today the sun came out! I was so excited. I haven't seen the sun in over a week, so the glimpse of it today was very nice. I can see why brits go a bit mad when they get to australia and seem to sunbake until they are crisped. I'm sure i will get used to it to some extent, but right now i miss regular sunlight.
Despite the sunny, but cold, weather i spent most of today indoors. We already have an essay due next week, so i spent my time at the library, then in my room studying for that. it isn't very long, only 1,000 words, and it isn't for marks, but i don't want to start the year procrastinating and leaving everything until the last minute. I'll try to set a good example for myself.
I still can't quite believe that one week is over already. I am sure that the weeks won't slow down, in fact they are likely to get faster. The good thing is with uni now getting into a bit of a pattern, a hockey club sorted out and a few friendships developing i am feeling much less lost. I am sure that there will still be things that throw me, times when i wish i was home, but hopefully once i create more of a life here those things won't cause problems for too long.
I have added some extra photos to the previous posting if you are interested. Sorry there are none for this posting. I will try and remember my camera a bit more this next week.
posted by bronwyn | 10:40 PM
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