Spring has sprung

All of a sudden, winter has gone and spring is here.  When I got off the plane yesterday it was 19 degrees, today it is around 25 and beautiful and sunny.

Mid Semester Tests

I’ve just had an exam today and I don’t feel good about it. It was for a subject called Environment and Health. The course is basically about public health, Ecological biodiversity, climate change and sustainable food production. The test included everything we’ve learnt, or at least gone over in the past 5 weeks of uni. It is a strange subject where you don’t have to learn information, only really concepts and models. These are then applied throughout the different genres. I’m finding it hard to get my head around the complex reasoning required but hopefully I’ll be able to do it within the next 5 weeks. Until then, back to the readings.

A Cold for Winter

I’m just getting over a cold at the moment and I hope that I’m soon feeling back to normal.  I got it last Saturday and started to sneeze and snort.  In fact I had so much to blow out I was beginning to think that someone had shoved a wet cabbage up my nose while I was sleeping.  Even though a week has now gone by and I’m feeling pretty much back to normal I’m still sounding like Donald Duck with his head in a bath.  It’s odd that you get like that when you have a cold.  Everything around you seems to be dulled down, the volume turned down oh so slightly, like you are walking around with ear plugs in your ears.  With out the background noise it seems to remove you from life.  Everything goes on around you but you are not a part of it.  The little background noises, traffic, feet stamping on wooden steps, birds chirping in the trees, background conversations.  Even when someone is speaking to you it still is hard to hear them when they don’t speak up.  I know what it’s like for people who are loosing their hearing how, though, hopefully it will be back soon.

There's no where else like Fridays!

I went out to a going away party last night.  Kathrin (One of my ex-housemates) is heading back over to Germany (where she calls home).  We had a few drinks over at her new place and then went out to one of the clubs in Mooloolaba.  There it was a quiet night with only 3 fights breaking out.  Usually it's a lot rougher.  Last time I went I was on the dance floor when a fight broke out right next to me.  It's kind of freaky watching a fight in strobe lighting.  In general though, I've noticed that it is really funny watching drunk people in action.  When drunk, people start making inane, pointless conversation to absolute dickheads (others met at the club that is, not the guys I went with).  During these conversations emotions seem to go from undying love to outright hatred and back again in the blink of an eye.   Maybe I'm getting over the going out and partying stage in my life now, of course, maybe I'm just getting too disillusioned by the caliber people out there today. Who knows?

Trying to Bee a photographer

Today I've spent taking photos.  This is a photo of a bee that I took this afternoon in the plant that is outside the front.  Not bad for my first day taking pictures.  I am certainly glad that I bought the camera when I get shots like this.  Now I've just got to try and make them clearer.

Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)

Happy Snapping

I am now the  proud owner of a Nikon D80.  I finally made my decision with the help of Stewart and several camera shops in Brisbane.  I actually bought it through the internet and picked it up from their Brisbane office the next day.  It's all very exciting, now I've just got to figure out how to use it.

Buying a Digital SLR Camera

At the moment I am looking at buying my first digital SLR camera.  I've been looking at a few and there are two major contenders.  The first is the Nikon D80 while the second is the Canon 40D.  They are both excellent cameras with many excellent features.  At the moment I'm still trying to choose between them.  I want a digital SLR so that I can take more varied photographs including macro.  I went and had a look at both cameras today.  The Nikon is easier to use but the Canon has a better lens choice.  Now I've seen them I will cogitate and hopefully come to a decision.

Passing First Semester

Today I received my results back from my first semester of university.  I wasn't confident on how I went but thought I would at least pass.  I wasn't really in a rush to check them and forgot about them until mid morning. Hoping for a pass mark I logged on to SOLAR.   I shouldn't have been so worried.

Course

Title

Program

Official Grade

COR109	Communication and Thought	BSc(Env H)	Credit
SCI103	Cell Biology	BSc(Env H)	High Distinction
SCI105	Chemistry	BSc(Env H)	Distinction

Not bad.  I am now looking forward to looking over my exam to see which questions I got wrong, but, I don't they let you do that.  Never mind.  I'm happy with the results.

End of Exams

Today was my final exam from my first semester at uni.  It was for cell biology and to tell the truth I don’t really know how I did.  I actually finished about 15 minutes early and didn’t really have a good look over to see what I’d forgotten or if I could answer any questions better.  I just packed up and left.  That was kind of how it was.  When I’d finished reading through the paper during the perusal I knew what it would be like.  I didn’t seem to know anything on the exam.  Genetics, cell communication, cell cycle or plasma membrane.  I couldn’t remember anything.  I baffled my way through and by the end I just didn’t have a good feeling.  I was speaking to a friend after the exam he was saying what he put for some of the answers and I reckon that the blood must have been draining from my face.  I have to wait until the 5th of July to find out how it went and whether I passed or not.

A testing time

Last Friday I sat my chemistry exam.  I know I wasn't ready for it and that was proven to me in the short answer section of the exam.  I didn't get the bit on finding the pH value or even how to balance an equation.  I know that now, but there's nothing I can do.  Anyway, it's all academic now (in more ways than one).  Hopefully I managed to scrape in with a pass but chemistry was pretty hard.  

Another hard exam that I have coming up on Tuesday will be my cell biology one.  This is one that I want to do really well in but I haven't been able to study really for the past couple of days as I've been not feeling my best.  Today though, I seem to be improving and am going to go outside in a minute to continue with my study whilst sitting in the sun.  I'll be revising metabolism and the cell membrane and structure today.  Wish me luck!