So I've had a week and two days of classes so far! I've been enjoying them all, they seem pretty easy and interesting. I'm taking:
Marine Conservation Biology. I'm most looking forward to this class. I took a conservation class last semester and really liked it, so I'm looking forward to focusing on marine. Professor is cool. Seems like it's not too hard and not too easy.
Biodiversity of Tropical Australia. Easy, fun class, mostly just "these are the animals and plants of Australia." Been super boring so far because its all been basic ecology while he catches us up to speed, but should get interesting in the next class or two when we start talking about marine critters! Lots of fun field trips, professor is this hilarious english guy.
Animal Adaptation to Environmental Change. Ok, the subject matter of this seems really interesting, but the actual class seems like it will be a bit of a pain. It's a video conferencing class, the professor is actually in Cairns. The real pain is that we have to pay for a field trip that takes up most of the lecture recess. Hopefully the field trip will be really interesting, I think thats what is going to make or break this class because a big portion of our grade is based off the trip.
Aquatic Animal Ecophysiology. Professor is hilarious, very down under, very casual, very energetic. I think this is going to be my hardest class. I hope there isn't too much biochem involved, but I suppose really I should hope for more biochem because I know I test well with that sort of material.
In the States, as we all know, the norm is that classes either meet MWF for 50 minutes, or TR for 80 minutes, and the class will meet at the same time each of those days, and in the same room. Well, things are a bit more sporadic down under. Just about all the classes are 50 minutes long and meet at random times and places and days. For example, Ecophysiology meets at 2 on Mondays in one room, and at 9 on Thursdays in another room. Very random. And that class has a practical (a lab) but it only meets 5 times this semester. Thats the major difference between classes here and class back home. The other big one is that here each class only has one test (a final at the end) thats worth at least 50% of the grade, and only a few assignments making up the rest of the grade. It makes the semester easier, except for the last couple of weeks.
Despite always having to look at my timetable to figure out when and where my classes are, my schedule is actually pretty easy. I have lots of free time, which is just what I wanted, because this is my semester to relax! It is also my semester to stop worrying about grades and focus on enjoying the content. All my classes interest me, so I'm excited for this semester!
Lets see, have I done anything interesting other then classes... Kathy's friend from back home came for a couple of nights (Hi Kari!). She was in Sydney last semester and has been traveling ever since. On Friday, the three of us took a walk out of campus (45-60 minute walk I suppose) to a nearby river and had a picnic there. There were gorgeous huge trees hanging over the river, and a botanical garden nearby. On Saturday we went into Townsville and looked at some of the shops and went to the beach (and got gelato of course! There is a great gelato place on the Strand).
Man, my posts are always so long, hope I'm not boring y'all! I'll be back next week!
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