Some Flunkies' Journey through University

Joseph41
I've had four classes; Understanding and Planning for Learning, Digital Literacies, Introduction to Literacy and Learning, and How Humans Develop
I really like Understanding and Planning for Learning, because we get the chance to actually practice designing lesson plans and reflect on our own education. We can also collaborate with second year students, and we get the chance to learn off them too

Yoyoyoyo!
FinFin's back with some exciting news, today I got my results for my first semester! I feel like I had a great first half to the year, learning loads of things about uni and teaching. Thank goodness I didn't have exams, I'm pretty sure they were behind my scores plummeting in high school. I find exams are hard to truly focus and concentrate, mainly because high school teachers act as if failing an exam means you could never have a job or a successful career, but my friends taking exams at uni say the teachers are pretty chill about them.
Anyway, I got 2 B marks and 2 C marks, which I'm actually pleased with. Keep in mind, in Year 12, my study score for English and History were 18, which is the bottom 3% of the entire state, so I think that's a pretty good improvement, with one of those Bs being a literacy class.
Here's hoping for more success for the many years to come!
(and hoping for no exams in these classes either, lol)

Bonsoir, my friends! haha
FinFin is on his mid-semester break, and I'm feeling pretty confident about my time so far. Four classes, Framing Cultural Identities, Numeracy in Education, Understanding Self, Relationships and Life, and Becoming an Ethical Education Professional. I feel that this content is a bit trickier than last terms, but I'm getting it all. One of my biggest downfalls is being able to focus while I'm writing up assignments, but I'm working on ways to focus more on the content. Only 6 weeks until I finish my very first full year at university, and I feel so pleased with myself already. Soon, I'll be able to choose my stream of Primary or Secondary Education, as well as electives for my major and minor subjects
Hope the last term goes well!

Hey friends!
I'm in my last week of classes, and currently in the library studying away to finish my last assignments. I don't have any exams this year, but instead I have four assignments that are like 60% of my grade, so no pressure.
Since I last spoke, I feel like my work has deteriorated slightly. I felt less focused during that time, and always putting off my work until the last few hours, where I would then rush to get it done, however, I have found a solution!
Yesterday, I woke up at home to discover that we had no internet. I was pretty bothered by this, so I decided to spend an evening in the library and study there.
To anyone who hasn't tried it there yet, I highly recommend giving library study a shot. You don't have to stay for long, and you can bring friends if you want to. I just feel myself being focused and on point while I'm studying there, despite construction and renovation on the top floor. Being around others who are motivated helps me too.
My final assignment is due in 9 days... only 2604 words to go... yay
To all my Year 12 friends, just try your absolute best for the upcoming exams, and if you know you're going to fail, well, still give it your best
I'm sure you won't get the lowest score in the country

yoyoyo!!
University is finished for the year, and I have received all of my marks back. I think I made a strong finish to the first year of university. I wish my high school teachers could see me now, especially the ones who did believe in me all the way through. I found that university is so much better for me as a learner, and I don't understand how. Maybe it's a sense of independence, maybe because it's free time, maybe because I feel more motivated to achieve my goals of becoming a teacher.
I scored straight Bs in all four of my classes, which I'm pretty proud of. In my ATAR, I only got 2 Bs out of all my AoS units, so I'm glad I have a bit more consistency. My Weighted Assessment Mark is 72.25, which I think is a good, strong score. I am very eager to continue into next year, and continue my learning. I've still got a long way to go, but I can wait to see how I go!

Hey friends! It's O-Week, and I'm not even in the country haha.
I've been working at a Japanese ski resort all summer (or winter, I suppose), and I'll be back home in Victoria in only two weeks. The only downside of this is that I will miss the first two weeks of classes, but I'm sure I'll be able to follow along online.
This will be my second year at university, and I'm super excited for everything to come this year. I get to choose my own subjects from a list of interesting and diverse pathways. My classes are entitled:

Understanding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education (Core)
Teaching Science
Myth, Legend and History
Biology of Cell and Organism

I've decided to take a pathway in Secondary Education, specifically in Science (Biology) and Humanities (History and Cultural Studies). Despite doing average in VCE Biology and very poor in VCE History, I still really like these subjects, and think I have a great potential to learn and teach them. It's easy to be creative with them, and there are many ways you can show how a cellular process works, or a historic invasion occurred. I still have a long way to go as a teacher, but I am very eager, and excited to continue my adventure

My first week back at university, and boy, I have a lot to catch up on.
"Understanding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education" is similar to a class I took last year, so it shouldn't be too bad. I have a 500 word statement due on Thursday, which I'm having a bit of trouble with
Teaching Science is cool, we're basically doing primary school physics experiments on electricity. I have a 1200 word lesson plan due on Monday
Myth, Legend and History is... eh. I'm not crazy about the content, and there's a lot of writing and research to be done. I'm writing a 500 essay plan due on Monday
Biology of Cell and Organism is fascinating. I never took chemistry in school, so there's a lot that I don't fully understand, but I still enjoy it. I had a lab class yesterday, and I loved it so much. Working with E. Coli and agar dishes was interesting and informative. I have a small quiz on Thursday.
Overall, I think I've done well to catch up, even if I missed the first two weeks of classes. I still have a long way to go, but I know I'll get there in the end

Almost finished the 1st semester of the 2nd year!!
So far, I'm pretty pleased with this semester, I think my scores are a bit more consistent, mainly hovering around the mid-high 70s, but I'm in for a difficult few weeks, with end of semester assignments, and an exam too.
"Understanding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education" is tricky. It's something I struggle with a bit, but I definitely see the importance behind it. I did well in my first assignment, my second assignment was OK, but I got great feedback on an oral presentation too. I have a 1600 word essay due Thursday
Teaching Science has been amazing. I got 87% on my lesson plan earlier on, and I'm feeling confident about the rest of it. I have a portfolio due on June 3rd-ish
Myth, Legend and History I don't really like... but I'm gonna stick it out, obviously. I had a 2000 word essay submitted last week, which I don't feel super confident about, but I'm sure I'll get a pass for it... stupid Vikings... And a portfolio due on June 6th.
Biology of Cell and Organism has been absolutely amazing all round. I'm a little stuck on the chemistry side, but I think I'm pulling through well. There's a group presentation due on May 31st, and I'm super confident with that, as orals assignments are my strength
I can't wait for the second semester, but I'm really looking towards changing a few subject choices too. I want to have a more scientific focus, rather than the humanities/history, as I enjoy Biology more

hallooo!! As they say in German... kind of, lol
I finished my first semester of Year 2 about a month ago, and I really wanted to post how I did, but I had to wait until today to get my exam results from one subject, which was Biology.
This was my first semester doing elective subjects, with Biology, History and a "Teaching Science" class centered around science-based lesson plans. I also had another core class, centered around Indigenous Learning, which I felt more competent in. As I slowly saw the marks of my final assessments trickle in, I realised that this was a semester of trial and error. I found out that History may not be my forte, or a particular interest I want to pursue in, but I may think of replacing this with Chemistry, or Indigenous Studies.
Anyway, marks are as follows:

Understanding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander- 73 (B). I got a 14/15 on an oral presentation, something I do well in. My main essay was a bit shaky, but I did better than last year, and I felt more confident with my essays and reports
Myth, Legend and History- 69 (C, but close). I admit it, I did not like this subject at all. There was a paper on the Vikings that absolutely crushed me for about a week. 2000 words about why they didn't have horned helmets, wrapped in barely legible Oxford (the ABSOLUTE WORST citation format). My port folio was better, with my assessor saying I had good descriptions and writing style. This is a subject I don't want to continue any further, as it doesn't interest me, and I fear I might eventually fail when I'm too far into it
Teaching Science- 75 (B). I feel horrible about this one. I got high 80s for the first two assignments, and great feedback from my lecturer, who I find really respects and supports me, but I completely messed up the port folio part in the end. I was supposed to use a resource to get lesson plans for a semester-long science program in a Grade 5/6 class, but instead, I made up my own, without using the reference. He said it was a good series of lessons created, however it wasn't applicable to the rubric. It might have been my first A, or even an A+, it just bothers me how I screwed up like this
Biology of Cell and Organism- 76 (B). Overall, good. I really enjoyed the practical classes, and I hope to do more subjects like this in the future. A group presentation was very well graded, especially after being paired up with some who were nervous. My exam score was 70ish, which I was also happy about, being my first uni exam. Hopefully, I can go back to doing classes like that with my newfound friends who are studying pharmaceuticals and biomedicine

Next semester shall be a bit different for me. I'll have a core class of How Humans Learn, a psychology, cognition-based subject, not my strongest area. Teaching Reading, might be a bit odd to learn if I want to teach VCE Science, but I might gain some useful teaching strategies from them. Sport and Skill Analysis should be interesting, if I ever think about teaching P.E. And Culture, Health and Healing is a subject about anthropology. It's a third year elective, and I have no prior background to it... so I don't know what to expect.
You might be wondering why I chose these electives, it's because there isn't really many choices available for me in the second semester, especially third-year subjects that don't have any pre-requisites... I'm nervous, but I know that I'll pull through!

Tas ahhh, thank you so much!!
I haven't had a chance to work in a classroom yet, but I'm always thinking of fun ways to teach certain lessons. Some of my biggest inspirations to be a "cool teacher" comes from those that weren't afraid to goof off or be silly at times, but still effectively taught their lessons, and got along with all their students, and that's what I want to be

Heyyooo!!
Second week of Semester 2, Year 2 is finished at uni (all my classes are on Monday and Tuesday, and I hate it), and I'm happy to be back in it!
This semester, I'm doing second and third year subjects, but I'm still not doing any placement for some reason. The Associate's Degree is a two-year course, which I'll merge into next year, but I should still be able to do placement with everyone else, right? So when everyone's off learning how to teach kids how to learn (or something like that), I'll get three weeks off class
Teaching Reading reminds me of VCE English Language, in the way that it makes no sense, and it feels repetitive. I'm looking at the assignments ahead, and they don't seem too bad though, hopefully the content will clear up soon, I hope to do better in this class than I did in Year 11 and 12 Eng Lang.
Sport and Skill Analysis is nice, but I wasn't expecting so much exercise to be involved. I'm not exhausted or anything, but my class was yesterday, and my body is still sore, even after some basic exercise. Theory work also seems like something I was supposed to learn in a prior class, despite this being my first P.E class
Culture, Health and Healing seems a bit vague so far. Apparently, there's also an on-campus class I'm supposed to be taking, which doesn't show up on my timetable, because it's at the Melbourne campus, so I don't know what happens there. I don't know if the class is just a follow-up from the online lesson, but I'll need to email and clarify
How Humans Learn looks promising. Psychology and cognitive learning isn't my strong point, but I understand the content, and the upcoming assessment tasks.

Overall, I know it's early days, but I'm a bit nervous about this semester. Most of these classes I chose only because there wasn't much else to choose from, but that's the thing about being an adult, and a teacher; there's plenty of content out there that I don't care for, yet I still need to learn. Maybe I'll learn to like it, and it would be a big help if I do. Uni is still fun and engaging to me, and it makes me appreciate how far I've come since the sullying lows of Year 12. I'll keep you informed of how my semester goes

Hi crew!
The year is almost over, especially for university students (Last classes are next week, wow), and Year 12s, who will be finished with exams very soon.
The end of the year is a chaotic time, and it's a lot to take in. So many assignments, classes too. Some of my friends have to worry about exams too
Teaching Reading has been very insightful, helping me understand how I can best teach young children how to read, or improve their literacy ability. Crazy to think how we all started by sounding out syllables like 'ch' 'th' 'ss' and 'dge', and grow up to be fully fluent in our own languages. I have a 1500 word case-study report due on the 30th
Sport and Skill Analysis has been a bizarre subject. One of my assignments involved a mind-map on a sport-related skill (I chose the overarm serve used in volleyball). My last assignment was due in Week 7, so classes haven't been running since then, oddly enough. At least it's one less thing to panic about
Culture, Health and Healing has been very, very tricky. I went into this subject not having any prior experience with health or anthropology, but I think I've done well. I got a 75% on an essay on the miasma theory, and I'm eager for my essay on birth rituals, due on the 24th.
How Humans Learn has been crazy, all in all. There is so much to learn, and psychology isn't something I excel in, unfortunately. I have a 2000 word essay due on the 25th, which is wrecking my mind. I have to recall so much from past classes too.
I know I'll get it all done in the end, and finish off my second year well.

aaaaaaaand.... DONE!!
I have just submitted the last essay for my second year of university, and I'm now officially halfway finished with my uni course.
But that doesn't mean the next half will be easy. Placements will start next year, and I'm nervous to apply my knowledge in a classroom setting. The essays will get longer, and the work more complex, and soon I'll need to consider my LANTITE test (it's kind of like the GAT, but it's a requirement to be a qualified teacher). I'm a little overwhelmed with responsibility, but also curious to see how I'll perform teaching an actual class. I hope the kids are well behaved and listen to me... and don't bite.

It's scary to think that only four years ago, I knew I wasn't going to university. I hadn't even done my English Lang exam, yet I knew I was going to get a study score below 25, regardless of my exam results. After all these years of building myself back up from the dust, I am on the right pathway to pursuing the career I've always dreamed of. Some day, I'll be telling my students that I managed to get to uni without a study score above 30, or an ATAR above 60, and that'll shock them (or not, depending on how good of a teacher I'll be).

In the end, it was just a little hurdle, that many managed to hop over, but I decided to go around. It might have taken a bit longer, but I'm gonna make it in the end

Year 2, Semester 2 results are up, and I certainly have plenty to reflect on!
Teaching Reading- 55 (D). Ouch. Is all I can say; ouch. I did fairly well on the first essay, getting 70%. I am punching myself for missing one of the quizzes which might have bumped my score into the 60s at least. The last essay was a pain, which I still don't understand. Something about analysing a Grade 2's reading assessment results, and making a lesson plan for him (even though the DIBELS assessment clearly states that it doesn't have a strong comprehension assessment, and has been criticised EXTENSIVELY in the past for this, but whatever). This is a primary subject, and I might be able to use some of this in secondary, but I chose this because it was interesting. I did learn plenty though, despite what my grades might have said
Sport and Skill Analysis- 64 (C). Meh, I didn't hate or like this subject. In fact, I can't remember anything about it, because classes only went for 7 weeks, instead of the usual 12. I did enjoy the lessons, and a short assessment based on teaching students how to shot put. Fun, but nothing extraordinary. It was just a P.E fix.
Culture, Health and Healing- 73 (B). In my book, this was the hardest subject. It was a third-year class with no prior knowledge on health or anthropology. I did alright in the quizzes, yet somehow nailed the essays on miasma theory and childbirth practices around the world. The latter of which got a 77% mark, but I didn't get much feedback that could help me. Just things like "good point" or "nice conclusion". I'm happy with 77, but I want to aim higher, and don't know how to. I might consider another health subject next year.
How Humans Learn- 66 (C). In the end, I didn't mind this class. I've mentioned that psychology isn't my strong point, but I think I kept up well with it. Again, the last assessment was tricky and a little confusing, but my grades all hovered around the mid-60s, so better consistency.

These aren't amazing grades, but then again, this isn't VCE. I still got scores above 50%, unlike in Year 12. I'm only halfway done, and have a lot of growing to do. I've worked well to get where I am, but I want to go further. Next year, I'll only be picking subjects that are relevant to me becoming a science teacher for secondary school. Health seems to be a strong point for me, maybe it's something I can consider as well. Sometime in April next year, I will receive my Associate's Degree, but will continue with my Bachelor's!

The university has received my application to transition into a Bachelor's Degree of Education, after completing the Associate's Degree this year. All I need to do is complete a short online course, and I'll be able to enter the mainstream course.

Getting flashbacks to when I had to apply outside of VTAC for this course in 2022. Just a note, if you are applying for a course more than two years after high school graduation, it's very annoying, with all the paper work, prerequisites, waiting around, contacting the helpline, etc. Be thankful for VTAC, all you Class of 2024 kids

I know I'm not incredibly clever, or likely to ever teach at a very prestigious school where the average ATAR is 80+, but I know this is a big leap since Year 12, and I know this is something I want to do, hopefully in a rural setting too. There's something appealing about teaching in a small town to me, inspiring young minds, and maybe getting a chance to teach in the great outdoors. My high school was a bush school, so hopefully I can find another bush school that I feel comfortable and happy in