Concentration is a very difficult thing. Especially concentration on school work.
There’s this problem that I’ve developed since I’ve been here.
It’s basically that I keep forgetting I’m supposed to be going to classes.

Here’s the deal: I’m here for five months to “study” at Wollongong
University in Australia. Here’s the problem: I haven’t cracked a book
since I’ve been here. Well, actually, I haven’t bought a book since
I’ve been here. Oh yeah, and it’s week four.
Australian Uni is very different than it is in America, or at least what I’m
comparing it to (Central). Most classwork is based on self-motivation and done
on a larger scale than back home. For instance, I have an English course where
I don’t have weekly homework due throughout the session. Great, except that
my final essay is worth like, 10,000% of my grade. Well, actually, it’s more
like 65-70 percent, but that’s still pretty damn high!
Classes convene in very different ways as well. Most classes have one to two lectures
a week, which everyone enrolled in the course attends.
Then, once or twice a week, each student attends a tutorial, which is a smaller
group of fifteen to twenty students. At the tutorial, you have personal contact
with an instructor, which is one of the best ways to learn. It’s far more
effective than having a teacher stand at the front of a classroom speaking at
you for an hour and a half.
Now, that might all seem simple enough and you might be wondering what my problem
is. Well, my problem is concentration. And motivation.
Laziness as well, not to mention a problem keeping my priorities straight.
I live by the beach. Now, how in the world can I be expected to study when I live
by a beach? I mean, come on. It’s just not possible.
Plus I live in the International House with about two hundred and fifty other
kids. And they’re really fun kids too. They’re kids who always want
to go out and party. Imagine the Towers and then imagine them being twenty times
crazier and more into having a good time. Not to mention that my friends here
are very convincing. They have the ability to talk me into forgetting about my
school work and going out with them on a Monday night. Not that they have to twist
my arm or anything, but I gotta blame someone besides myself, right?
The next problem I face is that attendance to lectures isn’t required. Well,
technically it is, but they don’t take attendance and most of the notes are
online. It makes it rather hard for me to work up the motivation to walk half
an hour to Uni, when I could stay in my pj’s and get the notes on-line.
Another thing is that my schedule is so free. I go to class Monday night for two
hours, Tuesday morning for four hours and Wednesday for two lectures. Which, do
I go to the lectures? I believe I’ve already answered that one. That’s
it as far as class time at Uni is concerned.
I have a four-day weekend. Perfection.
Sadly, I believe my never-ending vacation will have to end soon. I have a tutorial
presentation to due next week and an essay due soon.
How I will find the focus and concentration to do these things is a riddle wrapped
in an enigma shrouded by a mystery.
If you thought studying in Mt. Pleasant was hard (I know I did), than come to
Australia for a semester. All I can do is hope for the best, keep my fingers crossed
and pray that my G.P.A. doesn’t take a nosedive after this session.
Or, I could just do my work.
But you see, there’s this kid who’s going to teach me how to surf this
week and a weekend trip to go sea-kayaking and karaoke night at the pub on Thursday…

Please wish me luck. I’ll do the same for all of you back in Mount “Pleasant”,
as I know it’s getting warmer there and nothing makes us Michiganders more
flighty than warm weather after a five-month period of Antartic-like snow and
ice. Until next time, cheers.

E-mail the author: Tricia WoolfendenLIFE Et cetera Writer