The New Semester Begins.

It was with great excitement that I collected the first CD from Swinburne for this semester.  There should be two - but I was happy just to have the one at this point.  It was the CD for Writing History.  The CD has the whole semester's lectures on it - I can listen to the lecturer, print out the lecture, and if I want download the lecture to put on my MP3 player and hear it as often as I like.

It was with great anticipation that I opened my Swinburne website and saw who was in my tutorial group, and who the tutor was for my group.  

I am in a much better situation this semester than I was at the first semester - so many things I have learned on how to do it all on-line.  Last semester not only did I have to master three subjects, but also master the website and all the information and instructions that came with doing the course.  Information overload I think, but now I am happier as I can start with a little more confidence.

I am doing two subjects - Writing History and Journalism.   My tutor for Writing History is very interesting and I am impressed not only with his introduction and story about himself, but he gave details of his own website.  I can see a photo of him - so I can identify with him a little more when I communicate with him.

The tutor for Journalism was my tutor for two of my subjects last semester. 
(I'll decide if I like him if I pass my final assessments!  :)  )

I was also thrilled to learn that some of the students from last semester are in my tutorial groups - for both subjects, so I have already requested a couple to be my 'critical friend' in the subject.

Studying again

While I was in China, I learned that another teacher from Brisbane had started to do her Master of Arts (Writing) through Swinburne University in Victoria. I've been writing for a long time - a very long time without getting anything published.  

I thought that if I focused on writing, as one will have to do, studying for a Masters in Writing, it may get me through the invisible barrier that seems to stop me from finishing, or submitting work.

And so it was that some 14 weeks ago, I completed the documentation, had copies of my Griffith University results and posted them off to Swinburne.  Soon after I received the letter advising me that I had been accepted.

My friend CD, who had told me about the course, had not made it clear to me that it would be best to enrol through Open University - I found out about that later, and have now enrolled via Open University, but that will not come into effect until the new semester in 2011.  

As I write this, I have all but completed the first three subjects (and I don't recommend doing three at a time, but somehow I enrolled in three - I thought I'd only enrolled in two!) but luckily I've managed to do them all.

I still have one major assignment to complete and three smaller ones to do and all is over for the semester.

The three subjects this semester are Critical Friends, Research to Publication, and Real Life Writing.

Results are due out around December 11th.  

The students doing the course are from Australia and other parts of the world - easy to do as it is all online.  I did get a parcel of information (mainly CD's) at the beginning of the semester, but most of the material is all accessible from my computer - it is all online, which means students from all around the world can participate in real time. 

I've studied online before - and as I did my degree via distance education.  I don't mind working this way, but I do enjoy meeting up with other students.  On this course it is via weekly only discussions.  We post and comment at times to suit ourselves.