Storm

 Amongst the chaos and rubble

He sat there in peace

Despite the cracks in his heart

It seemed to affect him the least

It confused those that saw him

And even more that knew

All the pain he had suffered

How could it not break through?

It’s always darkest they’d think

Just before the dawn

But never did they realise

It was only the eye of the storm.

- M. F. Keane

Drown

She spent all her time in the air

Flying above all the clouds

Always trying to avoid the earth

And drown out all the sounds

The sea was her enemy

And the tide tried to drag her away

Because hidden beneath the surface

Was all that she would keep at bay

Ignoring all her troubles

All her woes and all her fears

She flew through the rain

That would mask all her tears

But a boy fell through the storm

And dragged her down too

But their fall from grace was bliss

As they embraced in the blue

He dove down beneath her surface

Working his way around

He shined his light in all her darkness

And happily they both drowned.

- M. F. Keane

My First Look at University Exams

So I just finished my first set of University Exams on Monday. Although the 5.30 am start to get to the Royal Exhibition Center at 8.30 am for 3 out of 4 exams was a struggle (all in a row too) they weren't actually that bad.

Some advice?

• Just keep up to date throughout the year.
• Go over your lectures and notes.
• Practice questions that you were given in class.
• Go over past tests if you have any.
• Converse with your friends and peers about it.
• Any questions that they can't answer then spin your lecturer or tutor an email.

In University, although it's so different and feels wrong and weird compared to what we were taught in VCE, you only need to pass. Sure it's nice getting a H1 (high distinction) but it's not crucial. You'll find that people get into the mindset of scraping a pass pretty quickly. This doesn't mean don't study, definitely study, it just means don't stress out thinking that you won't get 100%. 

I know in my course, where the entry score was an ATAR of 85 ish, maybe higher, and you had to have Methods 25 with either Specialists 25, Physics 25, Chemistry 25 or Biology 25, most people are used to being top of the school or at least one of the smart ones. It can be scary going from 100% in every Maths test to an average of 65%, but that's what it's like when you're competing against everyone on the same level.

But basically, don't stress! It's not that bad (although the supervisors can be scary) Just do some revision before hand, make sure you practice the sort of questions that are likely to be on the exam, and get a good night sleep! Try not to memorise everything because Uni is about APPLICATION, not KNOWLEDGE. 

We're practicing for the real world, remember? 

Good luck!

- Michelle