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Upcoming Communication Conferences
Three equally important communication conferences to be held in the Asia-Pacific Region. Click on the link for details and how to submit papers.
A place to call home
What do international students usually consider after deciding on the course and establishing the reputation of the university that they would go to? I reckon that they will consider whether the university community is safe and pleasant.
Even if I was an outsider, I would have ranked Murdoch University as one of one of the best university communities here in Australia. There are a number of things that make Murdoch a very special place to live and study. And here is my list:
- Quenda sanctuary: A university doubling as a wildlife sanctuary is an excellent marketing characteristic as it shows the commitment of the institution to environmental issues. I’m glad that Murdoch University is one of such Uni. It aims to be a refuge for these small urban dwellers. A signage somewhere in the Uni describes Quendas as “small bandicoots with small muscular bodies and strong legs for digging.” My first encounter with these little furry creatures was just outside our trailer office. I thought it was a big rat but its nose was too pointy to be one. It is supposed to be a nocturnal animal but I guess the human invasion modified the lifestyle of some of them. I found this one coming out from under the Asian Food whether it is foraging left-over food or calls the Asian Food base as his home, I’m not sure.
- Asian Food: International and local students and staff troop this food shop every high noon. The queues could stretch as long as 8 meters during peak hours during the sem. I’m a rice eater so this is an obvious choice and yes, it is conveniently located just outside our trailer office. I also heard that it has a Facebook fan page (and there’s one who set-up a hate page)?!
- Bush Court: Where all the action happens—from protest actions, exhibit, markets among others. Although this is way too small from the university field back in my university back home, it is a pleasant place to unwind.
- Chinese Garden: Small garden near the Education and Humanities buildings. There are ducks that sometimes hang around there. This is the first place that I fell in love with here at the Uni
- Vet School: Murdoch University is the only school that offers veterinary science in Western Australia. As of this writing, it is the uni’s most popular course offered. The school also boast of being the “first course in Australia to be awarded accreditation from the American Veterinary Medical Association AVMA.” This is especially good for graduates who also want to take their practice in North America.
- Anatomy Museum: If you’re into bones (whether it is the TV series or the literal one), then this place is for you. You’ll find different displays of bones of different animal species. So, whether you will be reviewing for your anatomy class or just a curious George, head on to the anatomy museum at the School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences.
- Farm: if there’s a vet school, yes there is a farm around the corner. The farm is located around 100 metres walk South of Murdoch College. It caters to There is a farm at the uni and it primarily caters to dairy cattle, beef cattle, sheep, goat, pigs, alpaca and horses. More information on the services that they offer here.
- Leading Vet Hospital: It follows that if the Uni is one of the leading vet school in the country, it also has a good hospital to complement it. The School boasts of the state-of-the-art facilities in the hospital including internationally renowned vet faculty staff.
- Graduate Centre: Despite the plans to abolish this centre, I guess this is one of the most important ‘hubs’ for international graduate students. The centre is obviously undermanned but it has delivered despite some stressful phase to some graduate students, including me. I’m a bit ambivalent on the plan to abolish this centre but one uni official assured graduate students that the new one will be better and there will be “a specific team for supporting HDR students.” Whether they will deliver, let’s wait and see.
- Training Learning Centre: Everybody needs some TLC. Yes, any new student should acquaint him/herself of the services rendered by the TLC—whether it is academic or just trying to get some study management skills. This is the place to go. Whether you like to hone up on your lecture on statistics, English grammar, managing time among others, the Training Learning Centre is the place to go. Joining their program is as easy as just signing the paper on their bulletin board. The ever accommodating staff and lecturers are a big bonus.
And my list could go on and on but that’s all for now folks.
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This is an entry for the Murdoch University Blogging Competition. If you like this post, please vote for me here.
Official entry to the Stamp Out Stress Photo Competition. There will be an exhibit at the Bush Court this Thursday.
Official entry to the SOS Photography Contest
There is nothing beyond the reach of determination
This has always been one of my life mottoes. I reckon that this will be the first thing that I would give to anybody considering Uni.
I came from a developing country where education is becoming a privilege rather than a right. To be given this chance to pursue further studies abroad is beyond privilege, it is a blessing.
I do not belong to the well-off strata of Philippine society but I guess my determination to get to where I want to go is part of the reason that I’m here. My properties consist of small items and nothing major—no real estate, not even a decent car back home. International students pay double the tuition fee compared to what their local counterparts pay here in Australia but thanks to the Partnership Scholarship of the Uni, my tuition fee is waived and I get to receive a very basic living allowance.
Studying is both a fulfilling and stressful phase in one’s life but I suppose most of us will agree that it is important in any person’s life—whether you do it formally or informally.
I remember missing the shortlist of a scholarship offered a few years ago but I was determined landing a spot and still hoped. Call it a miracle but one of the shortlisted candidates withdrew and the rest was history.
So, in weighing your options for college, assess whether you’re up to the challenge and will you be determined to overcome those challenges? If you see any current adversity, I suggest you see beyond that, while weighing seriously any implications of it on you, and pursue your goal. For those contemplating a PhD, you might want to read an earlier post I wrote.
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This is an entry for the Murdoch University Blogging Competition. If you like this post, please vote for me here.
World Financial Crisis Virtually Cuts Research Fund into Half
The recent world credit crisis has had an effect on almost everyone on the planet. If you thought that researchers were spared, think again.
The research fund for my research was virtually slashed to half as the US dollar dipped to its lowest rate last year. The Australian dollar had some battering that an original proposal to cover field expenses ended up costing almost double than what was originally proposed. However, thanks to contacts in the field, some costs saving measures are feasible despite the crisis. But I had to admit that inevitably affected my research strategies that I had to make some changes. I did try my best to accommodate the changes without sacrificing validity and time.
Now that’s lessons learned in research planning, when including a space for miscellaneous funding, substantially overestimate, you can always return the money anyway.
This is me
If there’s any self-portrait that I would choose as of this writing, this will be it. This is, technically, a self-portrait. I have set my DSLR on auto-timer as I walked my children to school.
I am a full-time househusband whenever I am on full-time study. However, whether I am practicing my profession as a development communicator or studying as a student, I am always a father. I think this has defined my pursuit for greater heights both in my professional and personal life. When I first took on an international assignment based in Bangkok, I took into consideration whether I could bring my children. It turned out well both for my profession and my personal life. When I was offered to take on an advanced postgraduate training, I also took into consideration what is its implication on my children and I guess it’s turning out to be well for them and yes, it’s turning out to be good for my professional life. My journey in life is as good as my research journey, it has full of surprises both pleasant and not so pleasant but in the end, I’m sure it will turn out to be good for me and my girls.
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This is an entry for the Murdoch University Blogging Competition. If you like this post, please vote for me here.
Back from hibernation
I meant to post all of my insights and reflections in this blog but the pressures of trying to deliver THE draft to my supervisors was too big that I wasn’t able to keep up with the ‘rigors’ of blogging.
Blogging is a stress-reliever for me and I think these past few days, stress took its toll as I developed mouth ulcers and regular episodes of migraines. There are a number of drafts I have yet to finish for this blog and I will be completing them in the coming days.
A big reason also for deciding to breaking the blog hibernation is a contest! A compelling way to revive this dying blog of mine.
Murdoch University is running a blog competition among students. There are nice prizes however I was bent on reviving this blog with the hope that it is helpful to a handful of postgraduate hopefuls in their quest to get some guidance before jumping into the boat for a higher degree. Winning the contest will just be a good consolation, reviving this blog is the main goal.
But if you like what you’ve read or will be reading in the coming days, please don’t forget to vote for this blog.
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