I have just completed my first week of Postgraduate studies in Australia and coming form Poland everything seems to be so new and different. The first thing I noticed was the difference between the teaching/studying approach adopted in Poland and Australia and I could not get my head around it.
I went home and I panicked. That was my first impression after the first week of being at Australian university.
In one of the first lectures on Effective Teaching, we were told to create a blog. BLOG what? I must have had big question mark writen on my face that day. I had absolutely no idea what a blog was. Someone would think - which age do you live in? And I would sit quietly and shrug my shoulders. Twitter - very similar feeling. It was another awkward word I learnt about last week.
I took a deep breath, started searching and 'googling' all the information related to blogs and twitter for I did not have any idea of what they might be. What helped me to understand the concept of blog was searching other people's profiles. Also, I read the chapter titled "Reflective writing" and that gave me a glimpse of what blog was all about.
The more I think of it and the more blog web sites I visit, the more impressive I find the whole idea of a blog to be. Initially the idea of creating a blog was so abstract to me, but when I think of it now, I can see it as valuable and very constructive way of putting my thoughts and reflections together and sharing them with others. I believe that in two years time when I look back at my first note on MY blog I will laugh.
My bigest fear is not being able to express myself well enough and openly. In my culture Polish people do not tend to express their feelings and thoughts for public purpose so easily. I believe that within the time I will learn to break through my fear of talking freely and sharing my thoughts with others.
One would say 'Little by little' for there is no point in hurrying and worrying too much. I am trying very hard to apply that simple but wise rule to me but of course I will blame my Polish nature for taking things very seriously and having the tendency to worry. Everything that is new feels scary to us and in order to learn sometimes mistakes have to be made. I am a firm beliver that we learn through our mistakes. The key is not to make the same mistake twice. So we shall see.
I went home and I panicked. That was my first impression after the first week of being at Australian university.
In one of the first lectures on Effective Teaching, we were told to create a blog. BLOG what? I must have had big question mark writen on my face that day. I had absolutely no idea what a blog was. Someone would think - which age do you live in? And I would sit quietly and shrug my shoulders. Twitter - very similar feeling. It was another awkward word I learnt about last week.
I took a deep breath, started searching and 'googling' all the information related to blogs and twitter for I did not have any idea of what they might be. What helped me to understand the concept of blog was searching other people's profiles. Also, I read the chapter titled "Reflective writing" and that gave me a glimpse of what blog was all about.
The more I think of it and the more blog web sites I visit, the more impressive I find the whole idea of a blog to be. Initially the idea of creating a blog was so abstract to me, but when I think of it now, I can see it as valuable and very constructive way of putting my thoughts and reflections together and sharing them with others. I believe that in two years time when I look back at my first note on MY blog I will laugh.
My bigest fear is not being able to express myself well enough and openly. In my culture Polish people do not tend to express their feelings and thoughts for public purpose so easily. I believe that within the time I will learn to break through my fear of talking freely and sharing my thoughts with others.
One would say 'Little by little' for there is no point in hurrying and worrying too much. I am trying very hard to apply that simple but wise rule to me but of course I will blame my Polish nature for taking things very seriously and having the tendency to worry. Everything that is new feels scary to us and in order to learn sometimes mistakes have to be made. I am a firm beliver that we learn through our mistakes. The key is not to make the same mistake twice. So we shall see.
