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Archive for the ‘University’ Category

Wow

19 May

This semester has just flown by. I didn’t realise it until someone mentioned on OOC that there is only 2 1/2 weeks left till exam time.

That’s kind of scary.

I have the following pieces of assessments left (and yes, they have given us assignments during study break and exam weeks!):

20th May comp235 lab due

27th May comp313 major assignment due
27th May comp235 lab due
29th May comp235 assignment due

2nd June comp235 major test
3rd June comp333 major test

10th June comp333 major assignment due

15th June comp313 exam
17th June comp313 major assignment due

25th June comp235 exam

So.. yeah, for the next 4 weeks.. I have no life. Not that I had one before but I have less of one now. I likely won’t be responding to petitions. I won’t be answering requests on IMs or emails that aren’t urgent. If I am on the mud, I’ll likely be taking some time out from studying and getting work done. Wish me luck. I need an A- minimum in these papers to qualify for honours.

 
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Posted in Personal, University

 

Test & Assignments

25 Apr

Sat the test. It went.. okay. Not great, but not bad. I am confident of passing, but I don’t think I got an A in it either. But still, given circumstances, happy enough with that.

Only got one (minor) assignment due now, and not for another 2 weeks. So, until they give me the next round of them, the pressure is lessened for a while.

 
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Posted in Personal, University

 

Counseling, Plunket and Assignmentrs

22 Apr

Strangely enough, I got a call yesterday from the Leading Edge Foundation to make a counseling appointment. Which… I thought I wasn’t getting referred for. It seems either I mis-understood, or my GP changed her mind. Either way, it is a good thing and I’m going in to see them on Tuesday. Unfortunately not free, but not too bad. Hopefully I can get some ideas on ways to handle Mum, make sure she’s safe and handle the things she says without it depressing me, or making the situation with her worse and not compromising my own self as well.

I also heard from Plunket and they’re going to contact me for an appointment for a checkup for my son. Apparently they ‘lost’ me on their system and hadn’t contacted me earlier.

Mum apologised for ‘talking to me like that’ yesterday though she still said she thought I was in the wrong. And to Mum, making mistakes is never acceptable.

I finished my programming assignment. Got that submitted. It wasn’t great, but it’ll get me a bit above a pass I think. I also got back the answers for the math one I submitted on Monday… and wow. I made a lot of stupid mistakes. One question I put a + rather than a – for a crypt. I don’t know my exact mark though as these are only the solutions.. and I am comparing them with the notes for my answers.

Test tomorrow. Worried? Yeah. Of course. It’s late and I’m likely going to be half asleep for it. And it’s Math.

 
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Posted in Personal, University

 

Test at 7.15pm? Srsly?

18 Apr

So. I have a Math test at 7.15pm. The test runs for 80 minutes and we have to be there at 7pm. I’d not be home till 9pm

Ewan goes to bed at 6.30pm.
Buses stop running at about 6pm.
I have no car.
I can’t afford babysitting.

If Mum drops me off and picks me up.. Ewan can’t get to sleep till I get home. Also, she can’t actually put him in his cot safely.

It is a compulsory paper for my degree. I have emailed the lecturer to ask if I can sit at an alternative time. I’m not holding my breath. Asking for an assignment to be posted to be because I couldn’t get in didn’t yield me much joy.

Other alternative, if my Aunt isn’t busy and isn’t going away to Tauranga, coming over to watch Ewan whilst my Mum drops off and picks me up.

If that is also a no.. what can I do?

Sometimes life really does just seem too hard. Looking after my Mum, Ewan and attending Uni full time is tough enough, without this as well. I really wish I hadn’t gone full time. Sometimes I really wish I hadn’t decided to go back to Uni.

 
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Posted in University

 

I am…

24 Mar

… in a lecture about reversing a list in Haskell and the inefficiencies of using the reverse (x:xs) = reverse xs ++ [x]

… attending a webapplication lecture right after this one

… and then a logic and computation (modular arithmetic) lecture before finally lunch and ‘free’ time.

Ewan was very clingy this morning and didn’t really want to be left at creche. He likes his carer there though and once she was holding him, he was fine and let me go without further tears. So hard to leave him still though.

 
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Posted in Personal, University

 

Me Updates

24 Mar

Got my Training Incentive Allowance sorted out yesterday. Complaining to the Ministry of Social Development worked wonders and got things moving pretty quickly after their big fuck up. Must remember that for next time, to go straight to the top.

Got a pretty new Laptop. This one in case you are wondering. It is a big upgrade on my old (very) crappy Dell (who have finally agreed to a refund – it goes back Thursday) one. Everything just runs well. Faster, better and with more style. Hell, the battery even lasts more than 30 minutes which is more than the Dell one EVER did.

University is into full swing already, assignments etc. So far the workload isn’t too bad. Got two assignments done, one to go at the moment. Math is a bit hard.. but I’m getting there. I think I’ll pass but not with the A+ average I’ve maintained. Already holidays are coming up.. it seems too soon. Only 1 1/2 weeks left then 2 weeks break over Easter and my birthday.

And another good piece of news, my Mum (who lives with me due to being unwell) is going away for 2 1/2 weeks to stay at my Grandparents place as of tomorrow. This means more time for me, and less stress. In general, you’ll notice a (hopefully) happier me.

And Ewan is finally *cross fingers* better as of Monday. Almost two weeks of the stomach bug was a bit rough on him and he had his first day back at creche at the start of the week and will be in again tomorrow.

Tomorrow is a big day for me, University, then home to pack my Mum’s car up. Unfortunately she doesn’t travel light, a 2 day trip for her will yield 25 bags/boxes. I hate to think how much stuff a 2 1/2 week trip is going to yield. I think she’s going to need a trailer.

 

Lonely tonight. Hugs needed.

Where’s a cat when you need one. 

That’s right … don’t have one. One of Ewan’s soft toys instead.

 
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Posted in Ewan, Personal, University

 

Immunisations & Dramas

09 Dec

Ewan had his 15 month immunisations today and unlike the other times where the injections barely bothered him, this time it really hurt and boy did he scream. Not sure if it was because he was older and more aware, or whether the needles (which looked huge) were a lot bigger and more painful.

Also, the particular vaccine in this one, is one he hasn’t had since 6 months.. which was when he last reacted with a fever.. and what do you know, he has come down with a fever this time around too. Poor wee thing. So we’ve had a cool shower and he’s been running around half naked. He’s doing pretty good, just a little grizzlier than usual tonight.

My drama of the week:

Got a health worker from ACC coming tomorrow to access my Mum (who is ill), and whether they could/should continue to provide help for her. Problem is, my Mum can do more than she does. But she doesn’t. A lot of mental issues all wrapped in there but those aren’t things ACC are concerned about. At the moment, we get 2 hours of housekeeping a week to help out as my Mum does (almost) nothing beyond personal care (and even then…)

If they assess her and decide she can do these things herself, they’ll cancel care. Which won’t mean my Mum will do the things, it’ll just mean I will have to. Which will mean I need to rethink the whole going full time so I can finish my degree next year and do honours the year after. This year was tough being a single mum, part time university student and providing care for my Mum. If I have to do that and even more, there’s no way I can consider full time next year :-/

No doubt worrying for nothing and it’ll be all okay. I always worry too much.

 
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Posted in Ewan, Personal, University

 

Grades

22 Nov

Got my provisional grades, which I expect to go final in the next few days:

Computer Communications: A+
Object-Oriented Program Design: A
Internet Applications: A+

The A is the one I least expected, as I did really badly in one of the tests which was worth 35%. Overall, I think it is really, really good. And combined with the first half of the year, gives me 3 A+s, 1 A, 1 A-.

 
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Posted in University

 

University

16 Nov

I’m a student of Waikato University. Second time around I’m doing much better. Averaging A+’s, and I’m really happy to be able to brag about that fact, especially due to personal circumstances which make maintaining that A+ average all the harder.

More or less decided on my course choice for next year. After a chat with the Dean, going to continue on with the software development side of things. And the good news is, I could finish my degree within the next year and honours within 2 years. If I go full time. Though more than a little nervous about doing that with caring for my Mum, and looking after the babe.

 
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Posted in University

 

Exams, over finally

04 Nov

Today saw the last of my exams and school work for the year and I admit that I am more than a little pleased to be finally freed of that commitment.

As a result, the code updates of late have been few and far between, though I have managed to be able to sneak in the odd one or two:

Wisdom: It now restricts the number of skills you can learn. You’ll see this bit of information at the bottom of your skill lists.

Gem-Stones: Now, when you mine you’ll have a small random chance of finding a gem stone. These are worth a small packet and are very valuable to anyone who wants to get into jewellery making.

Mining: Now, certain types of mines are only detectable and minable once you reach a certain level of skill.

Scent Tracking: Another command built into the scent skill. Allows a Wolfkin to track someone they know through recog over a short distance. Exactly how far is dependant on perception and skill.

Scent Fix: Recognising someone concealed based on scent now works properly with the familiarity values and the scent skill. There was a bit of a bug there.

Recog Fix:  There was a small bug that meant the list of people you have recognised was showing up wrong. This should now be fixed now.

Tir: Thanks to Tigerlily, the Tir information has been restored to the website.

I’ll be posting and working on more code and the like over the next few weeks. It is good to be back :)

 
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Posted in Dark Isles, University