My last blog entry entitled “The paradox of time” seemed like an appropriate segway to open and close my final blog on. As I’m sure most of you can relate to, time has flown by and it’s hard to conceive that October to June could be so shortly spaced together. For some students, myself included, the school year has not quite ended as we work towards finishing our thesis projects.
How hard can it be?
June 27, 2015Over a month has passed since I finished taking my second year UoL exams. But this time was a bit different. I was not a BSc Accounting and Finance student anymore but a student of BSc International Relations. Not to drag this blog again into exams, I would say as minimum as possible regarding the exams. Admittedly, I could deliver as per my expectations and my preparations, though I don’t expect to achieve results to the best of my capability. Still, a notch above in performance compared to the previous year, and hopefully the results reflect it. This improvement may be attributed to me getting used to the environment of the UoL and the LSE. They have almost become my home and I need to fantasize hard to feel like an alien – which I used to feel on joining the International Programmes during my very first days.
The paradox of time… (in university)
February 25, 2015As you may have already guessed, my timeline is off for the ideal live version of my Journey to the Centre of Campus blog series. Time doesn’t make sense as it flies by, yet other moments seem to last an eternity. Examinations and final papers raced by, although at times it felt like there was never an end in site.
Behind the scenes at a University committee meeting
February 20, 2015The University of London International Academy has quite a sophisticated committee structure – hardly surprising given there are over 50,000 students and a range of different Lead Colleges and programmes.
In recent years there has been student membership on the University of London International Academy Academic Committee (ULIAAC) and the various sub-committees which report to it, such as the Learning, Teaching and Assessment Sub-Committee (LTAS) and the Quality Assurance and Student Lifecycle Sub-Committee (QASL). These student members make up the Student Voice Group (SVG) which meets twice a year.
Over and above all of this committee structure there is the Board of the University of London International Academy (BULIA) to whom ULIAAC and the University of London International Academy Finance Committee and the Institutions Sub-Committee report. In the past there has been no student member of BULIA, but this summer it was agreed that from September 2014 a student member should be appointed. I am the first student to hold this post – quite an honour!
Journey to the Centre of Campus – Early days
January 27, 2015Journey to the Centre of Campus- Departure and Arrival
January 14, 2015This day has loomed over me with mixed feelings of nerves, excitement and exhaustion. The hours leading up to the actual flight always seem the longest.
I’ve made my packing and to do lists and checked them off (hopefully with none missing). Here are some of my essentials that were found on my packing list that you may have not thought about: Read the rest of this entry »
Journey to the Center of Campus
January 7, 2015Psychologists say it takes less than a tenth of a second to make a first impression judgement. My goal is to capture your attention for a bit longer than this and hook you on the first entry of my ‘Blended Learning’ series. My aim is to showcase possibilities and practical resources for other distance learners who may want to or will be studying on campus.
My name is Jillian Kowalchuk and I am in my second year and final year of the MSc Public Health programme. It has been an intense endeavor taking six modules, juggling work and social obligations my first year. I am undertaking three distance courses, I will be taking two blended learning modules starting mid January, while working on my thesis project. I have structured my last year to have a bit of a ‘break’ from the distance learning and change locations and learning dynamics for a few months. Read the rest of this entry »