(no subject)
Well, I'm nearly done with my school semester. It's kinda weird...
I've finished the capstone class in the core course requirements, IR550 - Proseminar in Foreign Policy Analysis. A semester's worth of stress, researching to great extents the foreign policy orientation of Australia, what factors have influenced its foreign policy, from historical to geopolitical to current events and economic indicators, as well as domestic statistics like population growth, immigration and natural resources at their disposal.
Take half a semester's worth of research and cram it in to a 46 page paper, complete with an 11 page annotated bibliography (which wasn't even complete, come to find), and that was what I affectionately dubbed my "bachelors thesis." Immediately after that was turned in, work began on a 20 minute PowerPoint presentation on the same subject, and rehearsing and preparing because the brief is not allowed to be given with any notes at all.
The brief was delivered last Wednesday, as part of my regional Asia grouping. "Australia as part of Asia?" you ask... yes. in this course at least. Let's not go into the discussion of whether Australia is "in Asia" or "of Asia," I detail that briefly in my paper, but I am so overloaded with it by now... papers were supposed to be returned the same day but a TA oversight delayed the papers until Monday. I now know that I have successfully passed probably one of the hardest courses I will ever take. And with a fairly good grade as well...
Paper:
Substance & Analysis: 598/600 (A)
Deduction for bibiographic/typological errors: -46
Total: 552/600 (A-)
Although I contest some of the markdowns... like the fact that "defence" is not misspelled when the Australian Government department is named the Department of Defence and that gets the markdown...
The brief? Although I was rather fast... finishing in 15 minutes instead of the 20 minute time limit, I still received an A/A- grade because I covered just about everything I was supposed to. Left out a couple details, but otherwise it was well received *phew*
Now all that is left for me to finish up my final paper for philosophy class, which is due in a little under 7 days (6 days 20 hours). And then I'm free for the summer. sort of. more on that later. But I need to get some sleep, as I have to get up at 5am. And that will be coming rather quickly...
I've finished the capstone class in the core course requirements, IR550 - Proseminar in Foreign Policy Analysis. A semester's worth of stress, researching to great extents the foreign policy orientation of Australia, what factors have influenced its foreign policy, from historical to geopolitical to current events and economic indicators, as well as domestic statistics like population growth, immigration and natural resources at their disposal.
Take half a semester's worth of research and cram it in to a 46 page paper, complete with an 11 page annotated bibliography (which wasn't even complete, come to find), and that was what I affectionately dubbed my "bachelors thesis." Immediately after that was turned in, work began on a 20 minute PowerPoint presentation on the same subject, and rehearsing and preparing because the brief is not allowed to be given with any notes at all.
The brief was delivered last Wednesday, as part of my regional Asia grouping. "Australia as part of Asia?" you ask... yes. in this course at least. Let's not go into the discussion of whether Australia is "in Asia" or "of Asia," I detail that briefly in my paper, but I am so overloaded with it by now... papers were supposed to be returned the same day but a TA oversight delayed the papers until Monday. I now know that I have successfully passed probably one of the hardest courses I will ever take. And with a fairly good grade as well...
Paper:
Substance & Analysis: 598/600 (A)
Deduction for bibiographic/typological errors: -46
Total: 552/600 (A-)
Although I contest some of the markdowns... like the fact that "defence" is not misspelled when the Australian Government department is named the Department of Defence and that gets the markdown...
The brief? Although I was rather fast... finishing in 15 minutes instead of the 20 minute time limit, I still received an A/A- grade because I covered just about everything I was supposed to. Left out a couple details, but otherwise it was well received *phew*
Now all that is left for me to finish up my final paper for philosophy class, which is due in a little under 7 days (6 days 20 hours). And then I'm free for the summer. sort of. more on that later. But I need to get some sleep, as I have to get up at 5am. And that will be coming rather quickly...