One exam down with two to go.

Last Thursday was my first exam, and most important, because it’s the only class I have to pass, in order to graduate in December.

Statistical Process Control Chart

It seems that not passing a class is not too uncommon. Students just take the class over, which is kind of strange and expensive to me, but then I'm used to paying per credit.  It seems they pay for full time, and credits over that don’t appear to cost extra. Or at least that was the way it was explained, when I commented on the lack of concern regarding failing a paper. So as long as they pass enough to stay full time, it’s ok, which explains the laissez-faire attitude to studying.

I do have to give a correction on the exam set-up. Bags and coats are allowed in the room, but all piled up in the front. Water bottles were also allowed, as well as clear plastic bags to hold pens, pencils, and rulers, in the case of the exam I just took.

Thursday's exam wasn’t too bad. I had studied the two years previous exams, which is what was recommended by past students. It seemed to worked as a pretty good starting point. Past exam papers are available on-line, so you can check them out at: http://www.library.otago.ac.nz/exams/index.html It will give you some idea what you are getting into.

Last night, being Saturday, I went out on the town. We started out at midnight, which is when stuff actually starts happening in the Octagon. Here’s a webcam of the Octagon in Dunedin’s city centre. I find it kind of interesting that the cam is setup in such a way, as to not show where all the action is actually taking place, which is at the café/bars on the opposite side of the Octagon.

Anyway,  I finally was able to chill enough to have a good time and not worry about everything, or just be bored, which is what usually happens. I also limited myself to only spending the change in my pocket a total of $38, including leaving enough money for a cab home. That really helped limit the drinking. I met some other people I knew from Willowbank, which was cool, and I really enjoyed dancing until 4:30am. This is something I have never done at home, since everything pretty much closes at 2am.

The other great bit is that there is NO SMOKING inside, which means, that I can dance harder and longer and still breathe. When I come home, I want to start a petition to end smoking in our clubs and bars. If whole countries like New Zealand and Ireland can do it, which have a much stronger pub and bar culture than we do, why we shouldn’t have the ability also end smoking in bars. In a lot of ways, I think the knowledge that you can go out and not have to deal with the smoke, makes it so you actually want to go and stay out longer.

Oh well, must get back to studying for my Halloween exam. It should be quite horrifying, involving graphs, process control charts  and HACCP documents, as well as BIOFILM!