by Kristine | Dec 2, 2015 | Working Woman
It’s now the middle of week 2 in my new job. To say the least, I’m loving it! Also am loving Bella Bubbles, my new car. I got her on the 2nd day of work & am still on my first tank of fuel. A Hybrid is probably the best thing I’ve bought!
Just got a loan desktop for work today & got my iPhone last Friday. So far have only really settled in today as I’m busy getting phone calls sorted & appointments made. Slowly cutting my teeth into it all & finding my feet. There’s lots of processes & refinement in the process, but am slowly making sense of it all. Irony in it all was I got offered another position yesterday with another branch, which happens to be my former colleague/current colleague’s former position. Haha love it!
Not much to report apart from the fact that I’m slowly getting used to my new job & winding down for Christmas. Really looking forward to the paid holidays & the extra 2 days of public holidays throughout the year. And 17.5% leave loading. Yay!
by Kristine | Sep 20, 2015 | Eternal Student, Personal
It has been quite a while since my last update & there’s pretty good reasons for it. As some of you might know, I’ve been working full time, doing uni part time & been busy applying for jobs lately. It’s been quite a full on couple of months & I’ve been struggling to get into the rhythm of things. I was taking 2 units at uni, which equated to approximately 24 hours of studying & assignments each week. I never got close to even that, I’d say I average about 3 to 5 hours each week at most.
There was an assignment that was due on Friday at 11.59pm & I’ve learned that I can only do assignments if I sit down & do them all in one shot. It’s how I’ve always learned & no matter how hard I tried to space things out more, it’s never worked for me any other way. So I started doing my assignment & hit a mental wall just before the deadline & cracked it. It was one of those hurdles that I wasn’t going to be able to jump through this time.
Matt had been cajoling me & encouraging me every step of the way but no matter what, I just could not make myself go on past that point. And I’m glad he knows me well enough to know when I’ve had enough. It came to the point where he was going to walk me through my assignment each step, and that was when I just broke down, unable to tell him what I needed to do & just blubbered some gibberish while crying.
We then talked it through & he told me something that I thought was very profound: that I need some down time & I don’t need to be on the go all the time. I think that hit the proverbial nail on its head. I’ve been working FT since May last year without a decent holiday from work, all the while studying as well. I’ve been trying to finish up my Masters ASAP, all without taking time to breathe & just chill. I admit, I run on deadlines & stress but I think my head just gave up after this stint.
I’m not at all ashamed to admit that I’ve decided to withdraw from that unit & continue with one unit a semester. If I can’t live with time to enjoy life, I don’t see the point. The thing that really cemented this decision is when work rejected my application for the vacation program, which essentially means that I’m in no rush to finish studying or do I intend to apply for their graduate program. It’s been a convoluted blessing in disguise as I’m in a pool for a job that I know is hard but also rewarding at the same time, and back in my initial field of OT & disability. I’m also in the process of finding out if I’m in 2 other pools for another job within the same sector. All 3 of which pays incredibly well.
I’m thinking of having a break next semester from uni to really recharge my batteries & to extend my Masters by a year. At this point, I’m only doing it just so I’ve got an extra qualification. I’m not 100% about working within the industry, which I’m ok with. My ultimate dream job has nothing to do with anything I’m studying or have studied, so I’m just happy enough with whatever comes along for now.
I’m quite relieved at the turn of events & the decision I’ve made this weekend. It’s also come at a good time as Matt was there to support me in what I decided & knew me well enough to help my decision along & to have my best interest at heart. On a lighter note, I feel that one unit at uni is now doable & I’ve only got another 7 weeks till I’ve got a long break again & I’m looking forward to the Royal Show next weekend!
by Kristine | Aug 18, 2015 | Eternal Student
It’s now week 3 for uni & to be quite honest, it’s been rather hectic & difficult to cope. My mojo for studying has left & I’m finding it hard to keep playing catch up in everything. Going to stick it out & push myself further though as I just want to be done with uni & then I can focus on my career & other stuff.
Work hasn’t been particularly motivating but I’ve applied for the vacation program at work, am hoping for something to come out of it. Also am aiming to apply for 2 other pools with the agency I’m already in another pool for. Can’t hurt to get all my cards in various different baskets. Hoping this year will end on a high note & I’ll be able to get a few things ticked off.
Am stuck in a rut & not liking it at all. Hoping to pull myself out of it & hit some goals out of the ball park.
by Kristine | Aug 5, 2015 | Musings, Working Woman
It has been quite a busy week so far with uni resuming. The irony is, I haven’t even started my uni work. Just been busy with work & running around doing other things. Plus work has been boring lately, today has been the icing on the cake as there isn’t much to do & I’m stuck with doing work that is reserved only for when it is quiet. Which is pretty mind numbing.
I’m hoping that I get called up for my job pool pretty soon, I’m not sure how much longer my brain can be so stagnant. I’ve tried to rack my brain the other day for the last time I did any Professional Development, and last I recall it was in 2012 or 2013. Which says a lot about work investing time & effort into developing my skills. I’m not entirely happy with the situation & truth be told am a bit annoyed that I was always busy with work to be doing CPD. I’m hoping in my next job, it will be different & that I will be given opportunities to develop & expand my skills. At the moment, I’m buying time in my supposedly temp job that was supposed to last for 3 months, but stretched to over a year. I am thankful that I have work, but at the same time am wanting to do & achieve more.
Enough ranting for the night. I needed to get that out my system before I blurted that out at work inadvertently. Work has been strongly encouraging my to apply for their summer vacation program, which I will do at some point next week. I’ve also seen a job ad for some positions that I’ve had my eye on since January, that’s been advertised today. That’s on my to-do list for next week amongst other things.
Might be time to be getting some work done before bed time. It has been a long day today.
by Kristine | Jul 30, 2015 | Eternal Student
It’s the final week of the semester break before uni starts up again for the semester on Monday. I’m looking forward to finishing up this semester as that would mean that I’ve only got the research units left next year.
I’m setting myself the goal to get good grades again for this semester – at least 2 credits or higher. I’m not aiming to be the top student or anything, but I guess to make my learning time semi enjoyable & worth the time, money & effort. The 2 units I’ve got this semester aren’t my favourite & the assessment format & lecturers are probably the worst combo I’ve got. I’m hoping to get out of this relatively unscathed & still sane.
Another piece of news is that I’ve been accepted into the job pool that I’ve applied for twice but failed the one time. This time I’ve been accepted & hopefully should get an offer soon. Am hoping it’s sooner rather than later as I’ve just about had it with my job & the current pay I’m on. I’ve been told by my colleagues & boss to apply for the Summer Vac Program, which I will, just so that I’ve got back up plans. Problem is, if I’m accepted into it, I’ve got 12 weeks of work, possibly an offer for the Grad program which starts in 2017 but no guarantee anything might happen & I might lose my current job. I’ve got many second thoughts about it, but worth applying than not knowing what could have happened.
I’m making the most of my last few days before uni by watching as much TV as I can get my hands on & watching lots of cooking programs. What can I say, I am food obsessed!
by Kristine | Jul 14, 2015 | Goals
It certainly has been quite a while since I last blogged, I’ve been making the most of my down time from uni with watching heaps of TV & giving my mind a bit of a break. Lord knows that I needed some rest from thinking after work, plus I got sick a couple of times during the break & I’ve just needed time away. I’ve had a bit of a break & gave my head some space to rest & relax. It has been a good time away, but I’m rearing to get back to the blogging bandwagon & my side project.
There are a few goals that I’ve managed to work on from May (here). I’ve gotten a quote to get my TV fixed ($25/15 min blocks) & I will get the parentals to send it off when they swing past the Samsung place. I’ve barely made progress on the secret project, but will be jumping back on again now that I’m back online a bit more. I’ve also ended the semester on a high – getting a 66 & 81 for the 2 units that I took last semester. I’ve also re-enrolled for next semesters units, so am good to go on that front too. I didn’t achieve my May goal of blogging too much, but I’ll take what I can get 🙂
My goals for July 2015 are:
- Spend at least 2 hours per week doing stuff related to the secret project.
- Clean up my chest of drawers – organise all the clothes in it & create an op shop/sell pile. I’m partially done with this, but I’m putting it here so that I can say I’ve completed it.
- Clean up the spare table in my room – put away all my documents. I’ve got a pile of documents sitting on my desk & it’s not a pretty sight.
- Get rid of some clutter in my room. I’ve got too many things stashed in my room as it’s my only storage place in my house & it’s bothering me that everything is still in boxes since I first moved out of my first place in Perth in 2009. There’s lots of things that need to go.
- Clean up my cosmetics/makeup/toiletries. I think this one might be a task to be stretched over 2 months, but I’ll add it here.
5 goals seems doable in the next 3 weeks or so & I’m challenging myself to really get off my butt to get some stuff done. I haven’t put anything on the blogging front yet, just cause I’m trying to enjoy my time off uni till August & I want to continue getting my head into the right space to be able to hit the rest of the year off. There’s not long left to the year & it’s starting to get to me as I turn the big 3-0 in January & am starting to really do lots of reflecting & soul searching in terms of what I want in life. Big stuff. Watch this space.
by Kristine | Jun 9, 2015 | Eternal Student
I handed in my last assignment of the semester last Friday. To say that I hit the submit button with relief, is an understatement. I was so glad that my first semester was over for the year. I just have to rinse & repeat in August.
I’ve got a few things planned over the semester break, one of which includes a bit of a spring cleaning of my room. I’m a bit over living from the floordrobe & want to fully utilise my wardrobe since I practically live from my room & every inch of space is very much valued. I’ve also got some blog posts planned, some other study to do (you didn’t think I’d while my time away, did you?) & some reading time.
Also, some focussed job applications to complete. I’m making it my goal for the rest of the year to get a full time permanent job & am sending this out to the universe. Please & thank you.
I’ll be glad when I finish up my Masters & hopefully not do my phd unless I decide that I’m really bored & want to switch things up again. 2.5 years of study this time round has really eaten me up. I want to just be able to do other things, not just be tied down by study deadlines.
Best be on my merry way back to work now! I’ve got a bit of brain drain happening at the moment staring at spreadsheets & doing mindless tasks. But it pays the bills.
by Kristine | Jun 5, 2015 | Friday Matters
Just a quick post to say that I am indeed alive after quite a bit of gap, I’ve been busy with uni, work & life in general. I’ve got the day off work today to complete my uni assignment & thus signals the end of the first semester. I’ve got a few things lined up for the semester break & I’m hoping that I can get to them in that short space of time.
One of the more exciting things I did recently was get me a Kindle. I’ve always had my doubts about the viability of the Kindle & the price of books versus being able to borrow free books from the library on my Tab etc, I was sold when my colleagues talked about almost 1900 free books that she had on a thumb drive. Dick Smith was having a sale on the 3G version, so I hopped, skipped & ran to Dick Smith the next day I got my grubby hands on the Kindle Paperwhite. I’ll have to write up a review about it soon, but in short, I’m absolutely loving it!
I had won a signed copy of Rachel Khoo’s Kitchen Notebook a few weeks back & it finally arrived in the mail yesterday! The pictures inside were filled with colour & the recipes were definitely not ones that I’ve ever seen before. I’m really chuffed with the whole thing! Will be fun to try some of the recipes in there some day!
I guess that’s it from me for a while. I’ve got a 50% assignment to finish up today & then I can commiserate by not looking at uni work for the next 2 months or so! Have a lovely Friday!
by Kristine | May 22, 2015 | Friday Matters
It’s been a pretty ok week so far, nothing exciting has been happening. I had my nephew’s first birthday last Saturday & it was a Disney themed birthday.
My Disney leggings were as close as I got to the Disney theme. Actually donned red lipstick for it & got my face did up. I don’t clean up too shabby, I don’t think 😂
We got quite the sight at work on Wednesday when the window cleaners made their descent while cleaning the windows. I’m near a corner of the building so there were something like 4 planes that the window cleaners were working on. Funny thing is it rained pretty much right after the windows were cleaned. Haha apparently this always happens! It seems to be window cleaning time in the CBD this week, I’m going to assume it’ll rain each day then.
I treated myself to some new Rimmel by Kate Moss lippies. I was wanting shade 10 but they sold out & I had to settle for these 2 shades as it was 3 for the price of 2 over at Priceline. I went in to get myself a liquid eyeliner cause my new Scandaleyes one wasn’t quite up to par. I miss the Maybelline Line Stilletto one, they don’t do them any more.
That’s this edition of Friday Matters for me! How was your week?
by Kristine | May 18, 2015 | Goals, Lists
It’s already past the middle of May & I haven’t even reviewed my goals from last month. The year is almost up again & I feel like I haven’t quite accomplished much again. It’ll be my 1 year anniversary at my current workplace tomorrow & it is a bit of a mixed bag of feelings. Feels good that I managed to stick it out a year but also not so good cause I haven’t been able to leave what was supposed to be a temporary position.
I’ve not quite applied for the many jobs I’ve aimed for, but instead I’ve changed my tact to apply for positions which I would really want and would have a shot of getting an interview & beyond. So far, I’ve applied for the position that I’ve just narrowly missed out on previously & thus begins the really long wait to hear back.
I still haven’t gotten my TV fixed, but have got it on my list of things to do at some point this month as I really want my old TV back.
I’ve managed to keep up with my studies last month, submitting quite a number of assessments & getting a result back today. I managed to get a 24/30 for an assessment, which I’m pretty chuffed about seeing that I did that in about 4 hours. I’ve got one last piece of assessment to submit in a few weeks before I can have a break.
I’ve also managed to get back on the blogging bandwagon after slipping off a bit again for a while due to the stress from assignments. All in all, a pretty good month for April.
Goals for this month:
1. Get a quote to get my TV fixed. I’ll have to do this at some point as I’m a bit over the smaller TV & it looking so odd in my room.
2. Work on my secret project. I’ve written a schedule & rough plan which I want to try to stick to to try to make some progress slowly. I won’t be ready to launch or reveal the project for at least another year or so, but want to have some substance & content ready for when I am ready to finally start it up.
3. Finish up this semester at uni on a high. I’ve got one more big assignment (50%) due in a few weeks & I’m starting to put it together from now. So far I’m not failing the 2 units I’m doing, which is always a good sign.
4. Keep up with the blogging here. I’ve got a few posts planned & I’m quite enjoying the fact that I’ve rediscovered the password feature on my blog. Being able to write about some personal stuff here is quite cathartic & soothing. If you would like the passwords, please e-mail me kristinesays at Gmail dot com. I’m happy to give out passwords, I just want to know who is reading my personal posts 🙂
I suppose 4 goals for the month is enough. My planner is full of other daily to do lists which keeps me sane & my thoughts on to paper rather than stuck in my head. What are your goals for this month? Let me know in the comments!
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