A New Voice for Students 21+ Issue 1, 2014

Are students 21+ going to uni to avoid life?by Sif Dal

Im so sick of peoples percep-tion that Im at Uni to escape the real world, as if juggling study and raising children on a pittance is some sort of holiday, my friend lamented to me the other week. It was not the first time I had heard this complaint from her, and from many other mature age students. There is certainly a perception that the time for

tertiary study is directly after the conclusion of secondary education. Starting a degree at an age when others are usually in the paid workforce is often considered a form of escapism.Another friend, who came to tertiary education after work-ing a corporate position has said to me that studying is a bit of an escape from the pres-

sures of work in that he has more autonomy over his time and enjoys the interaction with a wide variety people study quite different career paths from his own. However, he agreed that tertiary study brings its own demands and challenges, which, while dif-ferent to corporate life, can be just as demanding in terms of long hours and heavy work

loads - and no renumeration to speak of!It cannot be ignored that we live in times of great change. Employment itself is change, with more people working part time or casually than ever before. The nature and definition of what consti-tutes a career these days is also changing. Where people might have gained a degree

for a particular career path in the past and then worked their way up through the ranks until retirement age, it is now increasingly common for people in their 30s, 40s and older to change careers and be required to retrain and gain new qualifications. This is not escapism, this is survival.Continued page 3

R E A L I T Y B I T E S ?

ROLL AROUND IN THE HAY

STARTING UNIVERSITY appeared to be sim-ilar to embarking on any new opportunity, there would be potential for new and inter-esting sex. I had imagined spending time in the library (which I had found great places to meet a potential date) and in classes, talking to other students who would be interested in similar things whats better to spark a great connection than a shared passion? Memories from my first attempt at tertiary studies led me to think that university would be just like work, but with more breaks and less responsibility. The cute-but-nervous and obvious mature age student (MAS) on the

tram on first day of o-week was not too young for me, distinct possibility I thought. Howev-er, after arriving on campus during o-week, I was shell-shocked. Dozens of young, hot and fashionable (is that even a word now?) girls would soon have cute-but-nervous vanish into a melee of blond hair, and 6-inch heels. Soon I discovered that Deakin was known as the party university, repelled by the pro-motion of said parties and those queuing for tickets, even considering going gave me creepy chills at the thought of being ignored, or worse, mistaken for someones mother.

AFTER THE first week of classes I had realised that I was indeed a rare beast, and that free afternoons would be unlikely to be spent roll-

ing around the bed-room with a new uni friend. I was studying a philosophy unit and figured Id head along to the Philosophy at the pub, my thoughts Excellent, beer and

philosophy, that should be a good catalyst. Yes, it was the kind of discussion Id prayed for, but with young, precocious 3rd year students,

and I was completely out of my depth. So much for my intellectual foreplay fantasy.

QUEUING FOR my first sociology lecture, I was careful about approaching someone who seemed much closer to my age than anyone Id met. And I was glad I waited, he turned out to be the lecturer! Also, as with any vaguely sexually interesting lecturer, he already had a keen following. That was close. So before I making a fool of myself, I put my usual sexual optimism aside, and concluded that I would probably not be able to satisfy both my aca-demic and intimate needs at Deakin.

I had realised that I was indeed a rare beast, and that free after-noons would be unlikely to be spent rolling around the bed-room with a new uni friend

Explore the myths of sex as a mature aged studentby Binni Haydon

Welcome to the very first issue of A magazine the Mature Age Student Club (MASC) magazine for students 21+. This is the first time MASC has been able to offer students 21+ their own maga-zine, and while we are all very new to this process and still learning the ropes, we hope to build a magazine you will enjoy and look forward to reading.

We have been working very hard over Trimester 3 to develop A, and our Executive Publisher, Rob-ert Ornig, has even learned a whole new design program for this purpose proving you are never too old to learn something new! Well done, Rob-bie!

I would like to thank the MASC committee for having faith in this project and supporting this endeavour with various written contribution. You can meet the committee on the new MASC website www.deakinmasc.com.

Our vision for A magazine is that it will be a new voice on campus, specifically aimed at the two-

thirds of students who are 21+. We encourage you to become involved in A mag if you have an interest in writing, editing or design. Within this issue you will find ads for a number of positions we are looking to fill within the A mag crew.

Mature age students are, by no means, an ho-mogenous group, but one thing we have in com-mon is studying! In our first issues feature article I discuss Reality Bites and Belinda Haydon asks if youre Getting Any?

I hope you find this first issue interesting and en-tertaining! We encourage feedback on the mag-azine, and would love to hear what is important to you what sort of things would you like to see covered? We would also love to introduce a letters section, so feel free to email us at a@deak-inmasc.com and tell us your thoughts on the ar-ticles!

Cheers

Sif Dal Executive Editor in Chief

Editorial by Sif Dal

New Direction by Marije Jansma, MASC President

Welcome to a new year, and a new chapter for MASC! I am proud to be part of a fantastic team that not only is passionate about making 2014 a great year for mature age (21+) students, but one that is also keen to explore further territories and make MASC as big and present as can be. Our vision is to connect students like you together and make uni-versity life less isolating. Mature age students typi-cally have to juggle adult responsibilities with study, and meeting people who understand and relate makes a huge positive difference. We aim to fos-ter these connections through our events, but also provide opportunities to connect otherwise: this wonderful magazine being one of them, another is the new room! On campus this year is a new safe space for students over 21, thanks to the combined effort of past committee members and DUSA. It is located next to the kitchen in The Learning Space (Building H, level 1). I hope this room serves as an inviting home away from home, where friendships are made and energy is regained between study periods. We also have a new logo, those of you who have been members for a while may have noticed. As a committee we decided on something not just practical, but neutral and inclusive to represent the new direction we are steering towards. This year we have already partnered with DUELI (Deakin Univer-sity English Language Institute) and will actively focus on including international students. MASC is also building strong networks with the Ask and See team, library, disability resource centre, student life and other DUSA clubs. Stay tuned for our upcoming movie night with BuSTCo! To get involved behind the scenes you can contact Marije at mjansma@deakin.edu.au

A@DEAKINMASC.COM

EDITOR, SUB-EDITOR, WRITERS, ASSISTANT-PUBLISHER NEEDED

CONTACT A FOR MORE DETAILS

Placement HELLBy Breanna Grose

ONE OF the joys of doing an education course are the placements in schools. The university will organise these for you at various schools and then its up to you to make contact with the school to discuss the smaller details such as which grade etc. In the Primary Education course, you have one each in first and second years, two in third and three in fourth. They can be daunting experiences, but generally they are positive experiences where you learn so much from your mentor teacher, and you learn a lot about the sort of teacher you want to be. HAVING SAID that, they can go horribly wrong as I experienced last year my teacher openly criticised my teaching in front of the grade four students, and she would interject me during my lesson to tell me I was wrong. What was worse though was that I could not ask questions if I dared to ask something, I was ignored or given a look of contempt for not knowing the answer myself. She did not say goodbye for the first two days (of ten), and would not speak to me at all in the mornings before class, or in the staffroom during breaks. In terms of taking the class myself, she told me You want to be a teacher, so you should know what you want to teach and what your strengths are, so its up to you. Never-mind the fact I was a second year student who had never taught a class before! However when I came to her with lesson plans that I had created myself, I was told to do a Maths sheet instead. She made me feel stupid and I dreaded going each morning. However I learnt so much about how I do not want to be, so it was not a wasted experience. PLEASE KNOW that if you have a similar expe-rience, you are not alone. Speak to your unit chair linked to the placement (ETP in Primary), or to the Placement Office. Dont make my mis-take of not wanting to make a fuss. The uni can and will help you they can send someone out to observe you and the teacher and take action as necessary. I only spoke up after placement had finished I only wish I had done it sooner. The school is now flagged so that future stu-dents will be monitored in the event that she takes on another student. THIS TRIMESTER I am doing a rural placement in Natimuk (west of Horsham) and I cannot wait. Surely I cant have two bad placements in a row...??

There are always students who take a laissez faire attitude to-ward their studies; taking long weekends, refusing to get out of bed before 10am and putting in minimum effort for assignments and exams. We all know students who treat their time at Uni as a form of social experiment, focus-ing on hanging out with friends and partying. However, this is not the case for the majority of mature age stu-dents who sacrifice income and lifestyle to become better edu-cated, and better skilled. Most mature aged students come to University to improve their em-ployment prospects and status.

Dealing with other peoples attitudes

So, how do we deal with peo-ple who think were just being lazy or cannot cope in the real world and have chosen tertiary education as a form of escape? In short, we ignore them - even if it means changing the top-ic of conversation, or walking away from the inflammatory Facebook comment. They do

no know what it is to be in our position. Even if they themselves have studied, and worked, and raised children all at the same time in some freakishly super-human effort, no one else can know your personal situation, because no one else is you. Each student must as them-selves if they are making the most of their opportunities. Ask yourself, why are you studying. What is your ultimate goal? What is important to you? What can you afford to sacrifice? What are you willing to sacrifice? These questions will help you focus and prioritise your choices as a mature age student.Make the most of the indus-try contacts open to you while you study. At no other time will people be more willing to get to know you. This is when you can get work experience, make an impression, make contacts, and work on your resume. Studying is a form of low paid, or unpaid, employment that comes with the benefits of opportuni-ties to gain experience without the expectation that you will al-ready know the ropes. The pres-

sure to perform is lower than it will be once you have graduat-ed, but the opportunities to gain experience are greater.Many degrees incorporate place-ments and workshops which put students in direct contact with industry; these are built in op-portunities to learn on the job and make an impression which can be used to gain employment during or soon after completion of your degree.As well as this, you will be in-formed about conventions, con-ferences, and industry events where you can meet leaders and potential employers. Through library facilitation you have free access to industry journals and publications, which are a prime source of up-to-date informa-tion on the issues and hot topics within your industry.Studying is not a form of escap-ism from the real world, in fact, it is the best opportunity you will ever have to fully immerse your-self in the career of your choice without the mundane demands of on-the-job bureaucracy and interpersonal politics. Going to university is the smartest career

Reality Bites? continued from page 1 by Sif Dal

BLOOM AND WIT After some hard work, its time to take stockAstrid Lewis

Crunch,crunch, crunch no Im not in the mid-dle of a snow field but rather walking, with a re-freshing drink in hand, to my little garden bench at the back of the yard stepping on brown grass that not so long ago was a lush green

Its the middle of summer and now is the time for you too to sit back and admire the results of

all your hard work during the last few months when you prepared your garden beds, fertilising, mulching and watering in all the new seedlings and plants which now are in full bloom.

My tomato plants are groaning under the weight of sweet ripening fruit, beans are growing in large numbers on their vines, pumpkins are running all over the beds and potato plants keep on pro-ducing a bumper crop. Have also enjoyed lots of raspberries this year and the fight with the family of blackbirds

Tips for the garden for the hot months

Its important now to keep on mulching to ensure your plants dont dry out. You may need to sprin-kle around some water crystals as your soil could now be water resistant which makes any watering useless as it just runs off instead of soaking in to the ground.

Ensure your plants are staked well to stop branch-es braking under the weight of growing fruit or vegetables.

Watch out for those pesky little

bugs and deal with them before they take over. Use organic sprays wherever possible and spray on a day when there is no or very little wind to ensure that only infected plants are sprayed.

Keep your lawns neat and tidy by mowing regu-

larly but dont cut the grass too short (or you too will finish up with a brown rather than a green lawn!)

Got lots of fruit and vegies? Freeeze them, pickle them or make great homemade jams which you and your friends and family will be able to enjoy in the coming months.

Enjoy the warm weather because soon enough well be complaining about the cold!

Happy gardening and cheers for now...

Abbott and the Student by Jayne GarrodTony Abbott and the Coalition swept into power last September, largely on the strength of a some-times deafening rhetoric of stopping the boats and recalling the carbon tax. In fact, one might be for-given for thinking that these two campaign agendas were the sole policies of the newly elected govern-ment. (Possibly with the addition of paid parental leave). Certainly, these were the issues receiving the great-est amount of media attention - particularly in the tabloid press, nightly commercial current affairs shows, and on the ever-present airwaves of shock jock radio. Five months later, Abbott and Immigration Minister Scott Morrison have been true to their word, implementing harsh penalties on people attempting to arrive in Australia on boats operated by people smugglers. It remains to be seen wheth-er the governments move to repeal the carbon tax will be blocked by The Greens and the ALP, both of whom will hold the balance of power in the senate until mid-2014. Abbott remains committed to im-plementing his paid parental leave scheme, and Ed-ucation minister Christopher Pynes backflip, (and subsequent backflip on their backflip) regarding Gonski school funding has been well documented in the media. So it is salient then to wonder if the Coalition does in fact have any actual policies on universitiesor has tertiary education been entire-ly eclipsed by the demonisation of asylum seekers,

and climate scepticism desiring alignment with Australias big mining magnates? In many ways, it appears to be so. Like many of his campaign speeches, Abbotts views on university places, funding models and social policy pertain-ing to students, appears ambiguous and somewhat murky. Indeed, education has not rated much of

a mention at all since he assumed of-fice. Howeverlets take a look at the little they have spoken about regard-ing tertiary education to date.Access and equity to university places is a strong issue of contention, with the Coalition considering plans to re-introduce caps on Commonwealth supported places, which as reported by Fairfax media, enabled an addi-tional 190,000 students to gain access

to tertiary education. A demand driven system, supported by commonwealth funding, can enable students from traditionally disadvantaged and low socio-economic backgrounds access to university study, that they may otherwise have been denied. However, critics argue that this model may reduce the quality and standards of Australian universities, leading to the effective dumbing down of curric-ulum and teaching methods. This is an argument with which Pyne appears to hold some sympathy, stating that he will review the uncapped places sys-tem. On the topic of access and equity, as opposition leader, Abbott hinted that he would look at open-ing up more opportunities for online study, by re-

ducing the red tape of bureaucracy, and potentially enabling greater access for international, rural and older students to university study. However, as he appears to have not mentioned this topic since early 2013, we might assume this is an issue well and tru-ly sent to the backburner for now.Additionally, education minister Chris Pyne has indicated they might consider cutting compulsory student services and amenities fees. As a strongly neo-conservative government opposed to compul-sory unionism, this would not be surprising in the least. After all, the former Howard government re-voked compulsory student union fees in 2005, and Pyne suggests that the current services and amen-ities fee is akin to compulsory student unionism. Again however, no definitive decisions have been announced on this either.So there you have it Abbott government higher education policy clear as mud so far. It would be wonderful to imagine that as beneficiaries of the free university education system instigated by the Whitlam government in the 1970s, Abbott and Pyne might consider access and equity for all po-tential students (particularly those from minority or disadvantaged groups) to be of paramount im-portance. On the other hand, as conservatives, the appeal of a move towards less government funding and a more user pays model would doubtlessly be appealing. Only time will tell in what direction this government will move; however, indications so far offer little for students to feel overly hopeful about.

AT TWENTY six, I dont really think of myself as mature aged. I dont have a mortgage, or kids, I have no real commitments. The term independent young woman seems more applicable, in my opinion, than mature aged. Returning to stud-ies at the beginning of last year did make me feel a bit older. The defin-ing moment was being the only one in my microeconomics class, apart from the tutor, who knew who Paul Keating was.

IT WASNT too tough though. I could still hang out with my like aged friends out of uni, and I quite enjoyed the sage like status bestowed upon me by my younger colleagues: Id worked in the real world, Id travelled, I lived out of home. It all seemed quite fabulous to them. Exotic, even if I was a bit old. Being mature aged wasnt too much of a problem back in Mel-bourne, but is presenting some chal-lenges now that Im on exchange in Copenhagen.

PEOPLE FREQUENTLY assume that Im younger than my years, which I suspect is mainly due to the per-sistence of my youthful pimples. Before embarking on my adventure I asked the advice of a friend who had also gone on exchange at my age, her recommendation Oh, just pretend youre twenty two! No one will know. And by the time they find out youre not, no one will care!. Pretty good advice, I thought! It

seems however that my advanced age has other ways of creeping out and making itself known.

ITS THE little things, like spending $15 on a bottle of wine rather than $4. Like knowing who The Beastie Boys are, or knowing the words to more Aqua songs than just Barbie Girl. One girl suspected all was not

as it seemed, How old are you? she pondered. She was relieved to hear I was twenty six. Oh thank god! I was talking to a girl whos nineteen, and she thought I was sooo old. But Im not! The unspoken insinuation being that I on the other hand, at twenty six, may well be.

CONNECTING WITH people and making friends is a little harder when youre about six years above the mean age. My main goal for my exchange isnt get-ting wasted, so that rules me out of a few groups of people. Even the people who are here for the same reasons as I am can be hard to get to know; Im not sure I could relate to myself at twenty, so it shouldnt be a surprise that

relating to other twenty year olds is at times difficult. That all said, I have met some wonder-ful people in the two weeks Ive been here. With perseverance and by continuing to put myself out there, Ive no doubt I will meet more.STILL, ITS not all bad. As incred-ible as the public transport system is here in Denmark, it isnt cheap to use. My Danish teacher suggested it could be cheaper to hire a car if I planned on doing a trip around Denmark, so I had a look at prices. For a week it will cost around $280 for me to hire a car, having selected the over twenty five box. Out of curiosity I decided to check what it would have cost if I were younger. The same car for the same length of time would be $1350 if I were 25. Just a perk of being mature aged, I suppose.

$15 Bottle of wine reveals all Experience Deakin by Cat Wighton

TIME IS a huge factor for working professionals. Between their jobs, family, and extracurricular activities they tend to keep very busy. Adding school on top of their already busy schedule is a huge commitment. There is a lot to consider when applying to different graduate programs. One must take everything into consideration and choose the best program for them. Since on-line education has become very popular with adult stu-dents we decided to talk about what one should expect when enrolling in an on-line class. We will take you through a week of an on-line student. Jessica is 28 years old, married, with one child. She works 40-50 hours a week as a manager of a call center. There is a lot of potential within her current company to advance her career so she has decided

to enroll in an on-line MBA program. She hopes the MBA program will open more doors for her and accelerate her career. The first thing Jessica did was gain the support of her family and close friends before committing to the program. Now that Jes-sica is in her third class she has a routine down so she can be successful in her program, at her job, and also spend time with her family. Every Monday she takes her child to daycare, reports to work, and then picks her child up. Once she gets home she cooks dinner and relaxes for about an hour. Once her child is asleep she logs into her virtual classroom and begins her coursework. She checks her syllabus to see what is due this week and com-pletes her discussion board posting. After a long day she falls asleep. On Tuesday Jessica works the

late shift so she logs into her class in the morning to read any posts or announcements made by her profes-sor. She also works on her weekly assignments. Wednesday is her day off. She takes a relaxing walk in the park with her child and husband and does not log into her on-line class. Thursday is another busy day for Jessica. She wakes up early, takes her child to daycare, and reports to work. When she gets home she submits her discussion board post-ing and completes her weekly paper. On Friday, she wakes up early to submit her weekly paper and reports to work. Finally, the weekend as arrived and Jessica can relax. Jessica will typically log into the course over the weekend to prepare for the following weeks assignments.

A Typical Week of an On-line Student Edward J Hulse

Students 21+Deakin University

NNetwork

Connect with students, faculty, alumni and friends from across all faculties and

walks of life.

f: deakinmasc w: deakinmasc.com e: memberships@deakinmasc.com

About UsMASC is for students 21+, a club that offers a wide range of exciting events and experiences. We provide support, study assistance and networking opportunities for all our members.

Our group is diverse: our members are full-time, part-time, first years, PhD candidates, local, international, gay, straight, single, married, parents and the list goes on. Our difference makes us strong. There is a place for every student at MASC, come and see for yourself!

Mature. If you are 21 years or over on January 1 on the

year of intake you are a mature age student. We are here

for you, connect on-line or on-site..

Deakin MASC works hard to ensure our members have

access to us 24/7. Connect via our website, facebook,

twitter, instagram face-to-face. We even have our own

App

Being a student is tough, however it can also be the best

time of your life. MASC is planning more than 80 events

in Trimester 1; Socialising, support and study.

M

A

S

To join the MASC club:

Membership is $5 for DUSA members and $10 for

everyone else. Simply visit or call the DUSA office. C

SSocialise

University can be stressful and at times isolating, MASC has over 80 events planned in trimester one for you to

meet new friends.

LLearn

We are all at Deakin to learn and improve our lives in someway. MASC members never stop learning, join us

for weekly study groups and supportive study advice on-line.

ig: @deakinmasc t: mascdeakin app: by invite only

Never Stop Learning

More than 90 events in Trimester 1 An Event everyday of the week

Something for everyone

WRITERS BLOCKTHE GRAND IRISH LASSby O.B.R

This bane of my life This Grand Irish lassThis disruption from dublins fair streetsWith a Wink and a smileShe calls my nameAnd I hustle up onto my feetI fight and give flightTo not let it showBut wild horses drag me to herAnd never the man to just let her go Her eyes call the spirit to stirSo what should it mean to a fair Aussie lad To puppy dog off to her feetWhen her messages switchedDo chorus a fixIn this heart never missive to beat

The Man in the Boots.by Sif Dal

Sigga drank the last of her milk, it never quite got rid of the taste of the little blue pill her grandmoth-er gave her before nap time each afternoon. Are you finished? grandmother asked without turning towards Sigga, it was always as if grandmother had eyes in the back of her head. Yes, Amma. Well, then go and lay down on the ghost and dont come out of the parlour until I fetch you, do you hear? Yes, Amma. Sigga said and slid down off the kitchen chair. She knew better than the cross grandmother. On the occasions when her will got the better of her, Sigga had experienced her grand-mothers sharp temper and she did not like it. Sigga toddled into the parlour and clambered up onto the ghost. The ghost was a French provincial chaise lounge in forest green velvet with a mahogany scrollwork frame. Grandmother said the chaise had belonged to a French Colonel, and the ghost of the man still haunted the chaise. Sigga wasnt terribly fussed about ghosts, shed seen many in her short life. The chaise was comfortable and Sigga felt sleepy. Rosenkranz the cat jumped onto the chaise and curled up at Siggas feet. Soon the warm sunlight streaming across the parlour and onto her small form lulled her and Rosenkranz to sleep.

***

Then she was awake again. It felt too soon to be awake the house was quiet and Grand-mother wasnt standing over her as she usually did when Sigga woke. Something moved. Sigga squinted and pulled herself up to sitting. She wasnt sure if she was really awake or not. There was a man in the room. She didnt recognize him and he didnt seem to notice her. He paced in solitary formation a soldier without a brigade He wore boots such as Sigga had never seen before. They went up to his knee, but were quite wide and loose, not like grandfathers gumboots. The mans pants were cream coloured and baggy, he wore a matching cream coloured waistcoat and a white shirt with the top buttons undone. Sigga could hear he was muttering something, but could not understand his words. He kept repeating the same words over and over and they began to beat a rhythm in her head. Siggas head felt heavy and she lay down again. Sigga, it is time to wake up. Grandmothers voice came from a distance. Sigga opened her eyes and saw her grandmother standing where the man in the boots had been pacing moments ago. Is the man gone? Sigga said. What man, dear? The man in the big boots. Sigga sat up and slid down off the chaise. You must have been dreaming, dear child, there is no man in big boots here, just you and me and that silly old cat. He kept saying something strange. Oh, what was that, child? Grandmother said as she walked out the room leaving Sigga to

PUZZ IT REAL GOOD!MASCDEAKINASKANDSEELEARNINGSPACESAGEAMAGAZINEUNIVERSITYBURWOODOWEEKTRAMORPARKELGARROADWEEKLYLUNCHPROFESSORTUTOR

Many people like to use the excuse that they are too busy to eat a healthy diet and maintain their good nu-trition. The real truth is that healthy choices are even more important when you have a lot to do. It doesnt have to take a lot of time to eat the right foods when you use some of the recom-mendations in the article below.Read the labels of prepared foods carefully. Reduced fat products can still contain high amounts of salt, sugar or other unhealthy additives. Heavily processed foods are

bad for you whether you are trying to lose weight or not. The list of ingredients on the label should be easy for people to recognize. The foods you consume should not contain many artificial ingredients.Make sure your kids are not learning their health facts about food from food ads on television or other-wise. Make sure that they get what they need with a healthy diet rich in produce and lean meats and dairies and provide them with the correct information if they ask you.To receive the benefits of antioxidants, you dont have to drink exotic fruit juices. Tomatoes, one of the most common foods, contain loads of these beneficial antioxidants and they also have plenty of vitamins,

like C and A. Tomatoes can be enjoyed in various ways.

Cherry tomatoes are great for snacking, while large to-matoes can be used in sand-wiches, soups, sauces and many other uses.You might buy ground tur-key thinking that its lower fat, and therefore better for you nutritionally. But you should always read the la-bels, and ground turkey is no exception. Ground tur-key contains both white and dark meat, the latter being high in fat. And ground tur-key, though certainly leaner

than ground hamburger, is actually higher in fat than ground sirloin.A good nutrition tip is to start taking iodine as a sup-plement. Iodine works to produce the T4 and T3 hor-mones, which are essential in regulating your thyroid. If youve been to the doctor and you found out your T4 or T3 levels are down, taking an iodine supplement can be very beneficial.A great nutrition tip is to in-vest in a blender. Blenders are great because you can mix a wide variety of foods into one simple beverage. You can throw in a handful of fruits, a scoop of protein powder, and some oats in a blender to create a fantastic and healthy shake.The olive oil in your pantry can be a valuable addition to your skin care routine by

fighting dryness. Olive oil is gentle and effective in seal-ing in moisture on your face and hands. It also provides a helping of antioxidants to combat aging. A thin layer twice a day is all you need.When your nutrition is poor, you will find that you have less energy than you need to cope with the demands of your busy day. When your nutrition is good, you will find that you have the energy you need to accom-plish even more than you thought you could. Stop making excuses, and get your nutrition back on track with these practical tips.

Eating For Health And Vitality Starts With A Good Nutrition Planby Darren Cari

Overwhelmed by your study work-load?

Having trouble time-managing your 11 week trimester?

Need help finding appropriate re-sources for your assignments?

Stuck on where to start and how to structure your essays?

Is work/study/life balance presenting difficulties?

Is English not your first language?If you are enrolled in the Faculty of Arts and Education, the ASK and SEE Program is here to provide an instant, positive and proactive student pro-gram. We provide academic support and assistance with any issue or con-cern you may have about study or uni-versity life in general.

OUR TEAM

ASK and SEE comprises six team members located across all Deakin Campuses: Mrs. Jan Parkes, (ASK Jan) Across Campus Program Co-ordinator, Mel-bourne Burwood Campus, Building N, Room 1.08, Phone: 9244 3875, Mobile: 0409 428 937, Email: parkesj@deakin.edu.au

Ms. Alison Caddick, (SEE Alison) Mel-bourne Burwood Campus, Building N, Room 1.07, Phone: 9244 3008, Email: alison.caddick@deakin.edu.au

Dr. Janet Watson, (INTERNATION-AL Janet) Melbourne Burwood Cam-pus, Burwood Campus, Building N, Room 1.06, Phone: 9244 3974, Email:

janet.w@deakin.edu.au

Dr. Petra Brown, (ASK Petra) Geelong Waurn Ponds Campus, Building IC, Level 2, Room 107, Phone: 03 5227 1477, Mobile: 0407 047 824, Email: petra.b@deakin.edu.au

Dr. Steven Grivas, (SEE Steve) Gee-long Waurn Ponds Campus, Room IC 2.112, Phone: 5227 2597, Email: steven.grivas@deakin.edu.au

Ms. Louise Clancey (ASK Louise) Warrnambool Campus, Room: J3.01, Phone: 5563 3071, Mobile: 0400 504 418, Email: l.clancey@deakin.edu.au

WHAT DO OUR ROLES ENTAIL?

The ASK and SEE Team provides a human face to enhance your learning experience and aims to: keep students at Deakin and make their learning experiences suc-cessful

answer any question or que-ry and consult with students on a one-to-one basis work through assignment planning and trimester plans with stu-dents strive to be aware of students who are at risk, falling through the cracks, or just stuck work through all possible options with students who think they need to leave give academic support to students take student referrals from academic staff

The ASK person is the initial port of call for all students in Arts and Educa-

tion and provides accurate and helpful support to students in working through study options and choices. They work directly with students regarding their learning and university engagement and refer to appropriate programs and resources.The SEE person works in conjunction with the ASK team member and gives one-on-one support regarding all aca-demic skills: understanding, planning

and structuring essays/assignments; helping with referencing, comprehen-sion, and exam preparation; assisting international and ESL students, and re-ferring to other programs and services.

The INTERNATIONAL team member is a combination of ASK and SEE roles with a particular focus on assisting and enriching the tertiary experience of Deakins culturally and linguistically diverse students, whether, interna-tional, exchange, or ESL. In addition to providing general academic skills assistance, help with English language issues, grammar and vocabulary forms a large part of this role.

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL JanetSo let me introduce myself. I have a long-time Deakin association, begin-

ning my entre into university life as a mature-age undergraduate student about 15 years ago. I was in my late thirties with a primary-school aged son and decided that a change of direction (yes, the stereotypical middle-aged crisis!) was needed. What better than to try my hand at an Arts degree? After a couple of semesters I gradual-ly connected with other mature-age students, and an informal group of

mature-agers grew or-ganically (the Mature Age Club existed only sporadically back in my day). I cant begin to tell you how enriching this experience was to be able to chat, laugh, cry, vent, and general-ly discuss all matter of burning issues about our respective studies with like-minded people.

With this wonderfully supportive net-work, I progressed through undergrad, Honours and then on to complete a PhD. Ive also lectured and tutored in the Faculty of Arts and Education, so all-in-all Im well placed to work with Deakin students in a supportive aca-demic role and be able to identify with many of those snarly study/work/life issues that conspire to trip us up and slow us down temporarily.

My role as INTERNATIONAL Janet is primarily to work with Deakins inter-national students. But I should note that ASK and SEE works as a teamwe refer students to each other as re-quired. So of course, any student that seeks assistance from me, irrespective of background, will be welcomed with open arms.

Lost in the University Maze?Introducing the ASK and SEE Program Faculty of Arts and Education, BurwoodBy Dr Janet Watson, INTERNATIONAL Janet

Five Helpful Starter-Tips for Study1. Visit ASK and SEE on CloudDeakin. Here, you will find a range of study skill guides, quizzes and information, as well as video introduc-tions and contact details for each team member. 2. Visit the Deakin Study Sup-port web-page at http://www.deakin.edu.au/students/study-support for a wealth of helpful information. Here, you can download a pdf of a Weekly Planner and Trimester Planner.3. A full-time study load is equal to 40 hours per week; it is equiv-alent to a full-time job. In other words, you need to time-budget. Each unit of study will require approximately 10 hours of work per week (including

contact hours). In addition, you will need to factor in your employment and family commitments. So dont dilly-dally: start studying in Week 1. If you leave it until your first assessment is due, you will always be chasing your tail!4. So start planning your tri-mester NOW. In your planner or diary

make a note of all lectures, tutorials, and as soon as you have details, when each assignment is due. When noting due dates, include how much each as-signment is weighted (e.g. 10%, 40% etc.). The greater the weighting, the more time you will need to allocate to preparing, planning and completing the assessment task. When allocat-ing tasks to your planner be sure to include: time needed for weekly read-ings, researching/planning your assess-ments, and writing/revising drafts of your work.5. Seek assistance early if you start to come unstuck. Delaying or ignoring difficulties makes the task of getting back on track more difficult. Deakin provides a range of support

services. However, if you are feeling overwhelmed and dont know where to turn contact ASK and SEE first, and we will discuss your options and steer you in the right direction.

AND FINALLY .From the ASK and SEE Team we hope that your first trimester for 2014 is suc-cessful and enjoyable. If we can help in any way, please dont hesitate to contact us.

If you want to spend money, you will have a lot of help.If you want to live the frugal lifestyle, you wont. Its that simple.If you want to spend mon-ey, you will have a lot of help. If you want to live the frugal lifestyle, you wont. Its that simple. In case you havent noticed, everyone wants your money. People earn substantial incomes devising ways to part you and your money. Endless dollars are spent on research into what colours, shapes, slo-gans, commercials, ads, words, etc. will cause you to buy prod-ucts.Temptation is all around us, from the sumptuous retail stores in our neighbourhoods, to the commercials brought into our homes through televi-sion and radio. Then there are the people around us wearing the latest high priced fashion and driving outrageously ex-pensive vehicles. It all looks good, and it is constantly in our face.To add to that, now we have a guilt trip that if we dont buy things, we are hurting the economy.Those of us who want to be frugal need a support group. What good is it going to do

us to save $20 on our grocery bill, if we are tempted to buy more clothing than we need, excess furniture, fancy cars, and in other ways spend large amounts of money we proba-bly dont have? We need to be constantly reminded to stick to our goals and keep going in the right direction.We can be debt free....if not today, then tomorrow. Life has gotten so fast, and so stressful, that I personally find myself occasionally saying Stop the world...I want to get off. It is hard to keep up with technol-ogy. I groan every time we have to buy a new appliance and I have to study the manual.If, however, we are living in what I think is a responsible manner, we will avoid a lot of the stress that other people have. Debts and bills cause stress. Self-indulgence, pride, competition, comparison... these are all unnecessary at-tributes to our happiness.Our goal is to make the best use we can of our resources for the benefit of our families. We want our homes and family to be well cared for, but we do not want to spend money beyond our means to accomplish this goal.People fall into problems with

money because of a lot of rea-sons. Bad things happen to good people. Good people have bad habits. Whatever the reason, dont slip into self pity, beat yourself up, or waste time looking back agonizing over past circumstances of mistakes.Turn your ship around as fast as you can, and head in the right direction. No matter what your circumstances, if you are try-ing doing your best to improve your situation, you should have peace of mind which will add to your happiness.If, on the other hand, you are recklessly using your charge card to fulfil every little whim that you have for the latest ma-terial possession you fancy, you are headed in another direc-tion, and you are going to end up in a place you do not like, Dont go there.Frugal can be fun!. Its fun to have things you want when you can afford them, and have sac-rificed in other areas to achieve them. People of all incomes can be frugal. It is a state of mind. It is a concern for the resources of the earth, as well as the welfare and self-sufficiency of our fam-ilies. Its hard work, mentally and physically, but its worth it.

Learn to Love Being Poor The Ideology of Being Frugal by Nikki Willhite

Recycling means a run-ning of made use of sup-plies or throw away. On the other hand this par-ticular Recycling meth-od is quite renowned among the many people today as folks are almost environmental mindful nowadays regarding the catastrophe results of rubbish to this surround-ing. One of the leading facts about recycling is usually that each and every time even when processing merely few-er natural resources are only utilized in creating of the products.By way of example the recycling of the paper definitely will reduces the number of trees get-ting cut down for the preparation of trees. As opposed to utilizing cut trees for making a paper, an used paper products are applied. As a result recycling takes on an im-portant position in clear-ing away deforestation. Because deforestation are usually managed, we will see control of soil erosion etc.Another significant the importance of recycling is always that it surely in-

hibits risky chemical sub-stances from mixing up with planet earth. For ex-ample several hazardous items for instance battery power, chemical type, tubes and so on any time left with out recycled could later can turn out to be major problems for your environment. It isnt unusual where presently there are usually infor-mation reports that rivers evolved into infected on account of chemical leak-ing from improperly-han-dled waste.Moreover the recycling of naturally degradable waste can certainly help in production of electri-cal energy. Typically Bio-degradable products and solutions give out meth-ane. Any time they are recycled in larger amount these methane emission will help you in genera-tion greater volume of energy. In addition these kind of bio-degradable recycling can be utilized to be a soil nutrients as well as manure. Plastics are usually widely used right now more than ever before. If not remade, plastics take a long time to degrade

Recycling made easyThe significance of Recycling by Bobby Bushnelison

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