if i didn't have a reason to love deakin already...
"when things get bad, it means the shit has hit the fan. and that's okay... because it happens. but eventually you'll wake up and realise that you're getting the hang of it. THAT or you've just run out of shit... either way it gets better!"
-dr. alex mussap
lecturer, deakin university
"are any of you smart?" (silence) "okay... are any of you stupid?" (confused... but still silent) "are any of you not supposed to be here?" (silence) "did any of you trick the university into letting you in here for fourth year?" (silence) "okay, so if you're all supposed to be here, and neither one of you tricked the uni for entrance, i can deduce that all of you earned your places. correct?" (vague nods) "you... beat 1,000 applicants to be here. you ARE the elite population of this university. i could walk out onto burwood highway and pluck 100 people randomly off the road and that total would not come anywhere near the calibre of intelligence that sits in this room before me. and because you are sitting in those seats, you deserve to be here."
"(about stats) i know you're scared. i know you're worried that you might not be able to get it. so i'm telling you this, not to make an ass of myself - though i do that superbly already - but to make a point. i'm dyslexic. i have been my entire life. you will be receiving notices from me throughout the year about the unit with appaulingly bad spelling because of it. i was bumped from one school to the next growing up because experts dubbed me a fool. and now this fool is an associate professor at deakin university lecturing on research methods. we have established that each and every one of you is smart. and if a fool like me can get this subject, you certainly can. and i swear to do everything in my power to help you."
-dr. mark stokes
lecturer, deakin univeristy
on monday, the collective of fourth year psychology students started their first day at uni. it didn't matter if we were enrolled in the undergrad honours program or the postgraduate diploma program - we were among the massive minority and the stress of living up to those expectations was evident everywhere i looked. i dreaded the coming year and seriously doubted whether i even bleonged there - among the class of deakin's 'brilliant ones'.
but instead of jumping right into the curicullum... instead of patting us on the back and throwing the work at us, having assumed our competence... alex and mark each took half an hour from their introductory lectures to comfort us. to remind us that the overwhelming fear fades. and that despite our supposed position in the student hierarchy, they intended to guide us every step of the way.
once again, deakin took the time to address us not as a class of fourth-years... but as individual kids. kids who are guilty of having no confidence despite our grades... and immensely terrified of the vastly approaching future ahead. at deakin i know i'm not just a face in a crowd...
and for that i will always be grateful ;)
