Today is the main day for STEPS students Orientation for Term 1 here at CQUniversity. Orientation always makes me reflect on my own journey and it’s good because I have come a long way from when I first stepped foot on the Gippsland Campus of Monash University. Long way! But the journey has been hard and I typically share some of that with my students. Between then and now I have been married (twice actually!) and divorced (just the once – I got it right the second time). I lost my dad suddenly and my mum to cancer. I’ve dealt with being a type 1 diabetic every day and I have not worked full time in that 14 years (my bank account can confirm this!).

Having said that I have received only 3 Credits and every other grade was a Distinction or a High Distinction. I have completed an undergraduate and Honours degree. I’ve started a new business (teaching rock and roll dancing) and I’ve got 8 publications while doing a PhD part time. That PhD is not finished yet and so I’ve reflecting on these achievements because things are just about to get tough.

I’ve almost finished a rough draft of the literature reivew and my writing is fairly clear but it’s not great. It’s ok to good. So I KNOW that the comments are going to be brutal and I’m going to need some sterngth not to take them persoanlly and then to act on those comments with humility and the attitude of a lifelong learner.

I’ve got to get back to the students now – although my part for the day is mostly done and it will be Kerry’s gig from here mostly. But I shall enjoy every minute of it. 🙂