Week 2 - Assignment writing! Back again with the good stuff (;

Hey Guys! Back Again =)



If you've ever had trouble in the past finding good sources for your assignments, this is for you!

So, bear with me as I try enlighten you =)



First off, if you've ever wanted to write an assignment and actually do well in it, make sure your resources are legitimate! Trust me, them lecturers know!

In the past, or shall I say last semester, I missed out big time on getting a pass on one of my most important assignments, due to my poor choice of resources. Boom! Yes, shattering, I know but, I deserved it. It taught me an important lesson and now I know haha.



Secondly, Wikipedia is a no-no, if you have ever wanted to search for an article with legitimate references, try google scholar. Many research papers get are available there. So, that’s the first stop for me when finding references. I wish I knew that in my first year ;).



Thirdly, do some physical searching through a university library or public library if the university is not nearby. It’s incredible what you can find, if you actually go looking ;).



Lastly, seek knowledge from someone who has experience with the topic you wish to write about. This is something I wish I had done in my past papers and assignments. (The only thing that was stopping me was my shyness and pure laziness to be honest haha). But in all seriousness, asking an expert is a very good way to go in terms of knowledge of resources, as well as getting help with any assignments. And you could even ask if they can proofread your work! SO don't be like me and get too lazy, get off your behind and get socializing hehe ;)



There you go, short and sweet, and hopefully worth the read =)

If you don't know, now you know bloggers ;)

And now.. Innntroooducinggg... ZInettie!

Hi there reader! My name is Zinettie Clark, 

The following is a brief introduction about myself and this blog.

I am currently a Student at Massey University in Palmerston North, New Zealand. I am studying towards a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in Ecology. I chose Ecology as my major because I have a strong interest in learning more about the conservation of New Zealand’s native flora and fauna, as well as what is required to keep New Zealand’s environment pristine for future generations to enjoy it as I have enjoyed it.

Originally, I was enrolled at Massey studying an Agricultural Science degree. Whilst attempting to complete this degree I took a course called Molecules to Ecology – this turned out to be the most interesting course I had done yet, and it sparked an interest in Ecology for me. After struggling to take interest in my other papers, I decided to change degrees. This turned out to be the best decision I had made during my time at University.

A major in Ecology will hopefully help me to achieve a couple of my ambitions. I one-day hope to be able to use my experiences to help people, and I would also like to fulfill my dream of working in an outdoors environment surrounded by plants and animals.

I expect that this course in communication in the sciences will provide me with the skills and knowledge to be able to effectively communicate my ideas with others within the scientific community, and towards a more general audience.

I believe communication is an indispensable quality to possess to be able to communicate my ideas in a manner which is accessible, clear and concise. This will be valuable for my future career in Ecology as it is important to be able to effectively present ideas in a way which is able to be easily understood by everyone, whether they are government employees, scientific professionals, or members of the public.

I believe my strengths as a communicator lie in my ability to empathize with others and understand other’s perspectives. My weaknesses however, include my difficulties with some concepts within the English language and being able to verbalize some of my ideas.

Every week I will be posting about a new topic, sharing my ideas and perspective so stay tuned... and keep on swimming (: