What's my course again?

[clo_again]

Huh. Second flatmate today to ask me for help on their coursework. I'm starting to think I'll know as much about economics and business management as about English by the time I leave. Right now I know enough to be happy that I'm not doing it because none of the people doing it seem to *like* it. Sure I bitch about English and damn, could our lecturer today have talked any *faster*, but I like what I'm doing. I was willing to ignore the crippling pain of cramp in my writing hand to write down everything she was saying about Gothic novels, because it's *interesting*. If people are bitching that much about their course, why are they doing it?

Or maybe I'm just bitter because if I asked anyone in my flat whether it was right to say Lacan based his theory of structuralist psychoanalysis on a model of the patriachal male figure controlling all language, I'd get a "What?" Actually I'd probably get a blank look, an actual "What?" would be more like a major breakthrough. But if I can do their courswork -- sorry that's a lie. I couldn't *actually* do their coursework, not fully, but I wouldn't expect too given that I don't do the course -- if I can do elements of their coursework, it can't be that hard that they can bitch about it. Though second flatmate should be excused from this, because English isn't her first language and she generally asks me only about grammar and how to say things correctly.

I'm so happy I do English. Even if I fail, at least I'll have had fun doing it.

Today also proved to me that I really do attract the type of person who will randomly talk to you while waiting in queues. I spent ten minutes waiting in the post office queue chatting to a foreign professor of economics, who was telling me about the English lecturer who's leaving next week and moving into a flat next door to Charlotte Church. And somehow about some English professor from Lancaster who's now at San Antonio, though I still have no idea how that topic came up, and Welsh -- mainly my not-speaking-of-it -- and how being a professor for years let him guess I was a second year.

It was one of those days, really. Bizarreness. But now most of my flat is out at the Winter Ball -- I decided not to go, given that if you don't want to get drunk there isn't really a *lot* to do other than sit around and watch other people be drunk, which I did for about five hours last year -- and I treated myself to a steak. All is currently good in my world. :)

edit: Although honestly about English, I could do without knowing that the most popular type of Victorian pornography story was father/daughter incest. Really, there are some things I'd rather not know at all than have to repress. Ngh.

Comments

[scoobydumblonde.livejournal.com]

Only reason I'm doing mine is 'cause I want the degree. I don't care about teh title of the degree. :-P But yeah. Doesn't make sense. *pets you* You're just special. *locks you up and throws away the key* In a good way. ;-)

Okay the edit? So not something you should've shared with the class!

[clo.livejournal.com]

Well yes, I guess that's another reason. ;-) At least you must *kind* of like what you're doing right though? I mean, you wouldn't spend that much time on something you hated would you? *purrs* And no, I'm just weird enough to actually find some English lit interesting. ;-) I must admit, getting taught by reading books isn't exactly the hardest degree out there. *beats on the locked door. "HEY!" That's okay then. ;-)

Hey, I had to deal with it in a seminar where I was supposed to be taking notes! Had a complete "Wtf? TMI!" moment. -_-

[scoobydumblonde.livejournal.com]

I do like some aspects, but in teh end, I don't care about what course is on the degree as long as I get my Bachelors. *pets more* I would've loved to have done English, but... well, yeah. :-/ Different story as to why I'm going to school at 28 instead of 18. *giggles*

:-P But that's your class. You had to be there. We didn't have to know that bit of info.

[kindoftrouble.livejournal.com]

If I ever go back to university I want to do something I enjoy. I don't want a degree for the sake of getting one because I put myself through hell last year and I hated every second of it. At least you're enjoying English :D That's half the battle. (I also could have done without knowing the insest thing.)

Oooh, steak. Steak is good :D Enjoy! I do not enjoy any type of ball as they are generally an excuse to get drunk, which is not fun if you don't want to do that.

[clo.livejournal.com]

My 'rents insisted that I should go to uni and just do something to get a degree but what's the point? If you hate your degree, you'll probably hate whatever jobs it could get you into, and there are so many people out with degrees now that it's not worth making yourself miserable over. I remember my A-level teacher asking my class how many of them were going to uni because (a) Love of learning (b) For the future money it'd bring and/or (c) Because it was just the 'done' thing to do. Everyone said both (b) and (c), I think I was almost the only one who said (a) too. The only reason I'm here is that I like English; if I hated it, I wouldn't be at uni. My English teacher who asked us the question was the coolest, most intelligent person I've ever met and he didn't go to uni until he was 28 and had figured out exactly what he wanted to do, so, *shrugs*. Saying everyone should go regardless of whether or not they like the subject is crazy. Um. Can you tell I fought with people endlessly on this topic before I came to uni? ;D (And me too but since my seminar tutor didn't give us a choice, I thought I'd share the woe. ^_~)

Steak is wonderful but I usually only have it when we go out, since I think it's too expensive to buy often. *is poor student* It was gorgeous tonight though. :D And that's exactly what this ball is, an excuse to get drunk. If we were all going to a smart hotel and having a professionally cooked three course dinner sure, but Blackpool? Where my dress will be sticking to the floor by the end of the night with all the drink everyone has spilt 'cause they're drunk? Not really my idea of fun. ;)

[kindoftrouble.livejournal.com]

Mmm, that's what mine did too. They pretty much forced me to go even when I didn't want to and had no idea what I wanted to do so I picked something I was vaguely good at (which was Biochemistry... bad move). Er, anyway, they made me sit out the whole year (they were paying for it... so I pretty much got no choice) and just before my exams I snapped and told them that they could kick me out if they wanted but I wasn't going to do it anymore just to make them happy. I think it's dumb to go if you're just going to get a degree, I know some of my friends are doing that. (And no one in my year at school didn't go because I went to a private school and I think the headteacher would have had a *fit* if I said I didn't want to. She went mad one year because someone got into Oxford and didn't go.) I like your English teacher. He seems cool and I have never met him :D

*remembers poor student days* Steak was a nice rare treat then :D Exactly, going to dinner is fine but I don't want my shoes to get stuck to the floor. I *like* my shoes ;)

[clo.livejournal.com]

I was lucky in that I knew exactly what I wanted to do -- if I hadn't, I get the feeling they'd still have tried to make me go. (I was briefly tempted to spend a year in Africa helping orphaned elephants, just to freak them out but I couldn't afford it. -_-) Why do parents not *get* that everyone has a degree now, it's not even worth as much as it used to be? They seem to have this set notion that "Children go to school, go to college, go to university, get degree, get good job" and it doesn't work like that at all. My brother wasted three years and a lot of money before dropping out of uni. Some people just aren't uni people, especially right out of college. Why is it so hard to get a damn electrician or plumber right now? Because everyone's going to uni instead doing actual *useful* trades. (I had a friend who was smart enough to get into Oxford easily but he didn't even bother applying. He said he didn't want all the crazy pressure. :) I've always half-wanted to be that person who turns down Oxford -- besides, they do so much insane *work* there. I'd hate it.) My English teacher was wonderful. I almost lost all faith in English after our first year with unbelievably awful teachers, then he restored it all. :) Best teacher *ever*.

I'm so poor! Though not quite as much as our freshers, who don't seem to understand the concept of "having to pay all the loan back some day." Steak is definitely a rare treat, mmm. And I love my dress. Last year was bad enough with trying not to ruin that one, I'm not risking another one. It's all crazy. ;)

[kindoftrouble.livejournal.com]

They're doing the same thing with my sister now too. Apparently they did not learn their lesson with me and it's actually frustrating. My parents don't have degrees - my mum used to be a nurse and my dad trained as an accountant while working - so I really don't understand why it was so important that I *had* to go and get a degree. I will never understand parents... ever. And this is why plumbers are also well paid - because there aren't enough of them! (I have a friend at Oxford and a friend at Cambridge and all they do is drink and work and I could not do that. I got the A-level grades to go to Oxbridge, but I didn't want to go because of the work! I didn't even bother applying.) My History teacher was like that, I adored him, he was by far the best teacher I ever had :) He was about the only person who said do what you want to - he went to Japan for three years to teach kids English out of college and then came back to Uni.

I'm no longer so poor. My dad buys me stuff, he enjoys indulging me and I *think* it's because he feels guilty about making me stay at uni because he was not like this before. (You can probably see I get on well with my dad.) My dress was very expensive. It was for my prom-thing at the end of school, but me and my two best friends left after an hour because it turned into an all-you-can-drink type thing. We went home and watched Smallville.

[clo.livejournal.com]

Argh, *parents*. *frustration* My parents don't have degrees either, so I wonder if it's because they don't really understand them that they think they're so important. I just wish they wouldn't be quite so dense -- life experience doesn't count for much when all it means is they're out of touch with what the *modern* world is actually about. I keep being tempted to train as an electrician or a builder instead - my cousin is I think 26, a builder and he's been able to afford to go round the world twice. Whereas I'm going to be poor for years but! I'll have an English degree. Yipee. (Yeah, my flatmates and friends have friends at Oxford and they're either working or going out drinking *all* the time. They never actually have a time when they don't *do* anything, which is my favourite thing to do. My A-level grades were good enough to get me into most places but I think it's as important *where* you go as what you do. I bitch endlessly about Lancaster but it's pretty awesome really.) I love teachers that really make an impact. They're always the ones who've done the most interesting things, usually not the usual 'go-to-uni-get-a- degree' story either. Maybe our parents should learn from that. :)

My parents are pretty nice to me when I'm at home, I think because I'm not quite as bad with money as my brother was and they're a little relieved. :) They still make me pay for most things though. >_< (I get on better with my mum; me and my dad just snark at each other *all* the time. Think Lister and Rimmer. ;) ) My dress was actually reduced to £20 in the Monsoon sale, so I was very happy with it. :) *harts insanely cheap sale things* As much as I like my friends, I kind of wish I had friends like that but I mention Smallville, I pretty much get blank looks. They've all gone to the ball tonight and I don't know, it just would've been nice to all stay in and have a DVD marathon or something, y'know? Still, everyone's different. :)

Still. It'd be nice not to get so many blank looks. *sighs*

[kindoftrouble.livejournal.com]

Parents are just *dense*. End of story. I would like to go around the world, that would be neat. My cousin is a mechanic and he went to Thailand for a few months about a year ago, which was pretty nice too. (I love doing nothing! It's the best thing ever. *goes to Lancaster to do nothing with you* Yeah, that's true, I adored UCL - I love London, I've pretty much grown up here, it's just an awesome city that I love a lot - but hated what I did. Sigh.) *nods* My parents really liked my History teacher, actually. Sadly, they didn't see his point about doing what I wanted to do.

My sister is a lot worse with money than me, so it will be fun to see her at university as a poor student, although she gets spoilt because she's the baby of the family. (*giggles at mental image* I'm kinda like that with my sister, except I'm probably meaner to her than Lister was to Rimmer. We don't really get on.) I bitch a lot about my friends changing after going to uni but I love them really. Me and my best friend bonded over Buffy and Angel and then there were hundred of other fandoms that we both adore and it's really *fun*, and also, she is big on the slash and the fic :D I love having friends like that. DVD marathons rock. A lot.

*hugs* I got that a lot at uni too.

[clo.livejournal.com]

No argument from me. :) And me too, I was sad that I wasn't really old enough to go with him when he went. :( Though one of the stories I heard was that he and his friend had a competition going to see who could sleep with the most local women, so it was probably a *good* thing I wasn't there. ;-) Think they briefly got arrested in Peru as well. Hhmm. Why can we not have highly paid jobs that let us go to all these places? *sighs* (Doing nothing is wonderful. ^_^ A lot of it goes on with the English students here at Lancaster. Ooo, you went to UCL? I didn't even *look* at London because I knew I couldn't afford the accomodation. I'm ashamed to admit that I've been to Paris more times than I've been to London, so it's sort of a foreign country for me. ;-) I *loved* it when we went for Wimbledon last summer though, it's so big and insane. If you hated your course though, I can see how it'd be no fun. :( ) My parents never actually met my English teacher. They started to think he's just a myth I made up I think. :) He did mock us all for being sheep and going to uni without really thinking about it, which we hadn't really considered until that point so we were all sort of "... Damn him for having a good point."

My brother is awful, it's like he can't resist buying shiny electrical things like new TVs and such. I know I get spoiled because I'm the baby but I do feel guilty about it. :) (I'm maybe about the same as Lister was to Rimmer, mainly because my dad does give me lifts everywhere and can be vaguely useful. He just needs reminding that he's fallible like the rest of us most of the time. ^_~ I get on much better with my brother, especially now I don't see him all that often.) Most of my friends haven't changed hugely, though a couple drive me a little crazier than they did before. ;-) I still miss them and like to see them in holidays. We were all kind of thrown randomly together though -- some of them like the same music as me only they're more into it, one likes the same sort of books so we kinda bond over that and others just have nothing in common with me at all, they just hang around with us. :) I don't think I have any friends who watched Buffy and Angel as religiously as I did, though I squeed like crazy when my cool flatmate whose currently in Australia told me she'd watched both Serenity and irefly. My friends at home know about slash and fic and tease me endlessly for it (though one of the guys kinda joins in, which is *awesome*.) Only one of my uni friends knows and it's sort of a not-spoken-of topic. It's why I'd love to get together with other slashers and just watch DVDs, to find all the slashy parts, because I've never had anyone to do it with. *is pitiful* ;)

*hugs back* It's okay, I'm working on it. I'm going to make everyone sit down and watch Firefly all the way through at some point at least. By third year, they'll be tolerably geeky. ;)