Things You Learn In College
 

. . . especially as a "mature" student. :)

I love the Cellar because it's a place I can speak my mind about weird things and believe that someone is gonna get it, somehow. :) So here's what is on my mind right now, after spending the evening A.) re-designing our church's website and B.) writing a paper for British Lit.

Number one, I've learned to trust myself. When I started back to school, I didn't think I knew which end was up. I was afraid to answer questions in class, terrified that I couldn't keep up, thinking I was lost and confused when the truth was that the shit just flat-out didn't make sense to anyone. :) Turned out my instincts were pretty good and I was right most of the time. So now I speak up and just try to have fun with it, and I'm not so self-conscious. Yesterday my short-story class critiqued a story I wrote, and though I like the story, I am more proud of the fact I put it out there and --here's the real biggie -- felt more confident of my work than I did about the comments. Even from the teacher.

OTOH, I'm not so proud that I don't see what other people have to offer. Some of these "kids" are really smart. Some of them just think they are, and are probably gonna get smacked down at some near future point, poor things.

I have also learned that some people are really, really stupid. And that the contrast is amazing between the Damn Hard Shit in college classes and the ridiculously easy. Which can happen in the same class, and it also amazes me that some people even pass these classes.

For example, I went to geology lab and I swear, I could literally hear my brain sizzling as it attempted math calculations trying to figure out some stuff on a topographic map. Easy for some, but not for me, the lady who thought she'd taken her last math class 20 years ago and almost threw a party to celebrate. :)

Then I went to take a Big Midterm Exam in my graphics communication class, which took me exactly 9 minutes and 25 seconds and I scored 95.

So I'm sitting there taking the test, and the teacher says: "Number 17 is messed up -- just put down "B", it's a freebie.

About sixty seconds later, the guy sitting next to me raises his hand. "Hey," he says, "what's up with number 17? What are we supposed to do?"

A few people laugh as the teacher repeats himself.

Two minutes after that, a girl toward the back of the room raises her hand. "I don't think this is right," she says. Yep, #17. Amazing. It's not like this is a big lecture hall, either. It's a small classroom.

So that's another thing you learn in college; how some things are really tough on even the smartest hardest workers and other things just slip by so the dim underachievers can get A's, and how arbitrary it can be. How even some girl who shows up 1/2 hour late to class or even completely flakes on the first exam can squeak by with a C and get the same degree as the worker bees.

Life isn't fair.

Still, I think you get what you give. Somehow.

In defense of the guy next to you, and the girl near the back, some people zone out, block out all distractions, when they concentrate.
Also one, or both of them, may be hard of hearing, rather than stupid.

Of course we already know, you and Bri are the smartestest of all.:D

Well, Bri is. :)

Actually, i think juni means me here.

You know what you call the med student who graduated at the bottom of his class?

Doctor.

Please tell me you're not serious.

I was talking about that girl in my Graphic Com class who's 1/2 hour late every single time, and that oh, so fashionably dressed girl in my Philosophy class who not only skipped the 1st exam, she waited till a week later to ask the prof about taking it late.

But here I go again, putting foot in mouth.

Did the prof let her?

I am a self-loathing English major.

Flaky and Loathing in Ohio? there could be a movie in that ...or a book... or maybe a term paper?

"All is strange and vague. Are we dead, or is this Ohio?"

(Hey, I went to school in Ohio; I'm allowed to mock it.)

this is batshit insane country

This just shows what happens when "older" students are allowed to attend college. They see through the bull shit that the young ones swallow down as gospel. ;)

I thought you were going to say "my social security number." Very insightful. I enjoyed reading this.

LOL case, I learned that in college 20 years ago. :)

And I learned my husband's SS# by filling out umptyzillion health info forms at various pediatricians over the years.

No, the prof did not let her. But there was some deal where one of the exams only counted for half the points, whichever you did worst on. We (myself and a couple other classmates) thought she'd drop the class, but she didn't. Makes me wonder if she and the prof "worked something out," but I'm very cynical aren't I?

Bri, are you especially self-loathing this week because of Milligan's essay assignment? :)

Would that be Spike Milligan?

Ha! yeah, I guess that is one reason! He's freakishly smart, isn't he?

Yeah, but his head's shaped kinda funny.

Like an :alien:

I was a bit nervous about going back to college as an, ahem, mature person. To convince myself that I could handle any upcoming intellectual challenges I set a goal of memorizing pi to 100 places. And I did. And then I went to class and met all the same people that were in your class, Juniper. Usually younger people who were using scholarships, loans, or somebody else's money to attend college who thought of it as a continuation of high school.

And bless you, Bruce, for bringing up the points about concentrating and HoH people. I fall into that sometimes, but try to sit on the side of class that will put my good ear to the instructor. It's not always possible though.

One of the things that surprised me when I went back into education, was just how committed most of the students are. I am so glad I never went at the 'right' time. I'd have drowned. I honestly don't know how the younglings cope sometimes. You can't move on our campus for people handing out leaflets and invites for this or that club night, this or that talk, this or that party. The pressure to be involved in extra curricula activities and clubs is enormous and the opportunity (and therefore pressure) to party hard is likewise huge.

For the undergrads who are experiencing their first time living away from home and in halls this pressure is huge. I do wonder how they manage to fit so much in. In some ways I think it's a lot easier as a mature student.

Somehow I had no trouble ignoring all that, back when I was 17. It just seemed like far too much effort.

Well, having that much fun is hard work. :D

Damn straight, it take a lot of beer to fuel all that effort... carbs and re-hydration, you know. ;)

god sometimes it's so depressing. These past two weeks have knocked me back on my heels. I need a giant lolly and a good cry - or maybe just some Fuckitol. Yeah, that would help.

:lol:



sorry to hear it's shitty

Have some of mine....

I misread that as Milgram, and wondered if there were electric shocks involved.

Ha ha!

How about Milhouse?

I should clarify, I actually do like this teacher. He is, as Bri said, freakishly smart and kind of funny. But damn, he gave us a sadistic amount of reading to do for homework the night we had to finish that stupid essay. :headshake

I like him, too. He's very entertaining. The readings, however, are making my eyes bleed. *insert favorite image of bleeding eyes **here**

Really? I would probably of guessed the opposite. From my experience, keep in mind I go to the second largest university in the US, is that you can find something to do at all times but most people are sitting around doing nothing in their free time. There are a select few who are extremely motivated and do A LOT of activities but most students sit on their ass 80% of their free time and spend the other 20% drinking and going to parties. I do not see the average person in a lot of extra-curricular activities either. Most students I am around are pretty apathetic.

One of the truest quotes I've heard about college is that you can do three things, sleep, study, or socialize but unfortunately you only have time for two.

Well, my uni has one of the largest campuses in England (which probably makes it tiny compared to yours :P) and most of the younger students seem very engaged. There are all sorts of rallies, table-top sales, faculty society pub-crawls, sports stuff etc and all seem very well attended. But the partying seems the biggest pressure. There are always gigs and parties and club nights and everywhere you go on campus there are people handing out flyers.

Many of the gigs are actually on campus. Some pretty big names play at Leeds and always have. The Union buildings include 3 nightclubs, an underground shopping mall and a bunch of other stuff. The Refectory has hosted many big gigs as well. And the campus is in the heart of the city so nightlife is a major draw.

Live at Leeds.;)

Yeah, probably just the difference in location. Besides drinking, smoking weed, playing video games, and studying, the only other activity will be football or basketball games. If you didn't have to walk three miles every day to get to your classes I would think the average weight would increase by a good ten pounds...

But I do live in Minnesota....a good body doesn't mean anything in the winter.

I lived in Minneapolis for 10 years. I can picture these ladies in winter wear. They'd look pretty good... in anything. :D

Haha, well once the Vikings are out of the dome they won't be wearing that. That's for certain.

But once you start hitting -40 degree windchills, five or tens pounds will go unnoticed because of the five inches padding being applied to stay warm.

I really don't like the look on those girls' faces; they're creepy.

and yes, I did look at their faces.

eventually.

I'm with you, Cloud. Cheerleaders are supposed to be cheery, or at the very least pleasantly enticing. Third from the left looks like a fucking robot.

That's what paper bags are for. :bolt:

Wright State is . . . not like that. ::shrug::

I don't know how different I'd see it if I were younger, single and lived on or near campus, but it looks pretty damn boring.

Thats because you are there during the day - its all part of the conspiracy. :cool:

Wright State is Conservative! Full of ROTC, nerds and Doug Neidermeyer's. Me and Juni are the only cool people there. ;)

Our ROTC friend is pretty cool too, though. Even if she is too damn cheerful all the time.

:lol: Mustang Sallie!

Maybe not the only, but definitely the mostess coolestest. ;)