Nott What You'd Expected...

Homework, Chat-tea Cathys, and A Long Hot Bath

Today marks a very important day in my Nottingham experience. While earlier last week I was put to the test insomuch as i was forced to write my first paper, Wednesday I learned that my professor wouldn't be giving us 'marks' for it (despite its 2 page length and soul-crushing topic, the slave narrative) I digress.

Today marks the first actual assignment I have turned in for a grade here in Notts. and not just any grade. This 'field notebook' for Geology is A) 25% of our grade, B) confusing as all hell, and C) my only chance of a good grade, as pre-tests in lecture (in one of the many lectures i have missed for this class) have proven to be fatal.

So, with the reckless abandon usually reserved for one page Honors Conversation essays with the Dean, I casually write what could be my death sentence.

Maybe i've described it before, but essentially the assingment is a revamped, researched version of notes that we were supposed to have taken while on our field trip to the Peaks District earlier this year. First of all, no one in the class knew what to do, and second of all, the assingment itself is as vague as any can possibly be.

I feel like an American English major in another country, taking classes required for a Geology major with a bunch of first year Geology students.....oh......yeah.....

Anyway, aside from procrastinaing, i had my Chat-tea with Mark today- a word creatively made up by Carol, the idea is that each flatmate will meet with one of the directors to get a sense of the 'mood' as Carol would again call it. Mine was fine- we talked about fears about classes, the mood of the flat, future prospects, hopes and fears, expectations, etc.

My biggest conclusion is that i need to try harder. Realize what is important, education and a cultural experience. As committments to schoolwork and meeting new people increase, time and enegry spent frateranizing at the flat has to be sacrificed. Scary, and unwanted, but maybe it's for the best.....

So: new confidence, meet new people, study harder, less computer time, less movies, less tv (downloaded, not lame brit stuff), and less flat-supported time wasting.

so much easier said than done. do i really want to give up these things? hell no. that's why they're called sacrifices.

Upcoming: Art Gallery opening tonight with our buddy, Hatain Patel, followed by a trip to Bath (SW England) tomorrow morning until late late monday night.... should be a fun-packed long weekend. of course, in staying in Bath until Monday night, we again skip a lecture for Geology. Bringing my total to MISSED: 3 ATTENDED: 2. Such is the nature of the beast.....

posted by Kevin @ 1:48 PM