2nd term START!
Technically, my second term of grad school started today, but realistically, my first class isn't until tomorrow, so...Today...I read 2 books and watch 2 episodes of outlander. and that pretty much took the majority of the day.
I started a couple days ago searching for the syllabi and required readings for the first day of class and this, combined with receiving grades from the 1st term, got me thinking about learning. When I was in junior high and high school I loved to learn, writing papers for school was counted among my favorite things to do, and I'd often go way above and beyond the assignment because I wanted to learn more. Sometime during my undergrad I lost this internal push and began completing "just enough." Just enough to get it turned in on time, just enough to get a good grade. Don't learn more than you need to to pass the test, don't do more work than necessary...
And I find that I'm really disappointed in myself for becoming that kind of person.
I understand, somewhat, that this change was in part by growing up and narrowing my interests. School work often seems irrelevant to these more narrowly defined interests and so the "just enough" comes into play; however, I believe that the school work I'm competing right now is once again lying a foundation--like JH and HS did before--to pursue these interests more deeply and so, its important to do more than "just enough."
A week or so ago I went to a special lecture. My school acquired a papul bull issued in 1245 last year; the lecture was about the historical significance of the specific papal bull, justifying why the school would buy it (for $15000!), and then the process of restoring, archiving, and preserving it. The lecture served to remind me why I chose to go to grad school for archival studies and reignited some bit of that passion and drive to learn that I used to have. I hope that I'm able to hold on to it as the summer semester begins to dig in...
In other news, I went to the amazing concert Wednesday thereby fullfilling my high school dream to see Deathstars live and current me's dream to see Septicflesh. haha.
I really don't like mosh pits very much. Or, well, I wish they were more seperate from where I want to stand, wish that I could just stand and listen to music and not have to worry about flying bodies crashing into me. And at some point someone spilled what felt like an entire bottle of beer down my back--at the time it felt refreshing, can't lie, but smelling like a brewery makes for uncomfortable public transportation experience... :)
Anyway....
These are just my familiar complaints of metal concerts and, obviously, I've long ago decided the positives of the experience far outweight the negative.
Next is Apocalyptica!
and I even convinced a friend to go with me!
She's never gone to a metal concert before, only vkei lives in JP...so that'll be interesting. Writing this...I've taken several people to their first metal concerts and/or first vk concert and/or first concert ever. And then they never want to go again...hmmm....
haha
in other other news, my tumblr kicked me off a couple months(?) ago and I haven't been able to log-in since. so that sucks.
AND
also.
VERY IMPORTANT.
Deathgaze's bassist, Kousuke, joined a new band and its not a VK band--it's a metal (core?) band of some sort. it's probably horrible of me to feel this way, since I am a fan of several vk bands, but I'm a little proud. Like, it was always my dream that Deathgaze would come out of their hiatus having reinvented themselves as a metal band rather than VK (it just seems like a logical progression, and the best way for them to grow, to me?)... so it is a little sad that so far, its only Kousuke (who was in a world touring metal band pre-deathgaze as well), but I have hopes for all of them! :p
I started a couple days ago searching for the syllabi and required readings for the first day of class and this, combined with receiving grades from the 1st term, got me thinking about learning. When I was in junior high and high school I loved to learn, writing papers for school was counted among my favorite things to do, and I'd often go way above and beyond the assignment because I wanted to learn more. Sometime during my undergrad I lost this internal push and began completing "just enough." Just enough to get it turned in on time, just enough to get a good grade. Don't learn more than you need to to pass the test, don't do more work than necessary...
And I find that I'm really disappointed in myself for becoming that kind of person.
I understand, somewhat, that this change was in part by growing up and narrowing my interests. School work often seems irrelevant to these more narrowly defined interests and so the "just enough" comes into play; however, I believe that the school work I'm competing right now is once again lying a foundation--like JH and HS did before--to pursue these interests more deeply and so, its important to do more than "just enough."
A week or so ago I went to a special lecture. My school acquired a papul bull issued in 1245 last year; the lecture was about the historical significance of the specific papal bull, justifying why the school would buy it (for $15000!), and then the process of restoring, archiving, and preserving it. The lecture served to remind me why I chose to go to grad school for archival studies and reignited some bit of that passion and drive to learn that I used to have. I hope that I'm able to hold on to it as the summer semester begins to dig in...
In other news, I went to the amazing concert Wednesday thereby fullfilling my high school dream to see Deathstars live and current me's dream to see Septicflesh. haha.
I really don't like mosh pits very much. Or, well, I wish they were more seperate from where I want to stand, wish that I could just stand and listen to music and not have to worry about flying bodies crashing into me. And at some point someone spilled what felt like an entire bottle of beer down my back--at the time it felt refreshing, can't lie, but smelling like a brewery makes for uncomfortable public transportation experience... :)
Anyway....
These are just my familiar complaints of metal concerts and, obviously, I've long ago decided the positives of the experience far outweight the negative.
Next is Apocalyptica!
and I even convinced a friend to go with me!
She's never gone to a metal concert before, only vkei lives in JP...so that'll be interesting. Writing this...I've taken several people to their first metal concerts and/or first vk concert and/or first concert ever. And then they never want to go again...hmmm....
haha
in other other news, my tumblr kicked me off a couple months(?) ago and I haven't been able to log-in since. so that sucks.
AND
also.
VERY IMPORTANT.
Deathgaze's bassist, Kousuke, joined a new band and its not a VK band--it's a metal (core?) band of some sort. it's probably horrible of me to feel this way, since I am a fan of several vk bands, but I'm a little proud. Like, it was always my dream that Deathgaze would come out of their hiatus having reinvented themselves as a metal band rather than VK (it just seems like a logical progression, and the best way for them to grow, to me?)... so it is a little sad that so far, its only Kousuke (who was in a world touring metal band pre-deathgaze as well), but I have hopes for all of them! :p