Comments | oceanid_song: And so it begins.

oceanid_song

And so it begins.

Feb 19, 2008 21:28

Yes, I'm actually posting here!! Mainly for Debs' benefit as she will most likely be the only one vaguely interested.

Day two of the first week of semester. And feeling quite discouraged. I'm enrolled in two units this semester -- English 101 and Communications: Composition. The Communications unit is done mainly online, but relies entirely on one ( Read more... )

study, english, university, school, literature

Comments 5

(The comment has been removed)

oceanid_song February 20 2008, 10:39:39 UTC

What would I do here without you two?? I thank you both from the bottom of my heart for being so encouraging, and wise, about this :-)

Ta ... I'm a bit of a 'Waterhouse Woman'.

oceanid_song February 20 2008, 10:38:09 UTC

It just wouldn't be "going back to school" (especially as an adult) if you weren't fraught with anxiety!

Very true. I keep reminding myself of when I went to the college (we don't call universities 'colleges' in Australia) and did my Cert IV in Welfare (like a quarter of a degree/half a diploma). I was this terrified then. But this is so much more SERIOUS. This is university. Maybe it's my own personal view of "university" that is part of the problem.

In college I always felt like an imposter.

You know what this reminds me of? That whole gifted adult women thing that they commonly have ... "I feel like an imposter ... someone will eventually find out I'm faking it." And of COURSE you got decent grades!

Eventually you'll acclimate and figure things out.

The encouraging (?) thing is that it seems there are a LOT of us feeling overwhelmed and intimidated by this, judging by the messages on the discussion boards.

You know, I think this is something I don't know about you ... What did you do in college? your majors and minors?

Thread 8

(The comment has been removed)

oceanid_song February 20 2008, 10:52:33 UTC

there must be a German word that expresses it exactly

HA HA HA!!!! That was hilarious!

Thus (<--English majors love that word)

You are making me laugh and snicker. This is a good thing. Yes ... David uses that word a lot too hehe.

Umm ... that journal entry dated 2006 ... are you saying you did an entire degree in 2 YEARS??? Less ... Is that even possible?? (open-mouthed, slack-jawed). And I have a very funny little anecdote that your mention of needing a dictionary for words on the syllabus. It's from the introduction to English 101:

"Some of the problems you will encounter during the year will be mechanical - problems relating to the meanings of obscure words or the point of apparently recondite allusions. Many problems can be solved with the aid of a good dictionary such as..."
Of course, I had to look up the obscure word 'recondite' in the dictionary. The irony was delicious. And I couldn't help wondering if the writer was having a funny little joke therethat perhaps few would get the irony of ( ... )