Reading Hardballkid's journal

Well, my first semester of my freshman year in college is now behind me and just let me say- I am most thorougly dissappointed at its outcome. Grades barely managed to hit par, which is definetly way below expectations and my own personal standards. With such grades you would then at least expect to believe I had lots of fun screwing off which caused me to neglect my studies. You would be wrong, however, to believe such a thing which is truly unacceptable, if even more so then the grades themselves.

So, over Christmas break I was subsequently forced to ask myself- What the hell did I do (no less accomplish) over the last 4 months? The only answer I could come up with was a whole lot of nothing. For proof all I had to do was look around.

Lets just say, this semester I WILL not only improve but I WILL have more fun doing so. I just hope the latter half of that sentence doesnt negate the first portion of it. But I dont intend to see it do so. I WILL accomplish the given tasks before me and smile all the while doing them.

It wont matter that I beefed up my credits more so then last semester though becuase I truly believe I have classes I will enjoy more so then their previous counterparts. For instance, I have zero math or science classes which always tend to drag my studies down not to mention menatally and emotionally. So definetly, thats a huge +plus+. Instead of such classes I either have ones I enjoy (sociology, history, racquetball ;-) or ones that I can tolerate that shouldnt give me any problems (english communications, english literature and Old Testament studies). I can only succeed now, because to do worse... well...let's not even go there.

So, that's my plan and I'm sticking to it!

Now are ye undeceived! Welcome, again, my children, to the communion of your race!

Maybe you have already mentioned this in one of your previous posts, and if so I apologize for asking again, but what is it that you're studying?

I am in my first master year of foreign languages, and I too have been quite disappointed with my courses. For another reason though. It was disappointing because it wasn't challenging enough for me. I mean, granted I had to take the first year of German grammar four times to pass it :P (heh they were pretty bastard about it, and now they are changing up the schemes: before you had to pass all the parts of the test, now you have to have a positive average between them), but still the only exam I found challenging to study was Germanic philology. Everything else was too easy for me.

I am not saying this because I think I am a genius, mind you. But I do believe that this "mythical past" my parents talk about with professors throwing you out of their class and failing you at each chance, and even telling you when to take the exam again is now very far from it being true. I went through my first three years kinda well, and am expecting to finish with a maximum of 104/110 (it depends on how many points I will get for my thesis - there is a maximum of six).

Also this master doesn't seem very challenging aside from a few exams. I do like what I study though, so maybe that is the key. Maybe that's why I do well and I don't seem to make too many sacrifices. Still, I don't think it is me, but more like it is maybe the way I was educated through highschool, and the fact that I am good with languages and literatures. An example? For my literature exams I normally have to read things only once to simply remember them and be able to go to the exam and repeat them to the professor and get a good grade. I know some of my mates who have very many problems in doing so, and they spend hours and hours over the books in order to achieve my results. I think I am simply extremely lucky.

Anyway, speaking of exams :P Let me get ready now, because I have an exam in an hour. I will let you know how it went. Good luck with your studies.

Un bacio è un'apostrofo rosa scritto tra le parole "ti amo".

I do like what I study though, so maybe that is the key.

That deffinetly is the key. Since Im not working towards my major yet (being undeclared and all), Im just taking the regualr liberal arts classes. So, many of the classes I am taking Im forced to take whcih means Im not always pleases with what they are.

I think I am simply extremely lucky.

More of a learned talent then luck, thats for sure.

I am taking a English Literature class right now which, by far, is currently and going to be my favorite class through the semester. Already the stories I have been assigned to read are ones I just have blown by because they are so enjoyable. That is, except for the one I just read 10 min. ago, Hemingways Soldiers Home which was, well, pretty awful in my opinion. However, it was short, but lacked any sweeteness. Deffinetly not his best work. Just looking forward to reading all the fine Literature being assigned and discussing and debating their 'meanings' in class. And with 4 people in the class- we all get a decent amount of time to do so ;-)

Anyway, speaking of exams :P Let me get ready now, because I have an exam in an hour. I will let you know how it went.

So, Andromacha- how did you fair?

Now are ye undeceived! Welcome, again, my children, to the communion of your race!

I am taking a English Literature class right now which, by far, is currently and going to be my favorite class through the semester. Already the stories I have been assigned to read are ones I just have blown by because they are so enjoyable. That is, except for the one I just read 10 min. ago, Hemingways Soldiers Home which was, well, pretty awful in my opinion. However, it was short, but lacked any sweeteness. Deffinetly not his best work. Just looking forward to reading all the fine Literature being assigned and discussing and debating their 'meanings' in class. And with 4 people in the class- we all get a decent amount of time to do so ;-)

I thought that Hemingway would represent American literature, rather than English literature :P What else are you studying? I mean, which period? Maybe I can help you with something? I admit I am quite a master in English, American and Colonial literatures (the latter is also object of my thesis). Now, I am not boasting! It's just that this stuff is my daily bread so to speak.

I adore it, and I know that I couldn't live without Shakespeare (affectionately called by me Guglielmo Scuotilancia - the literal translation in Italian, or - more simply - Gully), Jane Austen - Pride and Prejudice will be out at the movies on the 3rd of February here, and I have already begged my mom to take me, Emily Bronte - The first one who says that Wuthering Heights is a stupid novel will have to deal with me ;) - Conrad... And then of course, for what concerns the colonial literatures, my favorites are Arundati Roi and Amitav Gosh - Indian literature, and Chinua Achebe, Femi Osofisan and Ayi Kwei Armah for the African literature.

I love also American literature of course. This semester I took a course on the immigrants in America. This regarded the Italians, the Chicanos and the African-Americans. Plus we did a whole thing on Jews, reading Roth and Malamud. I simply loved the course, even though it was a little tough.

Anyway, speaking of exams :P Let me get ready now, because I have an exam in an hour. I will let you know how it went.

So, Andromacha- how did you fair?

It was my Anglo-Irish literature exam, and I got 30/30, that would be an A or a 4 according to the American schemes. I know... I suck. Tomorrow I will have the oral part, but the professor said that she will just basically confirm my grade. She even gave me the question she is gonna ask me in case she feels like she wants to ask me anything. Isn't it crazy?!?

Un bacio è un'apostrofo rosa scritto tra le parole "ti amo".