Saturday, May 5, 2007

Highs and Lows

Saturday night and I'm inside. Thankfully it was a productive night, because I managed to finally write the majority of my Group Skills assignment, which cannot be described as anything but a shameless celebration of mediocrity and a waste of very precious time and even more precious energy. But anyways, today was a rather difficult day. My exam-oriented mood has morphed into my stress-oriented mood, and I do not seem to be handling it so well. I seem to be taking longer to cover stuff (aaaa!), I snap at my family members, I want to lock myself up in my room and listen to as much Keane and Coldplay as I can lay my hands on- the works. And I'm afraid. Sigh. I have no idea how, after all these years of sitting for exams, I still shudder at their mention. But hopefully, everything will turn out alright in the end.

This week was one of highs and lows. The highs were Tuesday (the legendary hike), Wednesday (sporting my consequent tan by wearing a white top and doing some serious work at the library), and Friday (doing some serious work at the library. full stop.) The lows were the rest of the week when my recent high levels of optimism were nowhere to be seen and the serious work was left undone. I subsequently listened to quite a lot of Sigur Ros, whom I hadn't listened to in quite a while. Sigur Ros are an Icelandic band who tick all the right boxes because they are very original AND very good. Their songs are quite long and that might put some people off but if you're looking for atmospheric, ethereal and heart-wrenchingly beautiful music they're just the thing for you. Admittedly, you have to get into the mood to listen to them but if a musically illiterate person like me can enjoy them, then I'm sure that they're not so inaccessible after all.

On Wednesday morning we finally did our School Experience presentation. Now, I do not know whether I should include this with the highs or the lows. I could have never expected the ten presentations to be so amusing and so tragic at the same time. Almost all the presentations included some kind of entertainment such as a play, a song and ,in an epic piece of wackiness, an aerobics session. Now I do not know if it is just me, but I honestly thought that at university, presentations are supposed to be a serious, formal affair, rather than a cheesy talent show. While some presentations were good, (even superbly shot in one case), most groups seemed to be thinking that their audience consisted of the pre-pubescent students they will be teaching in future rather than adult, educated teachers in the making. One group even had the audacity to perform the macarena with lyrics in Maltese!!! The lyrics transmitted the world-shattering revelation that, yes, all students are different! Wow! Impressive indeed! Call me snobbish, but it is only fair that one expects a certain level of dignity and excellence at university, which is supposed to be an institution of higher education and hence should challenge rather than insult one's intelligence! I cannot help quoting Mr. Incredible (the father in The Incredibles, in case you were wondering) : "Every day we find new ways to celebrate mediocrity " Could not have put it any better myself, I'm sure! With this, one of my favourite quotes, i will say goodbye and wish you a wonderful (albeit probably study-full) week!

Take care,
Lizzy
xxxxx

1 comment:

Chris said...

Heh, those group skills reports are the worst part of the whole experience. I think we'd actually get more out of it if we didn't have to wrap all our memories of it in layers and layers of bullshit overanalysis.

As for the mediocrity, there are ways to break it. I guess. What I do sometimes is grab some random idiot from the internet and start a fight. Usually quite funny. And let's you vent. Just find something that works for you :)

Sigur Ros sound familiar... Gonna have to look them up.

Anyhow, take care Liz :)