Wednesday, December 15, 2004

FREEDOM!!!!!

Well, I've finally done it; I've finished my finals. I would apologize for not posting for a while if I felt bad, but right now I don't. I'm so numb from stress that I won't be able to feel anything, much less guilt, for at least another two days. Next to finals themselves, this is the worst time of the quarter: I've become so adjusted to running non-stop that now my body doesn't understand that there's nothing especially pressing that needs to be done. It's like getting off of a roller coaster. It's fun (or in this case, tolerable) while you're on it, but after you get off you feel kind of nauseous.

I completely BOMBED my Chinese Lit test this morning. Which makes me wonder: do I really want to be this educated? All I really wanted was to learn another language, maybe stretch my brain a little. But just a little. I don't really care what Xi Kang ate for breakfast in Fujian provice on April 12, 485 CE. The thing about all these 400-level classes is that suddenly, for the first time in my entire fifteen years in school, they want me to think. Yes, that's right, ladies and gentlemen. No longer am I required to simply spew forth information previously spoon-fed into my eager young brain. Now - somewhat late in the game, if you ask me - I am actually required to think for myself, a practice at which I have virtually no experience. Why didn't anybody tell me I was going to have to do this? I'm disappointed and more than a little disllusioned.

1 comment:

Randypants said...

I'm disappointed that most teachers don't make their students problem solve and think at all, as well. Across the spectrum and distant from Chinese lit your husbands programming courses are going to feel the following way for him:

1) Teacher gives you really basic programming ideas
2) Teacher teaches you how to compile/run a program in the language you're taking
3) Teacher tells you to build a text editor in said language

It feels like being asked to build the Space Needle out of toothpicks. However, I'm confident that both of you can build space needles, text editors and new literature with perseverance :)