Now what?
The beginning is always today
The beginning is always today
Thursday, 22 May 2008
Tuesday, 20 May 2008
Special Surprise
Today, I have received a package.
A belated birthday present. Though, in all fairness, it had further to travel than most of my other birthday gifts, so I guess I can overlook the tardiness of its arrival...
It has occurred to me recently, that in the past few months I have spent more on my postal expenses than on my phone expenses. This isn't a huge revelation in itself, given that I am not a big fan of the talking thang, but knowing that some people haven't sent so much as one letter or card in their time at university, yet will yabber on the phone for £50+ a month, it could be seen as somewhat odd in this world of technological advancement. But a birthday card is better than a birthday text, and a tangible, colourful letter with stickers and glitter brightens up the day more than mere typeface on a screen. It takes more effort than an email, and that effort is always appreciated. It's nice to show and know people care.
Little "happy birthday" or "good luck" messages through the letterbox are great. A catch-up-pick-me-up-just-a-note-to-say is also ace. Unexpected parcels from places far away are absolutely fantastic. Post is always necessary. I wouldn't want it any other way.
Awesome.
On the jukebox: Smash Mouth ~ Hang On
A belated birthday present. Though, in all fairness, it had further to travel than most of my other birthday gifts, so I guess I can overlook the tardiness of its arrival...
It has occurred to me recently, that in the past few months I have spent more on my postal expenses than on my phone expenses. This isn't a huge revelation in itself, given that I am not a big fan of the talking thang, but knowing that some people haven't sent so much as one letter or card in their time at university, yet will yabber on the phone for £50+ a month, it could be seen as somewhat odd in this world of technological advancement. But a birthday card is better than a birthday text, and a tangible, colourful letter with stickers and glitter brightens up the day more than mere typeface on a screen. It takes more effort than an email, and that effort is always appreciated. It's nice to show and know people care.
Little "happy birthday" or "good luck" messages through the letterbox are great. A catch-up-pick-me-up-just-a-note-to-say is also ace. Unexpected parcels from places far away are absolutely fantastic. Post is always necessary. I wouldn't want it any other way.
Awesome.
Exams finish in two days.
On the jukebox: Smash Mouth ~ Hang On
Monday, 12 May 2008
Saturday, 10 May 2008
Questionable Quality
Today, I have chosen quantity over quality.
The way I see it, it's either one or the other. This concept can be applied to many aspects of life. Writing - either write a lot of mediochre quality, or write less but with more thought-worthy substance. Diet - either have a lot of crappy food, so you can eat more, but it don't taste so good; or have nicer food in which case you need less to fufil your desires, because it's good enough to satisfy completely. Friends - either have a lot to call upon on whenever, or have a few that are better than all the rest. Relationships - either have the one which you can rely upon, or fill up the space with many in-betweeners.
Revision - slog away hours on end, reading through, writing out over and over again, but in terms of actual being effective, the method isn't so useful. On the other hand, putting more effort to properly learn as you go along, testing your knowledge, working out the answers, finding reasoning using first principles and try to understand what's going on, making the connections to related parts of the subject may not require the necessity for 4,897 pages of revision notes written out 268 times, but if you work to really understand rather than just blindly rote-learning facts and model responses, you'll probably have a more concrete idea of what's going on without needing to even refer to notes. Though perhaps this practice makes more sense for sciences than other subjects.
Quality over quantity.
On the jukebox: Coldplay ~ Fix You
The way I see it, it's either one or the other. This concept can be applied to many aspects of life. Writing - either write a lot of mediochre quality, or write less but with more thought-worthy substance. Diet - either have a lot of crappy food, so you can eat more, but it don't taste so good; or have nicer food in which case you need less to fufil your desires, because it's good enough to satisfy completely. Friends - either have a lot to call upon on whenever, or have a few that are better than all the rest. Relationships - either have the one which you can rely upon, or fill up the space with many in-betweeners.
Revision - slog away hours on end, reading through, writing out over and over again, but in terms of actual being effective, the method isn't so useful. On the other hand, putting more effort to properly learn as you go along, testing your knowledge, working out the answers, finding reasoning using first principles and try to understand what's going on, making the connections to related parts of the subject may not require the necessity for 4,897 pages of revision notes written out 268 times, but if you work to really understand rather than just blindly rote-learning facts and model responses, you'll probably have a more concrete idea of what's going on without needing to even refer to notes. Though perhaps this practice makes more sense for sciences than other subjects.
In terms of straight-forward method, following a rule of quantity over quality, while requiring a more constant input, isn't that hard to do. It's simple to roll off two or three paragraphs of not much worth knowing every day. Copying out doesn't teach a lot, something may sink in at some point, but not proportional to the amount of time spent on it. Sometimes, a blog may hit the thinking spot, but the other 82.9% of the time, it's just mindless fodder for the sake of it.
Quality is often harder to achieve. Being able to concentrate, choose the right information to include and condense appropriately to the necessary essentials is far more difficult and requires substantially more effort in terms of comprehension, but is generally far more rewarding. You end up having a better knowledge base, it's more likely to stick and make sense, and hopefully it will eventually result in an all-round better outcome.
Quality is often harder to achieve. Being able to concentrate, choose the right information to include and condense appropriately to the necessary essentials is far more difficult and requires substantially more effort in terms of comprehension, but is generally far more rewarding. You end up having a better knowledge base, it's more likely to stick and make sense, and hopefully it will eventually result in an all-round better outcome.
Quality over quantity.
On the jukebox: Coldplay ~ Fix You
Sun Kissed
Today, I have blonde hair.
So, I thought about getting highlights. So, I thought about going all out full head either brunette or blonde or purple. So, I thought about how many people I've seen recently with fake blonde hair that just looks trashy, or unnatural, or just plain wrong. Highlights are a great idea, if you can afford the upkeep and maintainence. Especially with summer coming and all, it's nice to see a golden glowing shiny mane, that's a lovely image to hold in your mind's eye, but so often - it just looks tacky and tinny. Yet still, I found myself yearning for a hint of a honey tint. So, I thought about this, talked about this and was told that my hair is blonde. So now, I don't need to change it.
On the jukebox: The Kooks ~ Seaside
So, I thought about getting highlights. So, I thought about going all out full head either brunette or blonde or purple. So, I thought about how many people I've seen recently with fake blonde hair that just looks trashy, or unnatural, or just plain wrong. Highlights are a great idea, if you can afford the upkeep and maintainence. Especially with summer coming and all, it's nice to see a golden glowing shiny mane, that's a lovely image to hold in your mind's eye, but so often - it just looks tacky and tinny. Yet still, I found myself yearning for a hint of a honey tint. So, I thought about this, talked about this and was told that my hair is blonde. So now, I don't need to change it.
So, I thought about how all it was that made me want to keep with the colour au naturel was an objective description of my hair as blonde. How easily we are influenced by others, eh? Whether it's the truth or not I guess doesn't matter so much, 'cause actually, I find I quite like it the way that it is.
Turning twenty in two days.
On the jukebox: The Kooks ~ Seaside
Friday, 9 May 2008
Library Time
Today, I have been unproductive.
Truth is, about an hour after writing about the despairing effect of being confined to my room, I found myself on a walk of my own choice. To campus, with friends. We had the intention of some peer-assisted study (along with the added necessity of catching-up and getting module forms signed!) but that didn't turn out so well...
There are a few reasons why I have reluctant to work in the library. Distance is only a minor one. These reasons were confirmed as valid as soon as I stepped through the doors - unless you get there before 8am, all the tables are full. It is hot, it is busy and invariably you'll get some annoying people twittering away constantly, or you become the annoying people twittering away. There's no space to spread out, no place to discuss problems and after a couple of hours or so, it becomes so mind-numbingly dull or frustrating that you have to get out. Of course, then you either lose your seat, or lose your notes, so probably end up calling it a day and going back home.
Truth is, about an hour after writing about the despairing effect of being confined to my room, I found myself on a walk of my own choice. To campus, with friends. We had the intention of some peer-assisted study (along with the added necessity of catching-up and getting module forms signed!) but that didn't turn out so well...
There are a few reasons why I have reluctant to work in the library. Distance is only a minor one. These reasons were confirmed as valid as soon as I stepped through the doors - unless you get there before 8am, all the tables are full. It is hot, it is busy and invariably you'll get some annoying people twittering away constantly, or you become the annoying people twittering away. There's no space to spread out, no place to discuss problems and after a couple of hours or so, it becomes so mind-numbingly dull or frustrating that you have to get out. Of course, then you either lose your seat, or lose your notes, so probably end up calling it a day and going back home.
Instead of staying in the stuffy library, we ended up in an empty lecture theatre - lectures have finished for the main part, so disturbance was unlikely and the room was readily accessible. It does make me wonder why the university doesn't make options like this more avaliable - we didn't need the library services, just somewhere to study that wasn't our bedrooms.* Predictably, we weren't particulary productive, but that aside, it was good to do something, at least.
On the way home, I went to the convenience store. I bought some apples and some pears and some grapes and some bananas. Fruit is good. And now, I'm sitting at my desk, curtains open so I can spy on everyone that goes by (they are only closed in the evening, when that picture was taken, as the sun shines right in my eyes otherwise...)
It is now approaching five o'clock. I don't feel like I have achieved much so far today, but there's always the comfort that some people have done even less. It appears that this entry is unnecessary, as it merely reiterates points that have already been made, but hey, it just serves to prove how in tune we are - I took your advice, before I even knew it existed. ;o)
Exams finish in a fortnight.
On the jukebox: Mungo Jerry ~ In The Summertime
On the way home, I went to the convenience store. I bought some apples and some pears and some grapes and some bananas. Fruit is good. And now, I'm sitting at my desk, curtains open so I can spy on everyone that goes by (they are only closed in the evening, when that picture was taken, as the sun shines right in my eyes otherwise...)
It is now approaching five o'clock. I don't feel like I have achieved much so far today, but there's always the comfort that some people have done even less. It appears that this entry is unnecessary, as it merely reiterates points that have already been made, but hey, it just serves to prove how in tune we are - I took your advice, before I even knew it existed. ;o)
Exams finish in a fortnight.
On the jukebox: Mungo Jerry ~ In The Summertime
Cabin Fever
Today, I have done the same as every day.
On the jukebox: Newton Faulkner ~ Uncomfortably Slow
It's not even ten o'clock. Already I have begun the tireless cycle that is my life of the moment: do work? do nothing? do work! do nothing...do work? do nothing! do nothing? do work! do work, do nothing, do nothing, do work! Talk about doing nothing, talk about doing work, talk about love, life, dirty dishes and dishing the dirt. There's nowhere to go. A walk seems pointless - to uni? to town? I just want to wander without purpose. But there's no place for that, need to go somewhere, need to do something. Constantly diverted along the road of procrastination: destination unknown.
*bounces off the walls*
On the jukebox: Newton Faulkner ~ Uncomfortably Slow
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