Semester 1
My generation puts a lot of value in spontaneity: spontaneity of action (fun people!) and spontaneity of thought (witty people). While attractive, I don't think this is necessarily a particularly good characteristic to have -- in fact, the opposite, I submit, is better. Prescience and the sharpening of your rational instrumentality, knowing your end and how to go about achieving it (prescience of action), knowing what things constitute appropriate and interesting conversation and then saying those things (prescience of thought), bear more fruit, I think, than spontaneity.
With that in mind, I wanted to write a post about my first semester, so I know what to say before people ask me about it.
Socially, it was curious -- interesting, teaching. The most important lesson I learnt from it, I think, was not to put too much emphasis on expectations, especially if they are informed by a mass expectation, which is often itself informed unreliably. Instead, I learnt, have experiences in and of themselves, separate from the expectations, and try hard to judge them independently. When I compared my experiences to my expectations, almost always they seemed inadequate (only a minority of the time did my experience match expectation, and I think therein lies the problem: the expectation informed by the masses is in fact only a minority of what actually happens to individuals), but when I consider them in themselves, they weren't so bad at all, and I had a good semester, despite being alone a lot of the time. I was learning how to be alone. I didn't make any instant, Clearly Everlasting Connections or anything; they were mostly acquaintances, but I met a lot of people, and that is fun (or, more accurately, interesting) in itself. (An aside: I did make one instant, what-I-thought-would-be-a Clearly Everlasting Connection, but it broke down, but I'm okay with it now). The semester has made talking to strangers a less daunting task for me, by showing, really, that it's not really the most important skill to have. Being able to express yourself and get across your point is an important skill, but packaged in 'being able to talk to strangers' is usually the notion of charming and entertaining them with your wit and intellectuality, but focusing on that aspect makes it too daunting. One needs to focus on the small aspects -- like I say, knowing how to express yourself, and what modes of expresses yourself are most comfortable to you. Trying to fit into wit and intellectuality is essentially trying to fit into What Is Expected Of You, but what is important is finding what's comfortable for you, and doing that well.
Academically, I wasn't prepared. The increased quantity and decreased contact time at times made me feel like I was being cheated out of my tuition fees, and I guess it kind of does still feel that way, but I consider the money it costs to go to university to be a fee for something greater -- a general package, the university experience (but not the University Experience, which I already debunked in the previous paragraph), which is worth it. However, still, the work is interesting -- challenging, I'm learning what I'm into and what I'm not into, and (through hardship) I'm developing a work ethic, so I think it is paying off in the end.
Overall I've enjoyed the semester and actually feel like I've grown as a person thanks to it.
With that in mind, I wanted to write a post about my first semester, so I know what to say before people ask me about it.
Socially, it was curious -- interesting, teaching. The most important lesson I learnt from it, I think, was not to put too much emphasis on expectations, especially if they are informed by a mass expectation, which is often itself informed unreliably. Instead, I learnt, have experiences in and of themselves, separate from the expectations, and try hard to judge them independently. When I compared my experiences to my expectations, almost always they seemed inadequate (only a minority of the time did my experience match expectation, and I think therein lies the problem: the expectation informed by the masses is in fact only a minority of what actually happens to individuals), but when I consider them in themselves, they weren't so bad at all, and I had a good semester, despite being alone a lot of the time. I was learning how to be alone. I didn't make any instant, Clearly Everlasting Connections or anything; they were mostly acquaintances, but I met a lot of people, and that is fun (or, more accurately, interesting) in itself. (An aside: I did make one instant, what-I-thought-would-be-a Clearly Everlasting Connection, but it broke down, but I'm okay with it now). The semester has made talking to strangers a less daunting task for me, by showing, really, that it's not really the most important skill to have. Being able to express yourself and get across your point is an important skill, but packaged in 'being able to talk to strangers' is usually the notion of charming and entertaining them with your wit and intellectuality, but focusing on that aspect makes it too daunting. One needs to focus on the small aspects -- like I say, knowing how to express yourself, and what modes of expresses yourself are most comfortable to you. Trying to fit into wit and intellectuality is essentially trying to fit into What Is Expected Of You, but what is important is finding what's comfortable for you, and doing that well.
Academically, I wasn't prepared. The increased quantity and decreased contact time at times made me feel like I was being cheated out of my tuition fees, and I guess it kind of does still feel that way, but I consider the money it costs to go to university to be a fee for something greater -- a general package, the university experience (but not the University Experience, which I already debunked in the previous paragraph), which is worth it. However, still, the work is interesting -- challenging, I'm learning what I'm into and what I'm not into, and (through hardship) I'm developing a work ethic, so I think it is paying off in the end.
Overall I've enjoyed the semester and actually feel like I've grown as a person thanks to it.
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