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Oct. 22nd, 2003 01:54 pmDoes anyone else subconsciously find themselves assuming that if you have a piece of bad luck in one aspect, you then simply CAN'T have bad luck with another, even if it's completely unconnected? Like, I did a singing competition and my A level music recital in the same week, and fucked up the competition. But I was like, hey, that's ok because now I HAVE to get a good mark on the recital. And I did. I even catch myself making deals with life the universe and everything - ie, if I don't get a good grade on this piece of work even though I worked for it, it's ok cos that means I'll pass such and such an audition.
So. Arsenal lost to Kiev, and therefore my tutor simply isn't allowed to be a bastard over the rather shite essay I gave him this morning. Because that's the way the world ought to work. So there.
On the other hand, I'm a firm believer in Murphey's Law too.... everything that can go wrong....
I had to waste an entire day of my weekend on Saturday with poncy Oxford traditions. I was formally matriculated. (Or is it metriculated, says the Oxford English student. Never claimed to be able to spell). Which means that I had to spend the entire day dressed up as penguine in a bat cape. The technical term is subfusc. It means black skirt white shirt academic gown. Oh, and a motar-board that I'm not allowed to actually wear on my head until I've graduated, you can get fined £50 for that, but I have to own one just so I can carry it to formal occasions like metriculation and exams. Apparently, it's traditionally used as a pencilcase during exam week. You also have to wear a black ribbon around your neck. Unfortunately, mine decided to go walk about. I knew where it was the night before - I'd put it inside the motar board - and then when I went to look for it at seven in the morning (the earliest I've been up in a while...) it wasn't there. So, I went running round halls looking for another one, but of course anyone who owned a black ribbon was already wearing it. Eventually someone suggested I use a bootlace instead. Good idea in principle, however mine are not black but rainbow coloured. So I had to borrow one from the medstudent next door. So. I metriculated (matriculated?) into Oxford University wearing a borrowed shoelace around my neck.
We then all had our formal picture taken. A load of tourists stopped to take pictures of us having our formal picture taken. Which was odd. Then, it was traipsing round Oxford in the penguine suit and bat cape to the Sheldonian theatre, where the formal metriculation ceremony turned out to consist of two lines of Latin. That was it. TWO LINES OF LATIN. They'd dragged us out of bed and into the stupid academic gear just for that.
The Senior Dean had to say to the President of the Uni (well, actually Vice President, I think the pres was ill or something) in Latin, "these are the students who wish to study at Oxford University." The VP then replied, still in Latin "Let them be metriculated into the university..." and there was something about rights and responsibilities and not breaking the university rules. All in Latin.
Then we got a speech (in English) about how Oxford Uni is an equal opportunites educator and we are here to learn about that which we do not know.
I'm writing all this now, because Monday and Tuesday (and, in fact, Sunday) are my big heavy work days. No time! Got six lectures, two classes, two essays due all in two days. Which might not sound like much, but we're supposed to spend six hours a day on independant study as well. And you need that to get the essays done. Which doesn't exactly leave much time for sleep. And then on Wednesday a big scary one on one tutorial session for which I'm expected to have done soooooo much reading. Oh, and I sing one chappel service in that time too. So. LJ entries will probably be wednesdays - saturdays only. Much less to do wednesday to saturday. And it's mostly independant study.
So. Arsenal lost to Kiev, and therefore my tutor simply isn't allowed to be a bastard over the rather shite essay I gave him this morning. Because that's the way the world ought to work. So there.
On the other hand, I'm a firm believer in Murphey's Law too.... everything that can go wrong....
I had to waste an entire day of my weekend on Saturday with poncy Oxford traditions. I was formally matriculated. (Or is it metriculated, says the Oxford English student. Never claimed to be able to spell). Which means that I had to spend the entire day dressed up as penguine in a bat cape. The technical term is subfusc. It means black skirt white shirt academic gown. Oh, and a motar-board that I'm not allowed to actually wear on my head until I've graduated, you can get fined £50 for that, but I have to own one just so I can carry it to formal occasions like metriculation and exams. Apparently, it's traditionally used as a pencilcase during exam week. You also have to wear a black ribbon around your neck. Unfortunately, mine decided to go walk about. I knew where it was the night before - I'd put it inside the motar board - and then when I went to look for it at seven in the morning (the earliest I've been up in a while...) it wasn't there. So, I went running round halls looking for another one, but of course anyone who owned a black ribbon was already wearing it. Eventually someone suggested I use a bootlace instead. Good idea in principle, however mine are not black but rainbow coloured. So I had to borrow one from the medstudent next door. So. I metriculated (matriculated?) into Oxford University wearing a borrowed shoelace around my neck.
We then all had our formal picture taken. A load of tourists stopped to take pictures of us having our formal picture taken. Which was odd. Then, it was traipsing round Oxford in the penguine suit and bat cape to the Sheldonian theatre, where the formal metriculation ceremony turned out to consist of two lines of Latin. That was it. TWO LINES OF LATIN. They'd dragged us out of bed and into the stupid academic gear just for that.
The Senior Dean had to say to the President of the Uni (well, actually Vice President, I think the pres was ill or something) in Latin, "these are the students who wish to study at Oxford University." The VP then replied, still in Latin "Let them be metriculated into the university..." and there was something about rights and responsibilities and not breaking the university rules. All in Latin.
Then we got a speech (in English) about how Oxford Uni is an equal opportunites educator and we are here to learn about that which we do not know.
I'm writing all this now, because Monday and Tuesday (and, in fact, Sunday) are my big heavy work days. No time! Got six lectures, two classes, two essays due all in two days. Which might not sound like much, but we're supposed to spend six hours a day on independant study as well. And you need that to get the essays done. Which doesn't exactly leave much time for sleep. And then on Wednesday a big scary one on one tutorial session for which I'm expected to have done soooooo much reading. Oh, and I sing one chappel service in that time too. So. LJ entries will probably be wednesdays - saturdays only. Much less to do wednesday to saturday. And it's mostly independant study.