Lakehead University's campus is a huge mind-boggling maze for students in their first year of study, but each following year proves exactly the opposite. The whole area is compressed once the student deciphers efficient walking routes, building names, and alphanumeric classroom codes. I am glad to be in my third of five fruitful years at this academy in my hometown, so I'd like to think I`ve been around the block a few times. Now the campus seems so small and does not necessarily fit the picture I had prior to enrolment. As humans with brains that process thought using the five senses, constantly stewing about the campus allows one to predict, perceive, question, and mock aspects of the university atmosphere that have even the slightest real significance. Then again, there's "significant" and then there's "blog-worthy". This year has offered just as many blog-worthy observations as any year before, but I'll admit that if I had presented these ideas in past years, I would have been a hypocrite.
The first week of school shows the same tendencies each year: very few people raising hands in class for fear of (a) giving a wrong answer or (b) asking a "stupid question"; encounters with acquaintances that result in fifteen to thirty seconds of banter; and the resumption of complaint. Everyone always has something to be pissed off about at university despite the fact that they pay to attend classes. The workload is difficult and heavy, tuition, among the abundance of other fees, is expensive, and as much as anyone might wish otherwise, high school days are history. Having a beer at the Outpost with friends is cool, but that's no longer what I look forward to while on campus. It is not wrong to walk through the halls of campus looking at the ground with headphones on, just as it is not wrong to avoid conversation with passers-by. I once perceived that kind of behavior to be pompous yet I now condone it. It is a mockery to be paying thousands of dollars for a social life... a degree is a more practical use of money.
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Good call on the whole money issue. When I first came here I thought it would be party central but the week I got my first mark back I realized otherwise. Im paying thousands of dollars to become a teacher, not to meet cute boys and stuff. I like the way you used the classroom example and the first paragraph was well written! The one thing I would suggest is possibly splitting it into shorter paragraphs with different themes such as, one on homework, and how you feel when you do it, one on the social aspect when you first enter LU, one on the campus layout and how its so small compared to many other etcc:) otherwise, great job Mark!
ReplyDeleteMark, Mark, Mark...
ReplyDeleteI can relate to all your social realizations. I have been at Lakehead for many fruitful years already; yet, I change my own social ways almost every year. With the advent of a boyfriend, I have turned my focus more to my studies. In doing so, I have been referred to as a “ghost” by one of my closest friends. Ironically, he and I start every year off the same, vowing “we will be doing homework and hitting up the library hard this year”. I am the only one that has kept my promise to us so far. Money is such a big deal when it comes to school. Wanting to maintain a good social life can occasionally be pricey and tends to turn some amazing people/students into broke jokes. For lack of a better phrase, “you’re on the money” with that statement.
I nodded my way through your post but I might encourage you to continue on the pace you started with and make it longer. Maybe outline what you do now when running into randos for that 30 seconds of banter. Is musical isolation the only way to focus on your degree? I’m not judging, I constantly have my headphones on too. Over all, well played sir, well played.
I know this post to be very true! Although, I am studying on campus for the first time since 2000, I still remember the first year. Unlike your first post, I feel that you were telling me not showing me. I would like to see more about how all of these things make you feel and what impact your feelings had on your university behavior and how it changed you and why.
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