The Academic Thread

[Skyblade]

I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings, Mhera. I know you're self-controlled and know what you're doing ^^ I just fear a massive debate in this thread and want to do what I can to prevent one.

Schools are different and my sympathy goes out to those who dislike their educational system. I hope you find the right place for you. If you haven't done so already, maybe try talking to your parents?

Great point too, Plugg.

[Mhera]

I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings, Mhera. I know you're self-controlled and know what you're doing ^^ I just fear a massive debate in this thread and want to do what I can to prevent one.

No need to be sorry. Given my past track record, I can see why you said what you did and there was absolutely nothing wrong with that.

That is one of the many beautiful things about stories and poems: you can interpret them in a countless number of ways.

That's what annoys me

[The Mask]

@Mask: I'm sorry you dislike your school but feel stuck in it.  Your school seems like a contradiction.  I hope you have some great friends to be through it all with you.

Thanks Banya! Thankfully I do have some good friends so that helps.

@Mhera and Plugg. The only thing I hate even more is how English teachers will go on and on about some plot device that everyone got straight away. We're not that stupid

[Banya]

That is one of the many beautiful things about stories and poems: you can interpret them in a countless number of ways.

That's what annoys me

That's what I love.  One solid answer, as in math, isn't enough; even the most complex problem isn't captivating, and if I can't find the single answer I'm upset with myself.  With prose and poetry, there is always more than one answer; there are always other ways of looking at something.

[Wylder Treejumper]

There is only one right way to do things: my way.

[Mhera]

A conversation from English class:

Me: "I'm having trouble grasping any symbolism in this story."
Teacher: "Okay, we can work on that. Who knows what the beach represents?"
Other student: "Childhood!"
Teacher: "Absolutely right!" *looks at me* "You don't get that at all, do you?"
Me: "I thought the beach represented a beach..."

Math, please

[LT Sandpaw]

A conversation from English class:

Me: "I'm having trouble grasping any symbolism in this story."
Teacher: "Okay, we can work on that. Who knows what the beach represents?"
Other student: "Childhood!"
Teacher: "Absolutely right!" *looks at me* "You don't get that at all, do you?"
Me: "I thought the beach represented a beach..."

Math, please

I can totally relate except I was homeschooled and my mother was a lot less sensitive.

[Mhera]

I've always been homeschooled; this is just a once per week class I go to.

And the teacher is very understanding unless she learns you did all of your homework the night before class. Then all students get a no-nonsense speech about effort and procrastination .

[James Gryphon]

I didn't do anything in school better than procrastinate.

Even in my college courses, I regret to say, I haven't done much better. I actually failed my first attempt at a college dev-math course (which I was doing online) because I kept putting off the work on it that I should have done.

My second attempt at it, I went to classes in person, which really helped me. I still ended up phoning it in the last part of the course, but I made it that far, instead of falling behind after a week. Still, the multiple-choice test at the end is what saved me. I didn't have enough skill to do every problem, but I could do it well enough to tell which answer (out of 4) looked right, so I still got a good grade.

So, the moral of the story: don't procrastinate. But if you do, at least make sure that your final test is multiple-choice first.

[Luftwaffles]

A conversation from English class:

Me: "I'm having trouble grasping any symbolism in this story."
Teacher: "Okay, we can work on that. Who knows what the beach represents?"
Other student: "Childhood!"
Teacher: "Absolutely right!" *looks at me* "You don't get that at all, do you?"
Me: "I thought the beach represented a beach..."

Math, please

My teacher was exactly like that... So I can relate.

It is frustrating, isn't it?

I remember that time when we were reading "Los Arboles Mueren de Pié" (a precious piece of literature) and, at the time, I couldn't think of any reason of why to look deeper than the author's own words. The guy was trying to be as direct as possible and, yet, my teacher would always put the reading on halt just to invent meanings.

[Wylder Treejumper]

A conversation from English class:

Me: "I'm having trouble grasping any symbolism in this story."
Teacher: "Okay, we can work on that. Who knows what the beach represents?"
Other student: "Childhood!"
Teacher: "Absolutely right!" *looks at me* "You don't get that at all, do you?"
Me: "I thought the beach represented a beach..."

Math, please

Yay! That is totally me.

Far to often I get this feeling that English teachers put more meaning into the book than the authors meant. Way more. I mean, come on. Sometimes, curtains are just curtains. And maybe, that blanket on her bed is just blue because she likes that color!

[Banya]

A conversation from English class:

Me: "I'm having trouble grasping any symbolism in this story."
Teacher: "Okay, we can work on that. Who knows what the beach represents?"
Other student: "Childhood!"
Teacher: "Absolutely right!" *looks at me* "You don't get that at all, do you?"
Me: "I thought the beach represented a beach..."

Math, please

Yay! That is totally me.

Far to often I get this feeling that English teachers put more meaning into the book than the authors meant. Way more. I mean, come on. Sometimes, curtains are just curtains. And maybe, that blanket on her bed is just blue because she likes that color!

I've always wondered that too.  I don't think prose authors put as much symbolism or other literary devices into their writing as we take from it.  We might be digging a little deeper than we need to be.  Still, beach = childhood, love it.

[Jetthebinturong]

I had that argument with my teacher, she said "It doesn't matter what it actually means, what matters is what it could mean and that you show off your own skills"

LYING ABOUT SOMEONE ELSE'S WORK IS NOT SHOWING OFF YOUR SKILLS

[Luftwaffles]

I had that argument with my teacher, she said "It doesn't matter what it actually means, what matters is what it could mean and that you show off your own skills"

LYING ABOUT SOMEONE ELSE'S WORK IS NOT SHOWING OFF YOUR SKILLS

And it doesn't make any sense neither.

[Skyblade]

How is academic life for you all?