MA Exams

I passed those suckers! And I’m feeling dang grateful to my wife for all her hard work helping me through. The insanity, chaos, and discipline of the last two-plus years has been a blessing and an edificaiton, but I’m glad to be done.

M.A. Exams

After five weeks of studying I submitted myself to what I’ve heard referred to as “the treament.” Three hours of testing in the morning, half hour for lunch, and three hours in the afternoon. Ph.D.’s have to do this for two days straight. MA students only get one dose.

The first three hours were rough: I wasn’t expecting the first question, my response to the second gave no grounds for renewed hope, and the third was nothing like I prepared for. I wasted 15 minutes figuring out where to go with the first question, so I was playing catch up all the way until noon. The second half went much better.

Altogether I typed 13 pages in the morning, and 16 in the afternoon. By the 13th page in the afternoon, my ring finger was a gnarled hook.

Five more days of waiting for the results.

Torn from the Teat

Give us milk.

At least that what all the screeching UC students remind me of. Blocking doorways, throwing bottles, debris, and tantrums to and fro. A helpless, single-minded infant sucking away at the nipple of higher education. Does it need nourishment? Absolutely.

But literally laying on the ground and screaming? It’s a bit embarrassing, and it doesn’t do much to help the cause. Most media outlets I’ve hear have been reporting these protests with what amounts to a smirk and a snort. UC students are being portrayed as spoiled, out of touch, and ignorant. And why not?

 

Reenacting last weekend, when we got ABSOLUTELY HAMMERED. I can't believe they're cutting our beer fund.

I’m a UC student. The fee increases suck, but this is a bit more nuanced that getting back to the breast. One would hope UCLA students might understand a word like “nuance.” It’s right up there with “eclectic” and “diversity.” I hope they stop throwing things, I hope they get off the grass, and I hope they stop screaming.

“Free exchange of ideas” might be on the way out in favor of the more concrete “one-way projectile.” Perhaps it’s safer to cradle them in your arms, and allow for continued suckling of the UC education they want, need, and deserve.

 

 

Should the rare wanderer stumble across this blog, I took the photos from the LA Times gallery.