Behind the Blog #6 – Academics
14 June, 2012
Behind the Blog is a meme to help bloggers connect their life and interests to the content showcased on their blog. The co-hosts, Faye, Kathe, and Melissa will provide a different topic, idea, or question every week that bloggers can relate to themselves and the books, films, or other media they find interesting!
While people in some parts of the world are reaching the end of their academic year, others are just beginning. How did you perform in school as a child, and how has that changed? Are you book smart or street smart? What are the best and worst experiences you had in school? Regarding books: Have any novels changed the way you think of academics or made you wish you studied at a certain school or in a certain world? Have any films done the same?
Before I start this post properly, I am apologising because it is late, I am tired and have had a really exhausting day and my internet is being a pain in the backside so I’m also frustrated and therefore this post is going to be short and sweet because I want to go curl up in my covers and forget that the world exists for a few hours. That being said, on to the post!
This is an interesting topic for me this week because last Friday was actually my last day as an undergraduate student. After three years of study, I finally completed my degree and am now just awaiting my results before I graduate in the middle of July. It’s all especially crazy and really makes me think about the future but also about the past and how the rest of my life got me to here. Also, today, I visited a school for younger kids which brought me back to my youth and thinking about my education all over again.
When I was much younger, (6-11yo), I didn’t care for education. If I’m being honest I much preferred playing during break time and socialising during classes. The only time I really enjoyed learning was when I was writing stories or when I was studying Math. Then I went onto highschool (11-16yo) and I started to enjoy learning a bit more. I went on my own, all of my friends going off to different highschools and so I had to find my friends again. It therefore got easier for me to focus on my work because to begin with I didn’t have much else to do. But then I found some great friends and for the first two years often wouldn’t bother too much as my friends were smarter than me and let me copy. Then two of my friends were moved to a new highschool and the last friend who was left had never let me copy so I was left having to work. This, of course, turned out in my favour eventually because I realised I enjoyed learning. I still wasn’t great with revising for exams but working in class and doing homework, I took pride in it all.
So, when I finsihed highschool and had the option to carry on my studies at college (16-18yo), I knew there was simply no question in it. College was where I wanted to be because by now, university was a destination for me. I worked extremely hard in those two years and while it didn’t completely pay off in one subject, it did in the other two and I’m immensely proud of myself. This leads me to the book smart or street smart question. I am not naturally smart. I hate the people who float through school without ever really working at it because I can study for hours and still can’t get to where they are. But, at least I’ll know I have put my soul into what I do. I would say, then, I have more book smarts because you know, I use books. It also means I have very specific smarts. I could talk someone’s ear off about Chinese Cinema or a film theorist I like or how to write that brilliant screenplay but ask me about politics and I’ll give you a blank look.
I have so many great memories from all the different schools I’ve been at over the years but I think, really, the best thing about it all is the friends I made. Some have stuck around and some have turned sour while others just dwindled but while they lasted, while they were there, they really made school life that much better. But for a better example, a good time I had during college was hanging out under the stairs of the library with my friends at lunch time and scaring people as they left the building. Hah. That was just brilliant. Unfortunately, with the good memories, I also have a charade of bad ones. Bullying wasn’t exactly a brilliant experience, nor was breaking up with my boyfriend to have him stalk me to the girls loos just so I could get away from him. But I feel that this memories are completely overshadowed by the good ones and I think that, that is probably the best thing I could ask for.
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Book and Film wise, I’m only picking TWO this week because my brain isn’t working properly.
- Hogwarts; there wasn’t a way I could ignore this one this week. I have always wanted to study at Hogwarts and this will not be changing anytime soon.
- St Trinians; Oh, don’t they just look like they have so much fun? And they just have no discrimmination against anyone, no matter how barmy they are, and I truly love that!
What are some educational institutions that you like reading or watching about?
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3 Comments
alexandrasscribblings
Honestly, I don’t know how I would have gotten through high school without my group of friends. I was lucky that I was never bullied, but my best friend was, and she used to take it out on me a bit. Same with one of my younger brothers. :-( Kids can be so awful to each other.
Also, I loved your conclusion:
“I feel that this memories are completely overshadowed by the good ones and I think that, that is probably the best thing I could ask for.”
I’m so glad that you can see it like this! :-)
I love learning too, but I loathe exams – I always end up cramming the night before/morning of, and wishing that I had a photographic memory. xo
alexandrasscribblings
Also, you know what’s even worse than people who don’t even have to try? People who don’t even have to try, AND THEN SHOW OFF ABOUT THEIR BLOODY FABULOUS MARKS, all the while saying, “And I didn’t study at all!” Ugh, I want to poke out their eyeballs. But I wouldn’t, obviously. Too squidgy.
Also, I realised I forgot to say I’m so sorry you got bullied. That sucks.
Also, I totally agree on the specific smarts thing! I hate it when people assume that because you’re good at one thing, then you must be good at everything else, because it’s so not true. Man, I sound really angry today – I swear I’m not usually so “Grr, people! Grr, life!”
Also, if I’m ever on some quiz show and they ask a question about chinese cinema…expect a call. xo
Melissa
Bullying is so horrible, I’m sorry you had to go through that.
I like your comment about having specific smarts. I think that can come in handy for a lot of reasons. Especially if Alexandra ends up on that game show someday, lol. Instead of film, for me it would be anything to do with Sociology.
What matters most is not what kind of smarts you have or how smart you measure up against whatever standards people want to use, but that you enjoy what your learning. And I can tell you did just that with studying film. :)