I told you that I’d give you a brief overview of my individual
modules, which I have done for two of my classes, but having been here nearly 6 weeks, I thought
I’d let you know how I feel about classes in general; starting with the good things...
Although I complain about the extremely excessive work load
which was a massive shock to the system, I have to say that I find myself a lot
more prepared for classes than I would be for lectures back in Warwick. For one
thing, it’s expected, and I could not get away with the lack of work which I
occasionally might have got away with last year for boring and annoying
lectures such as the one on Henry Green’s ‘Living’.
Most. Boring. Book. Ever. Even my seminar tutor announced that she hated it.
Anyways, I find that in England the work ethic very much involves steadily
cruising along during the year doing the work assigned and then revising and
cramming for end of year exams. Here, you can’t do that. You’re expected to be
continuously learning and taking in everything to the extent that some
professors give those infamous ‘pop quizzes’ - ‘pop’, as in they pop up and
surprise you! While this may shock some of you lazy English students reading
this, actually I’m sort of hoping that I continue the work ethic when I’m back
in Warwick next year. I’m finding myself getting a much greater depth of
knowledge of the books I’m studying*.
Another thing that I love about the classes here is how
amazingly brilliant the professors all are. While there were some good lectures
last year (Jeremy Treglown – you are still my hero), I just didn’t get the same
sense of stunning, intellectual brilliance that I get from some of my
professors here. I had to have a meeting with my WW1 Literature professor
yesterday and it just so happened that my chosen essay topic is something she
specialises in - convenient! We spent an entire hour brainstorming and debating and
generally having geeky, intellectual chats about gender roles in WW1 literature
and it was amazing. Similarly, I’m always astounded by my Latino Literature professor. She is constantly bringing up books she’s published or is in the process of
having published and she always seems to be doing new research which she's more than keen to share with us all. All the texts on our course are texts which she’s written
critical essays on and are authors whom she’s studied in great depth.
It may have just been that at Warwick tutors don’t really
pay much attention to first year students because, well, the year doesn’t
count. But, generally speaking, there is definitely a much greater sense that
professors are here at UCONN in order to teach their speciality, whereas in
England, lecturers only teach in order to use the university’s facilities for
their own research. Persuading people to
spend £9,000 a year on that is going to be tough!
*/I can’t
legally drink so I have nothing better to do with my time!
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