Friday 18 July 2008

Anti-social pre-exam jitters.

A while ago, I met a good friend's new girlfriend. She had been the year above, or a couple of years above me, and upon meeting her I realised that she was the rather surly, serious looking girl I had sometimes seen at uni. Which was fine, all 3rd years seemed quite serious (when I got to 3rd year, I realised why). What did not impress me was that she had once shushed me loudly in the library, when I was talking. I was trying to help some foreign students find their way! So it wasn't a great first impression, as I thought that was frankly a bit uptight.

And now I have become a wretched parody of that. In an attempt to make a dent in the recommended 12 hours minimum work a day (!!!!) set by BarBri (which for me is prob very necessary as I haven't been doing the 6 hours a day to date...) we've been going to the Brooklyn Public Library. Which has a very pretty facade, and is nice and cool inside. But stress makes me irritable - with the result that every slight noise, smell irritates the heck out of me.

Americans seem to think that it's an infringement on freedom to not have 24-hour access to food, so to this end people eat on the train, in lectures, in exams, and even in libraries. Now I think the latter is plainly wrong ( I mean eating in the subway just seems like a bad idea - it's basically an open sewer) but in the library I really do not want a large woman chomping her way loudly through a basket of oranges in my face. Especially when she's dribbling and the smell is distracting.

I mean gahd. And someone in there was BREATHING REALLY LOUDLY. Did they grow up in a barn?!*

If exams achieve one thing, it's to make us Scrooges!





* that part was a joke, Kinda. But the food thing was annoying.

10 comments:

Minx said...

I TOTALLY Sympathise, Mel!!Distractions when one is tressed out by the pressures of study are the last thing you need!
For my part, The ONLY time of year that I am EVER going to get ANY relief from HERDS of flat footed,giggling, moccachina swillng, sandwich munching undergraduate students is at this time of the year, when NONE of them are about! EEEEE! I have turned into an OLD BAG!!!!!!
(*retreats to PH.d room in Law School, trying not to turn green and/or snarl at people*)

Mel said...

Hehe. I think I've always been an old bag at heart, never did take to the moccachina swilling...although I still giggle like a schoolgirl.

Are you back to the world of 9-5/ Phd horrors then?

Turn that snarl upside down! No that doesn't work does it? End up with Cherie Blair :S

Minx said...

Yus, I am returned to the world of the Thesis Monster ,albeit temporarily, since I have two second round interviews forthcoming, one next week, one the week after, though looking at the competition, I am NOT holding my breath! ( I have become quite fatalistic when it comes to matters of pupillage - if it happens, it happens!!)
EEEEW! Cherie BLAIR?? My snarl is FAR more attractive than her grin will ever be!! Lol!!

Mel said...

Ooh 2nd round. Impressive! Does this include *dream* chambers?

Minx said...

Indeed it does Mel, Indeed it does! I am honestly trying not to do something AWFUL in my lingerie!!!

Swiss Tony said...

Mel,

I still can't believe you are doing all this work and angst, and then beginning the BVC shortly too. (Thats if I have my facts right)

Minxy, blimey O'Reilly, 2xsecond interviews. Cool for cats.

swizz

Minx said...

Don't hold your breath, Swizz -Im up against the sort who have probably invented a cure for Dhengi Fever whilst finishing the Unfinished Symphony, writing Homers Iliad out backwards by hand in the language of an obscure Amazonian Tribe of Pygmies and solving the problem of nuclear fission.........

Mel said...

Hey Swiss
Yes, Boy helpfully keeps reminding me of that. I'm looking forward to the BVC - aren't you? Being surrounded by a bunch of overconfident Nicholas de lacy brown types who love the sound of their own voices - great fun!
Actually, I genuinely am looking forward to it. But will be taking a girly holiday in between this and that!

Minxy,

No, no no you have it all wrong. What with your Phd and everything else you ARE one of those saving orphans and curing cancer whilst canoeing down the Amazon types!

Android said...

Eating in the library?! Ew. How dare they? :) I laughed at your reference to the infringement on freedom to access food :)))

Minxy, best of luck for your interviews!!! You can do it!

Swiss Tony said...

Mel,

Looking forward to the BVC? I am not sure really.

It was all looking hopeful until you reminded me of the hard work and studyng and now I am not sure I can be bothered.

I have so many conflicting thoughts that I may even post on my blog about it, if I can be bothered. No, I mean if I can sort my thoughts into anything worth saying.