« Are you there God? It’s me, Purple Elephant. | Main | Lazy Days »
October 19, 2005
My Mother Tongue and My Critical Thinking, why hast thou forsaken me?
In the comments of my last essay I was told that I had the critical thinking for fine graduate work. Well where oh where was that critical thinking yesterday afternoon? I have come to the conclusion that it was three hours ahead of me, waiting in the Chinese Take Away comparing and contrasting the benefits of chilli bean over black bean sauce. That is the amount of good it did me.
What about my command of the English Language? Surely my mother tongue would sweep in there straight away and take control, at least giving the examiner a good read, convincing him that I could at least write about nothing very well. It seems not. I spent the whole of the first essay trying and failing to find a different word for ‘sympathy’ It wasn’t until I got to question two that I wondered if I didn’t perhaps mean ‘empathy’ after all. Thus I failed to convince the examiner that I wasn’t on day release from my Daughter’s reception class.
And what of the questions? I mean surely whoever wrote the paper would have spared it five minutes thought and taken note of their own rules. Like for instance if you are not allowed to use the same book twice then why gear nearly every question towards one book? Oh and that question on Burlesque, what was it doing there when it only related to one novel on the course and you had to use two or three in the answer?
And another thing. Why am I always seated next to the woman who writes and writes and writes and is asking for a new answer booklet before I’ve even decided which question I’m answering? And last but not least why are high-heels not banned from examination rooms? Everyone who got up to use the toilet was wearing them and however much they wiggled their arms and bottom about trying to convince me they were trying to walk quietly, somehow it just made it seem even louder. For the sake of my sanity please wear trainers for the retakes.
Now all that’s left is for me to sit back and watch my good coursework mark crumble in front of my eyes.
The take away was good though and in case you were wondering we had BOTH sauces.
Posted by purple elephant at October 19, 2005 10:01 AM