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The Classics Society Mk II

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Harder in what sense? Medbh is right that Latin can get quite nasty across the board. Especially when you start dealing with non standard stuff, I mean I have the skeleton of an article I was working on with a friend on religious registers across the ages and I rage quit. He also rage quit.

Tbf, flicking over the curricula the GCSE/A level stuff is astonishingly basic anyway. Either way, the languages aren't as hard as their reputation suggest, just give them a few cuddles and you'll see.
Give Latin a few cuddles after the years it reduced me to today??? No thanks!

In fairness it's because I've slacked off. Hopefully I can catch up and it will stop making me cry. Hopefully.


Sorry for any spelling or grammar issues, I'm posting from my phone.
that moment when you decide drunkenly that it's time to run around college reciting the iliad in hexameter verse

i regret nothing
Reply 2383
Hi everyone, this is my first post, I wonder if you can give me some advice?

I am in school year four, first year of GCSEs, I have studied Latin since year one (which I immediately fell in love with) and Greek since year 2 (ditto).

Quite simply, I have discovered my passion in life, I have read (in translation) The Odyssey, The Iliad and I am now reading The Aeneid, and have read Oedipus Rex and Antigone (my mother suggested these).

I absolutely want to go on to do Latin & Greek at A Level (with maybe English and one other) and then read Classics at university.

At the moment I am expected to get As and A*s at GCSE (I honestly think I could get A*s in L&G now) and go on to do well at A Levels.

I have set my sights at Oxford, however, I know this is very, very difficult and so I am not being presumptuous or complacent. But reading Classics at Oxford would be just be incredible, I want nothing more, and so I want to start planning now.

I often go to the British Museum and sometimes the Ashmolean with my parents, I want to go to Rome and Greece and other major Roman sites, and I love the many Classics programmes on TV...

Now my question. What else should I be doing now? I am studying and reading off syllabus, but I want to be able to demonstrate that I love the subject and am worthy of a place at Oxford (or will be in 3 years).

I read that Mary Beard went on archaeological digs in her holidays, I am not sure I will be able to persuade my parents to do that, but I am desperate to start doing more, partly because I do love it, but also because everyone else applying for Classics at Oxford will have at least A*AA (and probably better) and I so want to stand out, to show that this is my passion, not just an idea I had in the lower sixth!

Can anyone suggest any essay competitions or summer schools (I went to King's last summer and hope to go to UCL this year)??

Oh, I have also asked my teachers for some projects to do and I am working on the first one now, on Roman art.

I hope you can make some good suggestions, or maybe you think I should just calm down a bit?

Thanks,
Aitch :smile:
Original post by medbh4805
that moment when you decide drunkenly that it's time to run around college reciting the iliad in hexameter verse

i regret nothing


The society's collective thymos swells with pride.

Aitch: Nothing much you can do tbh, digs and things can be superfluous, just keep up what you're doing, get good at the languages and read broadly. It also helps to start reading some critical literature, nothing fancy, but in general interviewers really love people who can start to article their ideas in somewhat formal terms. You know, just some basic stuff.

There are quite a lot of books out there you can get hold of if you're interested, technically they're out of date but the ideas they formulate or the topics they handle are still relevant to modern criticism.

Also, I've said it before, don't feel like you absolutely *must* read the epics, find something you like, whatever it is, though the Odyssey is a must.
Reply 2385
The Lyceum, thanks for your reply.

I take your point about criticism, I might talk to my teachers about this, see if they can make some suggestions too. I guess I need to start having an opinion on things.

I wasn't that keen on the digs tbh :smile:


Thanks for your help,
Aitch
Original post by Aitch_
The Lyceum, thanks for your reply.

I take your point about criticism, I might talk to my teachers about this, see if they can make some suggestions too. I guess I need to start having an opinion on things.

I wasn't that keen on the digs tbh :smile:


Thanks for your help,
Aitch


I would however say make sure that this doesn't affect your grades in your other subjects. After all, if you don't get the grades in the other subject, then you'll find it difficult to get into Oxford. View it perhaps as a hobby, but ensure that it doesn't affect the subjects which you are examined for.

My advice apart from that would be as The Lyceum's is to find works that you're interested in. Perhaps look at a wide variety of things and dip in and out of genres.
Reply 2387
Toronto 353, I know what you mean and I think you are absolutely right. If I drop down to a B in my worst GCSE that could have a really bad effect.

Gotta nail those Chem, Physics & Biology! :smile:
Original post by toronto353
I would however say make sure that this doesn't affect your grades in your other subjects. After all, if you don't get the grades in the other subject, then you'll find it difficult to get into Oxford. View it perhaps as a hobby, but ensure that it doesn't affect the subjects which you are examined for.

My advice apart from that would be as The Lyceum's is to find works that you're interested in. Perhaps look at a wide variety of things and dip in and out of genres.


This is the best advice anyone can give I think.
Original post by The Lyceum
the Odyssey is a must.


I saw this and thought, I can't believe I still haven't read The Odyssey.
Taking remedial action, I've just been reading the first couple of books, and it seems interesting so far ... plenty of fate-tempting and the like.
It does feel like cheating, reading in translation, but then on the plus side at least I have some idea about what's going on, unlike nearly every over Classical work I've tried to grapple with before!
(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by placenta medicae talpae
I saw this and thought, I can't believe I still haven't read The Odyssey.
Taking remedial action, I've just been reading the first couple of books, and it seems interesting so far ... plenty of fate-tempting and the like.
It does feel like cheating, reading in translation, but then on the plus side at least I have some idea about what's going on, unlike nearly every over Classical work I've tried to grapple with before!


Ha, yeah, the Odyssey is great, I'm more of an Iliad person myself - its just better to my taste.

You know what's one of the MAJOR Greek works I've never finished, in the original or in translation? Apollonios' Argonautika. I mean its more important for Latinists, sure, but I should probably finish it. Its just...its girly man epos. Not proper epos.
Reply 2391
Why is it that everyone has studied Latin for much longer than he/she has studied Greek?
Original post by Aeneas
Why is it that everyone has studied Latin for much longer than he/she has studied Greek?


From what I've seen, it's just that there are hardly any teachers of Ancient Greek around -- and those who can teach it will usually teach Latin too!

Btw, have you ever listened to any of the music about you and Dido?
Haha I've never read the odyssey. I apparently need to know for my Ovid course. Speaking of, I need to read 14/15 books of the metamorphoses, get a good way through the fasti, read two journal articles and do my Latin work. By tomorrow. :sigh:


Sorry for any spelling or grammar issues, I'm posting from my phone.
Reply 2394
Original post by placenta medicae talpae
From what I've seen, it's just that there are hardly any teachers of Ancient Greek around -- and those who can teach it will usually teach Latin too!

Btw, have you ever listened to any of the music about you and Dido?


Do you mean the opera? nope.
Reply 2395
Quote from placenta medicae talpae

"Btw, have you ever listened to any of the music about you and Dido?"



Ahh, D&A... 'Thy Hand Belinda. When I am laid in Earth.'

The first time I heard it I cried, still one of my all time favs:colondollar:
(edited 11 years ago)
Eep - excited, I'm applying for a placement over summer with one of my lecturers on language and speech difficulties on the ancient world. Really hope get it. It's of particular interest to me as I am partially deaf so I really hope I get it.

Only worry is, I need to send my CV in and essentially I have no relevant work experience. So it seems to be a redundant exercise.


Posted from TSR Mobile
Has anyone here been to the British School at Rome or know anyone who has?
Yeah I've got a few friends who've been and knew/know (haven't kept in touch) quite a few people involved there. Sup?
Original post by The Lyceum
Yeah I've got a few friends who've been and knew/know (haven't kept in touch) quite a few people involved there. Sup?


:colondollar: Thanks for replying. Well, I may be going to the undergrad summer school this year, depending on several factors. I can't find much info about it.

Not sure whether it'd be better to go to that, or arrange an independent tour of Rome myself (I have to go to Greece/Italy this year as part of my degree). If I got it, I'd have to spend an extra week travelling myself anyway as the school lasts two weeks and our uni tells us we must travel for at least three ...

I have expressed my interest in the place anyway, we'll see what happens. :smile:

(I looked at the itinerary for last year's summer school at the BSR and they didn't go to Pompeii or Herculaneum. :frown:)
(edited 11 years ago)

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