The Cambridge Chat Thread

OP

It could be lupus

Haha even if I didn't go out I still think I will not do well. I am not looking forward to it at all

Good luck

Reply 8802

Craghyrax

Good luck

Thanks. I really think I should do lots of preparation work over the next few weeks to try and be prepared. My problem is I can't get the anatomy to stick in my head at all

Reply 8803

OP

It could be lupus

Thanks. I really think I should do lots of preparation work over the next few weeks to try and be prepared. My problem is I can't get the anatomy to stick in my head at all

Brute force rote learning? I had a paper like that last year, and I have a feeling that Education will be like that this year, as the only way they can make it even vaguely challenging is by forcing us to learn loads of annoying acts and reforms since 1945 :shifty:

Reply 8804

Craghyrax

Brute force rote learning? I had a paper like that last year, and I have a feeling that Education will be like that this year, as the only way they can make it even vaguely challenging is by forcing us to learn loads of annoying acts and reforms since 1945 :shifty:

Yeah exactly. It is entirely rote learning, with basically no understanding at all. I hate rote learning so I am never good at it :p:

I will have to do it but. :p:

If I get the arm done over the next 2 days I have off that would be amazing.

I am guessing you are not a fan of rote learning then either?

Reply 8805

smilepea

It could be lupus

Its the main line out of Killing in the name of by RATM. I believe it was aimed at me

Oh ok I thought it was a very ott reaction at being asked by me to do something

Reply 8806

brimstone

7

Craghyrax

Fairytale of New York has to be one of my least favourite songs of all time :puke:

I can't stand it! :yucky:

Agreed. I liked it when I first heard it (years ago!) but it's just repeated waaaay too many times. Are you spending Christmas Day in the UK, btw?

ukebert

The Political System of the Isle of Mann is actually really really interesting :smile:

I agree. And one 'n' :p:

Reply 8807

OP

brimstone

Are you spending Christmas Day in the UK, btw?

I'll be in Bristol with Uncle and family :smile:

I love Bristol :love:

It could be lupus

I am guessing you are not a fan of rote learning then either?

Not at all. I'm fairly good at it. I used to do very well at History and Biology because of being good at memorising large numbers of mechanisms, terms, complicated words etc. But I usually remember all of these details much better when they're part of some complicated, intrigueing issue that required alot of analysis in order to 'get'. So I probably only remembered the names of individual enzymes in the energy transport chain after spending hours trying to understand the respiration process. And I can lecture anybody on the details of Bourdieu's theoretical framework, complete with terminology, because the theory demanded alot of thought and analysis.

So yeh. Basically I like conceptual issues requiring critical thought and analysis, and I automatically remember lots of detail for these as a result of being interested. But when a topic is mostly facts, and very little analysis or understanding is needed, then I totally switch off when it comes to key details because I feel I could look it up any time I needed to know it, whereas with conceptual topics, the nitty gritty details are constantly essential to understanding the workings of the whole and applying it theoretically.

Reply 8808

Craghyrax

I'll be in Bristol with Uncle and family :smile:

I love Bristol :love:

Not at all. I'm fairly good at it. I used to do very well at History and Biology because of being good at memorising large numbers of mechanisms, terms, complicated words etc. But I usually remember all of these details much better when they're part of some complicated, intrigueing issue that required alot of analysis in order to 'get'. So I probably only remembered the names of individual enzymes in the energy transport chain after spending hours trying to understand the respiration process. And I can lecture anybody on the details of Bourdieu's theoretical framework, complete with terminology, because the theory demanded alot of thought and analysis.

So yeh. Basically I like conceptual issues requiring critical thought and analysis, and I automatically remember lots of detail for these as a result of being interested. But when a topic is mostly facts, and very little analysis or understanding is needed, then I totally switch off when it comes to key details because I feel I could look it up any time I needed to know it, whereas with conceptual topics, the nitty gritty details are constantly essential to understanding the workings of the whole and applying it theoretically.

I agree about rote learning. I much prefer things that are all about understanding the concept, and there is a lot of thought behind it. Strangely these are the things I remember best. I think it is also due to the fact that I find it more interesting often the things that need understood rather than things that need to be rote learnt.

Reply 8809

OP

Damn

I managed to get books from the library, cook a big dinner, deal with my email backlog and go to the gym, but I didn't start my diss reading :o:

*sigh* I think I'll try get to sleep by 12 and aim for an early start :sad:

Reply 8810

psyche87

8

Stratocaster

I know it'll vary between subject, but for any 2nd years and above, how much work did you do during the Christmas holidays in your first year?

Well I had collections for two out of three of my first year subjects at the start of Lent term, so I actually did some studying for those two subjects over the Christmas vacation. And completely neglected the third subject. I still managed to have a good time during the vacation though simply because it's so long and I left most of my studying until after Christmas/NewYear...

Reply 8811

ukebert

13

It could be lupus

Thanks. I really think I should do lots of preparation work over the next few weeks to try and be prepared. My problem is I can't get the anatomy to stick in my head at all

There are ways. Make lots of postit notes and spread them around your house, use flashcards, get your parents to refuse you dinner until you've named x bones in whatever etc.

I haven't had to do much rote learning since Chemistry AS, where I got an A in the first module by brute-force memorising of the textbook.

brimstone

I agree. And one 'n' :p:

I tend to forget which out of the island or the lord has two n's :o:

Reply 8812

Canned Door

Craghyrax

I'm looking forward to finally reading some Barthes directly after reading referenes to him right throughout my degree.

I've only had one piece of Barthes to read so far, will read it properly this coming term, but it was all about the castration of the son by the father, rendering him impotent and incapable of action or something. I know within lit crit this is nothing special, but I was a bit taken aback by it early on in term and now just feel a bit like 'lol barthes'. Now, one term in, I know that castration is one of the less strange and scary things lit crit has to offer. :tongue:

Stratocaster

I know it'll vary between subject, but for any 2nd years and above, how much work did you do during the Christmas holidays in your first year?

You are actually amazing for asking this question. Other than medics, who are like "do you KNOW how much WORK I have to do?!?!?!!?!!!" :wink:

, people vary from "don't do any work!", "omg you're doing work, don't make me feel bad", "yeah, I'll get what I have to done" "I'm going to do loads." Some go very cagey about it.

I've got some set work for each of my class subjects (grammar and translation classes x2 languages) as well as general revision and vocab learning, and then there's reading of set texts in advance of term. My DoS told me in my report I should read a lot more secondary literature for my essays, so I've taken out a fair few books to get "ahead" before the essays start again next term. I don't know how much I'll get through of them, but I'm aiming to have gone over the vocab learning, done all the set work justice, be up to date on my set texts, and have made headway into the essay reading. I get the feeling the other fresher MMLers in college aren't aiming to do so much essay reading, since very little of the reading list has been borrowed from the library, but also that in the end me trying to do a fair bit this vac probably won't make much difference.

Reply 8813

Canned Door

ukebert

There are ways. Make lots of postit notes and spread them around your house, use flashcards, get your parents to refuse you dinner until you've named x bones in whatever etc.

I did this once for Russian furniture words. So much fun. Labelled my room top to bottom, it felt like. And this is when I learnt postits don't stick to windows for long. :frown:

Reply 8814

Zoedotdot

18

Aims, dear Canned Door, have a tendency to fall far short of reality where vac work is concerned, according to everyone I've ever met :p:

Good luck with it though!

Reply 8815

Zoedotdot

18

Canned Door

I did this once for Russian furniture words. So much fun. Labelled my room top to bottom, it felt like. And this is when I learnt postits don't stick to windows for long. :frown:

It's alright, the word for window is an easy one :wink:

Reply 8816

Stratocaster

2

Canned Door

You are actually amazing for asking this question. Other than medics, who are like "do you KNOW how much WORK I have to do?!?!?!!?!!!" :wink:

, people vary from "don't do any work!", "omg you're doing work, don't make me feel bad", "yeah, I'll get what I have to done" "I'm going to do loads." Some go very cagey about it

D:

I've done nothing so far. From tomorrow, I'm going to start going over lecture notes and grabbing some journals to read. I haven't got any proper texts to read through though...

Reply 8817

alex_hk90

19

Zoedotdot

Aims, dear Canned Door, have a tendency to fall far short of reality where vac work is concerned, according to everyone I've ever met :p:

Good luck with it though!

Indeed - I'm already half a day behind my plan, and I'm only on Day 4 (of 6, hopefully...).

I think I'm going to have a call it a day now though, in the hope of getting up before midday. :s-smilie:

Reply 8818

mavoury

Hmm. Vac work. I might have to start having a proper crack at that now. Part I English consists of two big pieces of coursework ;a portfolio of 3 essays and a short dissertation (5000 words). Neither is due till the end of Lent, but I was supposed to get the portfolio done and dusted last term, except my Grandad died mid-way through term and I had to leave Cam for a week, which is quite a lot of time really. And then I found it quite hard to focus in the weeks after, so I didn't manage to catch up properly. So now I've got to finish the portfolio, read all my primary texts for next term's Renaissance paper (and there is a ridiculous amount of reading), and finish researching my dissertation. Oh, and I'm also supposed to produce a rough first draft of it before next term. All manageable, I think (!), but considering all I've done so far is read 3 books of Paradise Lost and two chapters of a book for the diss, I may have to speed up a little :P
My plan is to try and get the portfolio and a few Renaissance books out of the way before Christmas, so I can feel like I deserve a few days off. And then I'll will just have to bomb the rest of the work afterwards... Not that any one here need to know any of this, but it makes me feel slightly comforted to see a vague sort of plan typed out.

Last Christmas vacation I did no work at all, and I mean no work; no reading, nothing. Which was lovely at the time, but I really shot myself in the foot when it came to coping in Lent term.
So. Must. Work. From. Tomorrow. Actually, I think I'm going to read some Paradise Lost in bed now, and steel myself for a day in the Long 18th Century with my portfolio, starting in approx. 9 hours...

Reply 8819