That said, I'm really trying hard to change. I've never been the academic sort. If you see the kind of stuff that my friends/cousins do, I'm in august company. So, this whole Masters' thing which was taken up with much reluctance is finally here. I showed enough excitement before the course and I'm sufficiently enthusiastic enough to still do my readings everyday. Okay, I admit, only the first week of classes just got over. So, since I have just 2 classes - one in the morning and one in the evening, I technically have nothing to do the whole day. I take that back. There is enough reading for me to keep me occupied every minute of this break. So, my plan to escape the Syracuse heat (or cold, like some people WILL point out) is to sit in the library. And unfortunately, this is not my kinda library.
My kinda library doesn't have academic books. My kinda library doesn't have geeks sitting with their Macs (I'm tired of Mac fan-dom, so, let's shut it) and looking at code or Asian kids sitting and studying like their life depends on it.
Anyway, since I can't even dream of my kinda library in the next one year, let's see what I can do with this. I've never had a good relationship with university libraries. When I did my Masters in Hyderabad, I was the last person to go to the CIEFL library. Sometimes, I'd go, pick up books, never read them and then dutifully return the books a week later. I'm very prompt that way. No late fees for me. However, EVERY single time that I've been to that library, a mishap has occurred. The first time I went, the librarian was taking us on a library tour. As enthusiastic as I can get over nothing, I didn't see where I was going. So, there was this location where there were a couple of steps (2 or 3) and a ramp for disabled people. The librarian took the steps, and I should have, too. I didn't realize. In the magic of books around me, I walked like I was floating and I found myself on the ramp and since we were 'coming down,' it only meant that I slipped and fell on my ass in front of the whole wide world.
Then, the second time I went, I decided to live my fantasy of climbing on one of those ladders and taking out the books from the top shelf. Yes, you're quite smart. I lost balance and I very smartly held on to the book shelf(-ves) rather than just falling down with the ladder. Holding onto bookshelves meant that not only do I fall, but I also make a carefully arranged set of books (over 200?) fall with me, and possibly on me.
Then, one time, I was leaning over the open encyclopaedia and the dictonaries on a big table and I'm not kidding, I fell over with my legs dangling in the air. After this episode which turned out to be rather embarrassing, I decided not to visit the library in future. And I didn't. Until now, that is.
So, my rather efficient, treating-myself-like-a-robot-plan was to hit the gym ( so I could take a shower, actually - shower stories in another blogpost), get to the 9 AM class with a wacky, cute, funny, frustrating but brilliant self-professed devil of a professor. After some severe brain activity and constant defence of my self esteem without violence, I head to the library, check mail, Facebook etc, etc and get to studying. Studying Media law which is really interesting now that I'm in Syracuse. This routine hasn't really worked out since I've been going home for some reason or the other before the evening class.
However, as I type this today, I'm at the library celebrating my sticking to the routine by posting on this blog! I came here at 11 AM and chatted with AB and a couple of other friends and then decided to study. This is when it happened, I guess. Because 3 hours later, I'm wiping drool off the Media Law book and wondering when exactly I went off to sleep.
3 hours in the library and I don't have one page down. Yet. I hope the rest of the year in the library doesn't involve naps. Its just way too comforting now that I've figured how to sleep sitting down.
6 comments:
What ma Nandini,
you so wanted to get into grad school and you are in, and now you are sleeping away without studying!
Poi padi ma! :--D
Think of all the time you spent worrying, and you will find new energy to study.
Oh SK^ is like this grad school topper 4.0 GPA en al. She is the best person to give advice :P
Trying hard to control myself from laughing out loud....almost did when I got to the part where you were temporarily dangling on the cliff-edge (I mean, book-shelf), bringing the whole of it down, with you!
LOL! Nandu, all polambals aside, that was a hilarious read.
Am not going to tell you grad school's boring or it will get better with time, coz you aren't gonna listen. So, am just praying you continue in your dilemma, and keep regaling us with more such blog posts! :-)
rads
@SK: Correction. I didn't want grad school. I wanted to do something, that's all :)
@Gradwolf: You are a brilliant one too!
@RGB: How did I miss out on your blog? :) Thanks. It was quite funny. For others. My parents paid the bill for medical expenses, so they didn't find it funny either!
@Rads: You were right about the goings-on in grad school being far more interesting than studies itself!
My favourite part of the ritual was swiping out tomes; no less than three, no more than six at a time. After all one has a reputation to live upto. Ahem. Also, the dual routine. First round concentrated, sole subject reading. Theory books should dominate to threaten the average brain. Second round eclectic selection to prove you are not only a geek, but a geek of many faces, spaces, and places. Then, you smile warmly, lug out the luggage, head home with heavy bag, reach, drop on floor, splay self on bed face down and dream of hot chai or strong filter kaapi (dependent on mood) that will soon accompany the attempt to attack the reading list. The focus is of course the beverage, and whether you should have mixture or biscuits to accompany.
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