May 27, 2004
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So we have to submit our tentative course requests online and fill out
questionnaires for our advisors. This presents a problem for
several reasons:-I'm not sure how to include a reasonable mixture of writing-intensive
English courses and plain old creative writing courses. I know I'll be
advised not to write myself to death, but my summer English courseload
was quite manageable. Indeed I'll be taking two more courses
concurrently in college, but in terms of being overwhelmed with
readings and writings, I feel certain I could manage two.
-I need 4+ semesters of French, so that's a must. But should I continue
the study of Latin? I filled out that questionnaire, and I'd be placed
in Intermediate Latin I or II, probably depending on my AP Catullus
score. Or should I begin Greek now? Or later? Or wait for grad school?
If I do continue the study of Latin, there are only three or so courses
I could take. Would it be worse to let my Latin skills lay latent and
possibly deteriorate as I wait for junior year to resume study, or to
take three semesters before then and have exhausted my options and risk
losing The Power before the serious studies begin? I suppose I could
always brush up on it the summer after I graduate...
-So first semester I take an English seminar, French for Those Who Know
Minimal French, lesser-known Latin poets, and a history course?! Why
can't I take another English course on top of that? Can I seriously
take but two English courses a year my first two years? I'm so out of
the loop here.
-If I want to spend my J-term working on the Top Secret Writing
Endeavor, must I take a formal creative writing course first semester
in order to establish some sort of mentoringy relationship with a staff
writer? If I'm considering this for creative thesis material, should I
just postpone it until later (and can I anyway? Where would I put it?
If I don't take it first semester, can I take a 200-level English
course and a creative writing course my second semester (I already have
credit for two comp courses and three 100-level literature courses)?)?
But I wanted to work in it this
January. What should I do during January instead, then? Can I just go
college-hopping and crash with you all? I'm going to be so cold. Maybe
I'll move in with Emily in Greenwich Village and we'll drink lots of
cocktails every night and everyone will join us to discuss game theory,
Rousseau, and "cultural differences" like always (all both of those times
). Should
I look into fabulous internships? Are there any fabulous internships
available to someone who has only a semester of Latin and ONE writing
seminar and slightly-now-more-than-minimal French skills for three and
half weeks during a strange season in New York? Could I just write
instead? And again, what about the mentor-less situation?!
-I should probably throw a science course in there somewhere. But...Right. Rome wasn't built in a day.
There's much more to mention... literary love (x 8,000), staff writer
scandaaaal, and essentially ignoring everyone I graduated with but a
week or two ago ["Man's life is powerless and brief and dark / It is not possible for me to make her happy." -Eliot, from TDS] (and 'R' is for reveling in it!)
Now I'm off to nap, then enjoy an enormous mid-day meal with the
Southern side of my family and help my mother load a practically
life-sized portrait of me (the joys/horrors of being a college-bound
only child) home from the studio. Some truly terrifying photographs
could follow.Oh, and it says I'm Currently re-Reading Ezzie, but fear not, Jules and I are petitioning for an "Everything!!!!" option.
Comments (5)
How exciting! Deciding your future literary life....how...stimulating.
Rome really wasn't built in a day. Stay true to your truimivariate (I can't spell). Good luck and stay lovely! I highly recommend college hopping - visit people!! You'll always be welcome in Pittsburgh...and you def will have your pick of the guy pool (2-1 guy/girl ratio).
The minimum amount of semester hours at most colleges is 12. My freshman year I took 15 hours in the fall (I was also playing soccer) but 18 in the spring and always had 18 from then on til my spring semester senior year. In other words, take the courses you want. Only you really know how much time you need.
P.S. Did I ever tell you I was a creative writing major in college? Also, I was in the Honors Program, so I had to write a thesis--and naturally, it was a c.w. one. I'd love to discuss either with you. Best of luck!!!
i'm all for you taking as many english classes as possible. you won't regret it, and you'll probably find you've read quite a bit of the stuff already. and i'm taking a wild guess here but you probably aren't having to deal with all the boring core classes..AP stuff having sealed the deal for you? jump in... register for however many you want. if it feels like too much you should have about a week or so where you can drop classes without having to pay a fee (or too big a fee) and it doesn't show up on your transcript. like lapoeta, it was 18/semester for me in undergrad. i'm pretty sure you could handle it. have fun!
hey... i havent been on xanga in a while and i just got your message. im going to st andrews in scotland. i got into berkeley too, but i decided i wanted a smaller school...
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