Swiv's Idea of University
Created | Updated May 14, 2003
Swiv's Idea of a University: Part XIV
Where were we? Oh yes, I was waiting to see what courses I was going to be torturing (ahem, sorry, enjoying) next year.
Well, the pleading email to the Honours Adviser obviously had its effect since I got all my first choice classes. Next year I get to spend the whole year studying History and Historians in the Twentieth Century, plus my first semester in the Late Roman Republic with Cicero and Caesar, and my second semester in the Ancient History library writing my dissertation.
But that's next year. I've still got to pass this year first! We're now into the revision phase, which I hate, because it requires self-motivation, which I'm bad at. I finished my last two essays - the first on whether the rise of Pompey undermined Sulla's constitution, and the second on the way in which Bismarck and Salisbury carved up East Africa between Germany and Britain in the 1880s. I'm not sure they're as good as the other work I've done this semester, but I'm getting to the 'I don't care!' stage. Actually, I think I've gone past it, I organised most of the structure of the first essay whilst watching X-Men on DVD with all those I know who felt a desperate desire to see it again before watching X2.
I don't think I'm the only one who has decided they're bored with term now - my ancient history professor gave up teaching us half way through a two hour seminar and took us all to the pub at 3pm on Friday. So I was there for three hours before trotting off to play in the orchestra for The Sorcerer - of which more later. It's now technically 'Revision Week'. Two of my tutorial group have gone to Rome on the theory that there are worse places to learn about the Late Republic.
I, meanwhile, am living at my desk. I've got nice lists of topic areas, and of all the moments my modern history tutor did his: 'It's important to think about x, cough, cough, I think I've got something in my eye, wink, wink.' routine. And if the whole exam is on West Africa - which is unlikely - I might be more than slightly screwed. I know next to nothing about it now, and I have no intention of starting from scratch this week. So I'm focusing on the 'Cape-to-Cairo' idea and taking in Egypt, East Africa and the causes of the Boer War - all of which received coughing fits - and the 'City', which is all the stuff in Britain leading to expansion. It's good background, but I have no desire to write an essay on economic history unless I can't avoid it.
I have huge rafts of books being recalled from the library - a place that is refusing to let me book any more Short Loans as I already have 10 set up for the next fortnight. So it won't be my fault if my organisation falls apart at the seams before the end of exams. It'll probably fall apart before then - as, given that it's Revision week, the sun will probably return. Then I'll just have to go and play crazy golf at the Himalayas and build sandcastles on East Sands.
Back to The Sorcerer then... I play the trumpet, and once a year I finally get round to joining an orchestra to play for the Gilbert and Sullivan Society's annual show. (In fact, I've done it twice this year, since they did a concert performance of HMS Pinafore at Christmas). This year was, obviously, The Sorcerer, which we performed in the Byre Theatre (as opposed to the usual Union main venue). This meant we could do funky things with scenery, including lowering a teapot from the ceiling. It also meant two more performances - including a Saturday matinee. It all went very well. It's not my favourite Gilbert and Sullivan by a long way - the ending may not have people marrying their nanny (Pinafore) or being revealed as Peers of the Realm (Pirates), but the romantic hero is a more annoying character than usual, so it seems a shame that he gets everything whilst the Sorcerer has to, well, that'd spoil it for those of you who don't know it...
It all went really well though - the cast were excellent, and so were we in the orchestra pit. I had a tiny amount to play - even the trombone part was larger - but most of it was in short solo fanfares that I had to get just right. The audience seemed to like it as well, and think that the few mistakes there were - such as the bicycle wheel falling off - were meant to be there. Saturday night was the after-show party. I'm still slightly hoarse from singing Chicago tunes very loudly at two in the morning. I'm also still dozing off over the revision from having had four hours sleep that night. Although that might actually just be the revision itself - which I should really get back to. The East African Ivory trade here I come...
