Classes start up this week. I didn't have anything today, but I'll be up and ready to go by 9am tomorrow.
Here's what my schedule looks like:
Monday: FREEDOM! (most likely my grocery shopping and homework day)
Tuesday: Australian Film (screening 9-12, lecture 3-4)
Wednesday: Hollywood Cinema (screening 9-2, lecture 2-4)
Thursday: Screen Aesthetics (screening 9-12, lecture 12-2)
Friday: Contemporary Cinema (screening 9-1, lecture 2-4)
Hopefully it won't be too big of a load. I always have the option of dropping a course before August 19.
I'm nervous to get started. I looked at my Course Outlines and there's a lot that needs to be done. Long papers, weekly quizzes, oral presentations, group projects. I'm scared that my mind isn't in the frame of school anymore. I'm afraid that I won't be able to think critically anymore. Some of my readings even... they don't make ANY sense to me because of so many big words and crazily structure sentences. Don't laugh! I'm being serious. For instance, an excerpt from my Screen Aesthetics readings:
"In order to repudiate calumnies of this sort the orthodox theorists joined Arnheim in rejecting 'effects that are also possible on the stage'. 'Theatrical' became, and has remained, the most contemptuous adjective in the theorist's vocabulary, being used to indicate that the filming has added nothing to the recorded event. But the purist view did not enter the mainstream of established theory. Rotha and Arnheim themselves proclaimed supremacy of the abstract movie in a marginal, even nostalgic way."
???????
It shouldn't take me 20minutes and a dictionary to read through 3 sentences! Right? I'm scared that the lecturers are going to be looking for thoughts like the above in my papers. And I don't think my brain can work that way!
*sigh*
So that's tomorrow. We'll see how it goes.
But now onto the IMPORTANT stuff:
There's one week and a day left in 'Big Brother Australia'.
You would not believe how HUGE this show is here! I've never watched this show in America when it was on, so I don't know if it's the same everywhere, but this show is on every single night! Well, except for Saturdays. But every night, so far that I've been here, the TV has been on at 7:30pm sharp so that 'Big Brother Australia' can be viewed. The first week or so I was completely turned off to it. But these past two days I've noticed that I've been sucked in. There's only one week left and there's 4 people left in the house: Travis, Billy, Zach and Aleisha. Who's gonna win?! It's so exciting! I'll keep you all posted. :)
Just a head's up that because classes start tomorrow that I probably won't be posting so much anymore. It might be dwindling down to once or twice a week, depending on how exciting everything is. But just know that I haven't forgotten about you!!!
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3 comments:
So glad that you are making friends. Hope classes go well.
OK - here's what I have to say about Film Theory & Criticism. ::Ahem:: I mean, "Aesthetics"... it was definitely one of the more daunting first days of class I experienced @ Emerson. HOWEVER... I ended up really getting a lot out of the course (in part because I was willing to put the work in, and my professor didn't let me phone in a single assignment). It made me a better writer, a better thinker, and a better filmmaker (OK - so I'm not making films now - but if I did, it would be part of what made me good.)
What else? Oh yeah... the more of this language/style you read, the better at deciphering it you will become. You're dealing with two different dialects here: Austrailian...AND Austrailian Film Aesthetics... (both have a different take or usage of English than we lazy Americans do, and - trust me, if you were taking FT&C, you'd still be looking up a number of words). This is what "academics" do - they use big words to further assert their position. You'll get it. You are SMART. If you need to adjust your way of communicating a bit, you'll get there (just don't let anyone make you feel like you're unintelligent because you're not tossing about the $2 words like they were candy). LOVE & MISS YOU.
I almost forgot to mention!!!
I'm THRILLED you're making friends, have found a church, have a schedule you like & will find challenging, but exciting & not too overwhelming (i ABSOLUTELY BELIEVE that you are MORE THAN CAPABLE in shining bright in the classroom both academically & spirtually!) Have a Blessed week ~ with love in Jesus. ~kara
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