Curtin University [English Lectures]

I enbarked on my first venture to a university on the 24th of June (co-incidentaly Teo's birthday- Happy Belated!) for a series of lectures on the English language, regarding techniques and genres.

This university so happened to be Curtin University.

We arrived there late (boy oh boy- what a surprise) on a double decker bus (yes everyone, imagine our child-like delight at being able to sit on the top deck) and I headed off for my first lecture.
We burst in (late), and pretty much turned a nice dull shade of red [because everyone was silently staring at their booklets taking notes while we...well, burst in late], but I think this lateness was probably heaven-sent. The lecturer lecturing on Gwen Harwood poetry, was the most BORING lecturer I have ever met. In fact, he reminded me of Marbeck.
For those who don't know him (and fortunately for you too): Marbeck is my old chemistry teacher in Year 11, and the poor soul probably tries to be helpful. (or so I think) BUT! he cannot teach to save his life. He mumbles when he talks, and when he writes on the white-board, he uses the same strategy all the time: Start in the middle, move to the left, go round to the right, and finally squash in any extra information at the top and the bottom. With him, order does NOT exist on the whiteboard. Plus he immensely enjoys reading directly from the textbook.
And this lecturer was EXACTLY like Marbeck. In addition to this [and therefore making him much worse than Marbeck], as Pei Xin pointed out in class the next day: "Does anyone realise how he was emphasising and telling us that only HIS interpretation of the poems are correct?"

But on the better thoughts.

The next few lectures were good. Handmaid's Tale lecture was amazing, I've never taken down so many notes before in my life in 45 minutes so easily or so quickly. The Heart of Darkness lecture lost me a little seeing as I hadn't started reading the book yet, but nontheless, the lecturer was still concise and clear. Then I had to run off for a technique lecture on Argument and Evidence which, to be honest was a waste of time as a Literature student. As a Lit student, if I didn't already know this stuff, then it would have been pretty clear to me that I should not be doing Lit. It was more for the students doing 3A3B and 2A2B English.

And then came the horror of horrors.

If anyone ever goes to these Curtin lectures next year, or for many years after that: I appeal to you here and now, do not go to the Seamus Heaney Lecture. I learnt nothing from this particular lecture, which was, to sum it up in one word, horrendous. The lecturer began by spending 15 minutes on sighing and mooning on about Seamus Heaney and how he affected her life, 10 minutes on the first poem, another 10 minutes on his lonely and violence stricken childhood, 10 minutes on her [imagined] relationship with him and another 10 minutes finally discussing the second poem, all the while continually punctuated with her sighs and gasps over Seamus Heaney's amazing wording.
We at the Morley Senior High School Literature class have finally decided that she was in love with him, and that she must be excused as such, for a terrible lecture, but that we must inform both Curtin University of her crushes affecting her teaching ability, and Seamus Heaney and his current impending danger of her stalking him.

But all in all, it was a good day. =)

Mishy <3