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Today I finally started writing that paper that I should have made my first crack at last Wednesday. It sucks. I am not looking forward to having it ripped apart tomorrow, in my first tutorial. With my supervisor. Who may decide that I just totally suck after all.
I think it must be something about crossing the historian with the engineer, that I live in fear of making unsupportable statements, or speaking too generally, or trying to make a point but not having what I feel is sufficient documentation to back it up. (Like, today I wanted to make the stronger point that Zosimus' attitude looks to me like it is Romanitas for the post-Roman. The sort of thing that Prof. Lendon tried to beat into our brains. But where am I going to find sources for the Roman ethos as described by Prof. Lendon? Or even a good definition of Romanitas?) (And yeah, I bet you could help me,![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
ukelele, but it's a bit late now. That's what I get for starting the paper today.) Also, I think I'm incapable of just writing, without immediately trying to revise. This makes me procrastinate terribly, and I don't think it makes my writing any better.
Moving on. One of the other grad students found out that I don't like vegetables, so dragged me up to her place with a few others for a stir-fry. I asked her to please leave the peppers out, so she did, and it wasn't too bad. I even ate most of it. (And really I have no objection to water chestnuts, which figured heavily in the stir-fry.) And then there was a lot of wine and a lot of chatting, which I was mostly on the periphery of as usual, feeling boring but unable to get a word in edgewise, and there were backrubs exchanged that I didn't get in on. Watching other people getting their shoulders rubbed was almost physically painful.
But the main reason I was dragged up there is because I'm considering a room swap. Univ has a site up on Staverton Road, where the rooms are bigger, the floors are even, there's just about enough shelf space for my books, the kitchens are nice, and the bathrooms aren't so cramped, but it's a 10 minute bike ride from the center of town, and very residential. The student who has the room is really annoyed that she didn't get housed on the main site, and would like to be a lot closer to everything.
So now I have to decide whether it's worth giving up location for space. As ever, I'll ask for the wisdom of the Internet.
(EDIT: In the other room, I'd have space for a double bed even.)
[Poll #194212]
I think it must be something about crossing the historian with the engineer, that I live in fear of making unsupportable statements, or speaking too generally, or trying to make a point but not having what I feel is sufficient documentation to back it up. (Like, today I wanted to make the stronger point that Zosimus' attitude looks to me like it is Romanitas for the post-Roman. The sort of thing that Prof. Lendon tried to beat into our brains. But where am I going to find sources for the Roman ethos as described by Prof. Lendon? Or even a good definition of Romanitas?) (And yeah, I bet you could help me,
ukelele, but it's a bit late now. That's what I get for starting the paper today.) Also, I think I'm incapable of just writing, without immediately trying to revise. This makes me procrastinate terribly, and I don't think it makes my writing any better.Moving on. One of the other grad students found out that I don't like vegetables, so dragged me up to her place with a few others for a stir-fry. I asked her to please leave the peppers out, so she did, and it wasn't too bad. I even ate most of it. (And really I have no objection to water chestnuts, which figured heavily in the stir-fry.) And then there was a lot of wine and a lot of chatting, which I was mostly on the periphery of as usual, feeling boring but unable to get a word in edgewise, and there were backrubs exchanged that I didn't get in on. Watching other people getting their shoulders rubbed was almost physically painful.
But the main reason I was dragged up there is because I'm considering a room swap. Univ has a site up on Staverton Road, where the rooms are bigger, the floors are even, there's just about enough shelf space for my books, the kitchens are nice, and the bathrooms aren't so cramped, but it's a 10 minute bike ride from the center of town, and very residential. The student who has the room is really annoyed that she didn't get housed on the main site, and would like to be a lot closer to everything.
So now I have to decide whether it's worth giving up location for space. As ever, I'll ask for the wisdom of the Internet.
(EDIT: In the other room, I'd have space for a double bed even.)
[Poll #194212]
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2003-10-20 06:11 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-10-21 06:06 am (UTC)When did you take his class? The class of '00 people who took it as frosh had quite the Lendon cult going on. I took the class in my own freshman year, though, so was a bit early for the cult.
I would love to get in touch with him just to see how horrified he would be that I'm doing Byzantium.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-10-21 10:24 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-10-24 06:46 pm (UTC)He's no longer at MIT, is he? I shall forever remember him flying across the room sideways as he demonstrated how Dignitas attracted more Dignitas...
request approved
Date: 2003-10-20 06:28 pm (UTC)you will get: a backrub from a fit bloke ;)
I have my ways...heheheh *g*
But in all seriousness...about the room thing. If it were me, I'd want to stay in town. But I like being in the middle of things, noise, crowds, etc. I like having cafes just out my door. I like being close to stuff. I'm willing to compromise on space in order to avoid a 20 min cycle ride to be at class. If you are more self sufficient and like it quieter, maybe the new room would be better for you? You strike me as the kind of person that could go either way in that you are confident enough to deal with the sensory overload of being in "town", but also that you seem to have well-defined boundaries of public and private (I wish I did). I don't know if any of this will be at all helpful...but that's my 18¢ =P
Re: request approved
Date: 2003-10-21 06:08 am (UTC)Inflation that bad, eh? :b
And yay, backrub. I hope it doesn't make me want to move to Reading. Not that I'd be allowed.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-10-20 07:18 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-10-21 06:10 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-10-20 08:48 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-10-20 09:34 pm (UTC)If so, and you're on campus for one, does that mean you'd fend for yourself or be able to each on Magpie Lane? Also, is it the same food? Better? Worse?
(no subject)
Date: 2003-10-21 06:09 pm (UTC)Although, if reading drafts was the help you were talking about, yeah, I can do that with enough advance warning, but I don't know enough late Empire/Dominate/Byzantium to be really helpful. Alas.
As for housing:
A ten-minute bike ride is short and pleasant, but will you still go to your classes when it rains, or will you punt and shiver at home? I've done ten-minute bike rides in pouring rain and they are completely plausible, but there's a motivation factor.
But mostly: seems like your biggest issue right now is socialization. Would the move (a) increase (b) decrease (c) not affect your chances of meeting interesting people? (Who lives there, do their daily rhythms tend to bring them in contact, are there hangout spots, etc. Do the people who fed you live there?) If a, then duh, move move move! If b, again duh, stay the heck put! If c, well, it sounds like you'd probably prefer the physical environment if you moved, so it comes down to hassle and my question in the previous paragraph weighed against that benefit.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-10-22 01:43 am (UTC)