At the end of a lecture yesterday here at my local university, I was stuffing my exercise book with its hand-written notes into my little backpack, and a friendly young blade of a classmate started chatting :
” Good lecture, wasn’t it ? What degree course are you doing ? “
I’m much older than my classmates, and am rediscovering that some of the young can be just as closed as any other age group, so I was happy that someone was asking.
” Well no course in particular. I just go to the subjects I like then find out which professors and timetable suit me and work from there. “
” Ah, so you’re not doing any exams or anything, just sitting in on classes ? That must be nice! “
It certainly is.
Yesterday I had three hours of the History of Photography as part of a Masters programme (not quite sure in what, but who cares, it was great) and then two hours watching the film Brick Lane in a media and communication class. A perfect morning with good professors, lovely views out of the classroom windows, and interested classmates.
It’s not only the note-taking (I rarely read the notes unless I’m stuck in traffic or something, and my bag is on the passenger seat ) or the non-exam-sitting that I enjoy, it’s being among people in the flesh and blood and focusing on the achievements of writers, artists and thinkers that liven me up…rather than rotting away mindlessly online.
( And now I’ve been often enough to the faculty café for them to serve up an espresso just as I like it as I walk in the door ).
Out There & In Here 