University

OK, so half the summer is gone.

My daughter has finsihed with University, graduated and has a damned fine job already lined up. Great! I am proud of her.

My son is in year two of University.

Why am I starting out with this topic?

Well, Jane has a friend over for dinner tonight and we've been talking about her daughter's book list in first year University, Liberal Arts program and I am thinking back to my Under-Graduate program at McGill some 30 years ago.

In Highschool I was not oriented to Math or French.
Too bad. Those are really the things I use the most today. Thankfully years later, I went back and paid a highschool math teacher to take me back through the Algebra curriculum I missed.

In CEGEP (Prov Que) I was in Social Sciences /Political Science and Psychology as my base of study with the sincere intent of entering into Law School in University after completing what was called the "undergraduate program" (Bacelor Arts.... Bachelor Science. etc)

The reason for the entry is just to tell a story that might help some of your children who are entering such a program. (If this does not pertain to you, skip it. Conversely, if you are simply keeping tabs on me and my past, read on, this might be of interest or might send you off to sleep.)

I remember my first day of the '101 Polie Scie class'. - That is, "Political Science".
Professors Sam Noumoff, Charles Taylor and Hal Sarf were at the front telling us the magic and wonders of the course to come this year (1975). I was intrigued ...in that I actually made it in and that I was in something as sophisticated sounding as 'Political Science'. Sounds important to a high school grad doesn't it? The girls in the class were hot too. (No I had not as yet changed. I was always on the look out. Once I met my wife a few years later I could allow myself to focus on living rather than always being on the ready.)

(Google- Charles Taylor- very interesting.)

In that year I learned many things, the first of which was that 'reading' was my prime tool and ally. If you had not read Aristotle, Plato, Bacon, Hume, Hegel, Rousseau, Schopenhauer, Nitsche, Swift, Johnson and various others, then there was lots of catching up to do....but I only just got here! Agh! You mean there's homework?!

So fortunately in year two of CEGEP at Dawson, I had learned how to apply 'discipline' to my schedule. Every hour of every day of my 7 day week had a function.

I scheduled my sleep for rebooting and rejuvenating, eating, to recharging batteries/ energy, 'a little time-off' to partying and what was left, the most part of my time, I divided between each of my subjects for pre lecture reading, then re-study and "typing" of papers (with copy tissues between).

Thank goodness I had taken typing in highschool. I had listened to Scott Johnson who said I had better get this talent down pat. My mom also was a great help on this. She is and was a great typist. Know this- scribbling is not writing.. typing is writing and even more important, going back and editing is 'writing'.

After a year and some into the undergrad program my G.P.A. (grade point average) was a dismal 2.8%. The people at the top of the class were at 4.

What was it that they had that Idid not have?

For one thing, I should have somehow made it my business to follow certain rules.

Rule 1
If the class size is larger than 20 people, locate and get to know as soon as possible, the TA. The TA is "teaching assistant".

Rule 2
If you are taking a class like 'English Literature' or 'Philosphy' as an "elective" and not part of your core of concentration simply becuase it sounds like you'll be able to breeze through...think again!

Rule 3
Take a course on writing a term paper or writing as a craft.

Now if we examine Rule 2 just for an example:
I took English Lit figuring it would be something similar to what I took in HS Billings Highschool, where this lovely young teacher sat on her desk in a mini skirt and silk stockings chatting about someone called Arsitophanes and some birds. Did I mention her protrusions and tight sweater?

Anyway, in McGill, I entered an English Lit class of about 50-60 kids and a lecturer.
He talked of Falkner. This is Southern USA Lit. It was good!-Hey I mean, I saw the movie 'To Kill a Mockingbird'. I figured I got it! So I read the Falkner books - 'As I lay Dying' etc. Great stuff! Wow! I figured this was going to be a real breeze!

So the lecturer was blabbing away at the front and I'm thinking "..yah da yah da yah.right right". And he stops, looks up and suddenly asks us..., "Are there any questions?"...

I'm thinking -"No, this is all quite straight forward, I mean, the old lady is lying down and dying, for heaven's sake! What kind of questions would I have? Cancer? What?"

All of a sudden, all hands on all sides shoot up! What the hell!
I've entered the land of waving hands, MEEEEE! OOOH Pick MEEE!

"Sir -would the archtypal myth of the 'old lady' be akin to the metaphorical demise of the Old South?" asked the gorgeous number with the black glasses, sleek blond hair and shapely legs.

"What the hell language is this?
I mean, I don't blame the professor when he asked her to repeat the question. I didn't understand the langauage, but I suspect he just wanted to see her breathe some more as she spoke. Marilyn Munroe with brains!

My point to you, is this, --English Lit has a lexicon (language) all of it's very own from James Joyce through to Falkner. Every word you read is code for something/someone else. A color refers to something in someone elses book and/or the BIBLE. Allegory, metaphore and similes! If you do not know the language and if you have not done the background reading and study -(and there's lot's of it) do not go there.

On the other hand, if you have the time, go ahead. It's actually wonderful...but only if you can take your time, make some friends who can guide you to the realm of Archetypes and established Myths. It's kind of like Stats but with dream and story woven in.

Then there is rule 1.
For a whole year and a half I struggled with Polie Scie. I scored far higher in Pshycology in CEGEP and then I dropped that in University to take the Polie Scie. (Why? I think that to my infantile 19 year old mind, the 'Political Science' tag sounded most impressive. The truth is that if you are doing well in Music Class (getting great marks), you have a good shot at Law School. Just do the L-SATs first with a team of buddies. The Team of buddies is really helpful.

At the end of year one in Political Science, I was struggling. My TA, Greg Claeys came to me and said, "You look like you're having a hard time. I have read your writing. You are doing the reading, but your are not picking up on what it is you need to grasp."

"I need help." I said sheepishly.

"What you need is a set of conceptual handlebars to hold on to as you ride through the obstacle course, and I will give them to you now - a gift, just two words - 'empirical' and 'normative'.

I don't know what he expected. Did he think I would put my finger to my strawhead and say"Eurika?". I stood with a blank stare and nooded. "HMMM".

"You don't 'get it', right?" He asked.

"Uh - No."


So, he explained ..."There are those who put forward ideas based upon actuality or 'what is'- "empirical', versus those who base their ideas on what "could be if"...if humans were nicer or whatever... 'normative'.

So if you can write your papers on each philosopher, from now on identifying which form is being used, you will "get it" and understand what kind of change upon the world the author is proposing.

WOW! I GOT IT!
This was the tool I needed to pass and excel.

Now in Philosophy proper, OH-OH-
I chose this as an elective thinking it would be easy as long as I wrote long papers. This is where Rule 3 applies.

Isubmitted a piece that I thought was quite clever from my then 'High School/CEGEP 19 year old point of view'.

I got it back soon after. 'DRIVEL!" was scrawled in red at the bottom. Cut it all and just get to the point! Provide support to your premise!

It was this instruction, that taught me my greatest of educational lessons.

I had never taken a writing course in High school or CEGEP. I should have.

Writing courses teach you to state in each paragragh a point supporting your "thesis", then how to back-up to that point and finally, conclude with a statement that reinforces the logic overall. Simple right? Yes -if you had taken the writing course.

There is just no "finessing" your way through university.

You pay the big fees (cheap in Canada), put in the long hours, minimize the partying, talk to teachers and TAs after class where need be, without wasting their time and create allies with smarter students than you.

Usually- if you fail in University, there is only one person to blame.
It is not 'the system', it is not racisim. It is not an 'A for a lay'.
There can be the odd class where you disagree with a professor at your own risk. But they 'all' can't be wrong.

If you listen and make absolutely certain that you understand what is being asked and then organize your time and do it, you will be just fine.

Finally, having a group of friends and supporters around from your classes, to help you as you help them, is a good bet.

So- final rule! You must work on that team of friends from the 'get-go'.

University is no place to be in a vacuum or be too proud to ask for help. There is always the Guidance office too.

(Oh- yes I graduated with my B.A. but I chose not to go into Law. Who knows, I could go back. It is never too late.)