10.12.2005
pet peeve
Just when I start to settle into this university, I find yet one more thing which makes me annoyed: incorrect lecture lists.
Perhaps some background would be helpful: there are no real 'classes' here, just lectures, seminars, and the one-on-one tutorial for which Oxford and Cambridge have become famous. Well, for which Oxford has become famous... Anyway, lists of seminars and lectures are produced each year by each department and then approved and distributed. An email from the Classics department reads thus: "I’m afraid the printed lecture list is considerably inaccurate so it is best to use the online version at all times!" So I do, and I read the online version, and I plan my day around going to two lectures:
1) Early 4th Century History with Dr. John Ma. Dr. Ma was one of my professors at Princeton. It'd be great to see him again.
2) Aristophanes and Greek History with Prof. Robert Parker. Prof. Parker is my advisor, and his lectures are amazing.
So I get to the examination schools building where the lectures are being held and find that the Ma lecture isn't on the flatscreen TV that flashes the locations of all of the lectures. Luckily, I'm about 8 minutes early (go me, I'm a nerd), so I ask one of the administrators to track it down. He says it's moved, but he's not sure what to. I'm thinking "thank goodness I'm early: I can sprint to anywhere if I need to." He says it's moved to Thursday mornings. Darnit. But then there's a lecture which *is* on the board: Religion in Greek Literature, with Dr. Scott Scullion. I took Dr. Scullion's lecture on Euripidean Tragedy last year. He's pretty good. No worries: I'll go to that one. I walk in, sit down, and set up my laptop (again: nerd). And then we wait for 15 minutes before it becomes apparent that Dr. Scullion is not coming. I read the email from my department a little bit closer and find that this lecture is one of those which is "in the printed course booket, but not being offered." I hadn't remembered to check that one because, well, I wasn't taking that class originally.
I stop by the administrators on the way back out and ask against hope whether Dr. Parker's class on Aristophanes will be given today, as it says on the lecture list and on the online lecture list. They say no, it's been moved to Thursdays, and will only be given in weeks 5 - 8 of term.
3 lectures in two hours: all of them cancelled. I mean, I'm grateful for the free time; I used it well in the library with a stopoff for coffee. But really, come on!
Anyway, also sang last night with Magdala. Great to get back into the swing of things. I love it.
Perhaps some background would be helpful: there are no real 'classes' here, just lectures, seminars, and the one-on-one tutorial for which Oxford and Cambridge have become famous. Well, for which Oxford has become famous... Anyway, lists of seminars and lectures are produced each year by each department and then approved and distributed. An email from the Classics department reads thus: "I’m afraid the printed lecture list is considerably inaccurate so it is best to use the online version at all times!" So I do, and I read the online version, and I plan my day around going to two lectures:
1) Early 4th Century History with Dr. John Ma. Dr. Ma was one of my professors at Princeton. It'd be great to see him again.
2) Aristophanes and Greek History with Prof. Robert Parker. Prof. Parker is my advisor, and his lectures are amazing.
So I get to the examination schools building where the lectures are being held and find that the Ma lecture isn't on the flatscreen TV that flashes the locations of all of the lectures. Luckily, I'm about 8 minutes early (go me, I'm a nerd), so I ask one of the administrators to track it down. He says it's moved, but he's not sure what to. I'm thinking "thank goodness I'm early: I can sprint to anywhere if I need to." He says it's moved to Thursday mornings. Darnit. But then there's a lecture which *is* on the board: Religion in Greek Literature, with Dr. Scott Scullion. I took Dr. Scullion's lecture on Euripidean Tragedy last year. He's pretty good. No worries: I'll go to that one. I walk in, sit down, and set up my laptop (again: nerd). And then we wait for 15 minutes before it becomes apparent that Dr. Scullion is not coming. I read the email from my department a little bit closer and find that this lecture is one of those which is "in the printed course booket, but not being offered." I hadn't remembered to check that one because, well, I wasn't taking that class originally.
I stop by the administrators on the way back out and ask against hope whether Dr. Parker's class on Aristophanes will be given today, as it says on the lecture list and on the online lecture list. They say no, it's been moved to Thursdays, and will only be given in weeks 5 - 8 of term.
3 lectures in two hours: all of them cancelled. I mean, I'm grateful for the free time; I used it well in the library with a stopoff for coffee. But really, come on!
Anyway, also sang last night with Magdala. Great to get back into the swing of things. I love it.
