Gully and Foyle's Sucktacular nonAdventure (ie. Boring Personal Rant thread)

[Tetro Kornbluth]

So after two years in college and having basically a nervous breakdown in March which completely blew up my intellect (it's still dead; that's why I left the forum for a while) and after a series of long, complicated and boring college bureaucratic errors and personal mistakes/malfuctioning brain, it came to this: I missed by accident two of my second year exams both of which I needed to pass (and I only needed to turn up to pass...) to go onto third year. To say I'm frustrated and annoyed by this turn of events would rank high in the history of understatements, actually I feel as if this part of a further plot to make me go insane (slight exaggeration).

Now, I *could* take the repeat examinations in the middle of August... but I was planning/am planning to spend my summer in Canada: Toronto to be precise (thus the avatar) and this would mean cutting a month off my stay. I'm going on June 14th. It was one of the few things I've been looking forward to all year.

My only other options (other than dropping out again, which is a no-no) would be to repeat second year either my doing different options or by taking the whole year out except for the exams for the same module next May. Which is a tempting option, but what would I do all year?

And if so, it means it would have taken five years after leaving secondary school to get a three-year degree in two fairly easy subjects, a degree which from an employment perspective is nearly useless and would need a masters. Am I wasting my life?

*sigh*

[The Mikado]

You accidentally missed two of your exams?  How does that happen?  One I can see, but two?

[Tetro Kornbluth]

You accidentally missed two of your exams?  How does that happen?  One I can see, but two?

Two things, basically:

1) Every student is given an "exam pack" before the exams to say the room the exam is sitting in, the date it's on, etc... I never got one of these or told where to pick them up (I was told that *after* I found out... there was no official announcement made or anything, at least from anyone I've talked to)... that's the bureaucratic error.

2) I mistook the provisional timetable for the actual one. Yes, yes, big LOL by me. That only explains one of them though.

3) I'm going blind... or getting very stressed, either way, with the other one how I got the date wrong was a completely mystery. I got the time wrong as well. And apparently it was like that on the provisional timetable too.

Complete Disaster.

[afleitch]

Go to Canada. It's what you want to do, it's what you're looking forward to. Re-sit your second year, choose what you want to do take a new approach or retread old ground. If you've had a bad couple of months, moving into 3rd year may not be the best thing at this time. You need to rest your brain

[Tetro Kornbluth]

Go to Canada. It's what you want to do, it's what you're looking forward to. Re-sit your second year, choose what you want to do take a new approach or retread old ground. If you've had a bad couple of months, moving into 3rd year may not be the best thing at this time. You need to rest your brain

Yes, that's what I'm thinking of doing too. Actually I'm thinking I might now try to spend the year (up till April; I would have to re-sit my exams in May) in Canada, quite frankly I sick of this university and Ireland in general and the prospect of two extra years here has very little in appeal.

[The Mikado]

Go to Canada. It's what you want to do, it's what you're looking forward to. Re-sit your second year, choose what you want to do take a new approach or retread old ground. If you've had a bad couple of months, moving into 3rd year may not be the best thing at this time. You need to rest your brain

Yes, that's what I'm thinking of doing too. Actually I'm thinking I might now try to spend the year (up till April; I would have to re-sit my exams in May) in Canada, quite frankly I sick of this university and Ireland in general and the prospect of two extra years here has very little in appeal.

Are you positioned to just up and leave, spending an entire year in a foreign country?  Do you have housing, etc. lined up for a year-long stay?

Actually, that sounds quite nice.  Enjoy, and prepare for the Canadian winter.  As you know, they all live in igloos and wear Eskimo Inuit suits up there and have to survive on seal blubber.

...

[Gustaf]

I'm sorry to hear that, I really am. The observation I would make is this:

1. I never heard of anyone lamenting with remorse that they didn't get out of college a year sooner.

2. People do on the other hand tend to regret that they didn't go on that big trip they wanted to go.

It's easy to make things like exams seem bigger than they really are. As long as it doesn't become a pattern or habit it doesn't really matter much. In 20 years you won't care about having missed an exam or two or having finished college a year later. You may regret not going to Canada if it is really a big deal to you.

[A18]

Gully Foyle,

You may want to take some time to just relax and read about a number of subjects you haven't given much thought before. (Buy a Kindle or something.) You could well find your passion that way.

Aside from that, I don't have too much to add. But definitely don't let yourself get overly discouraged. Successful people have had to deal with far more than this.

[Jake]

I would take the year off of school and re-sit exams in May. Find something interesting and useful to do for the fall, winter, and spring. Most importantly, don't worry about graduating later from school. I echo Gustaf here.

[minionofmidas]

My only other options would be to repeat second year by taking the whole year out except for the exams for the same module next May. Which is a tempting option, but what would I do all year?

Go to work for most of the year. That'd be my suggestion.

[Tetro Kornbluth]

Gully Foyle,

You may want to take some time to just relax and read about a number of subjects you haven't given much thought before. (Buy a Kindle or something.) You could well find your passion that way.

Aside from that, I don't have too much to add. But definitely don't let yourself get overly discouraged. Successful people have had to deal with far more than this.

Oh I know. It's just I feel amazingly stupid all things considered.

Also I wanted to start a thread with the word "sucktacular" in it.

Still Deciding what to do however. Thanks all.

[Platypus]

I'm also completely f*ked for uni, and i'm strongly considering fleeing to Chile at the end of the year, and coming back to Australia in 2011. By then I might have the capabilities of studenthood I presently lack.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Do whatever you'd be happiest doing.

[Јas]

Well most importantly, don't worry too much about it.

Anyway, the best advice is, of course...

Do whatever you'd be happiest doing.

[Tetro Kornbluth]

Bump.

So I'm off on Sunday for two months. Any advice?

[afleitch]

Come back.

[Tetro Kornbluth]

Come back.

No. I need a two month hiatus from the internet. Since I finished at college I've basically been vegitating online and doing nothing else (no exaggeration btw) for two weeks.

[Platypus]

Build something. Paint. Be creative; and have a new project ready to go when you finish one. Run, have a ridiculous amount of coffee at the local cafe, either reading the paper or chatting to friends. Get to know the waitress.

Get a slightly ridiculous haircut, watch B+W movies, picnic, and re-read books from your early teens. Smoke occasionally, drink occasionally, try yoga and go for 2am drives around town or down the coast.

But most importantly, learn how to cook a perfect dessert. It'll get you a wife one day.

[Hash]

You're coming to Ontario, no?

[Tetro Kornbluth]

You're coming to Ontario, no?

Toronto.

[Hash]

You're coming to Ontario, no?

Toronto.

Aargh. I recommend you visit places outside of Toronto (Niagara, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Lake Erie, Bruce Peninsula, Owen Sound, Guelph, Thousand Islands and so forth) for a better time. Beware the distances.

After all, isn't the thingee on our license plates something like "Yours to Discover"?

[Tetro Kornbluth]

You're coming to Ontario, no?

Toronto.

Aargh. I recommend you visit places outside of Toronto (Niagara, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Lake Erie, Bruce Peninsula, Owen Sound, Guelph, Thousand Islands and so forth) for a better time. Beware the distances.

After all, isn't the thingee on our license plates something like "Yours to Discover"?

I plan to (at least the Islands and Niagara). I originally wanted three months so I could go to the West but probably not now.

Why the Aargh? Or is that the general Anti-Toronto animus of non-Torontian (?) - Have to learn words?) Canadians towards the biggest cities. That happens everywhere. Talk to Jas on Dublin.

[Hash]

You're coming to Ontario, no?

Toronto.

Aargh. I recommend you visit places outside of Toronto (Niagara, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Lake Erie, Bruce Peninsula, Owen Sound, Guelph, Thousand Islands and so forth) for a better time. Beware the distances.

After all, isn't the thingee on our license plates something like "Yours to Discover"?

I plan to (at least the Islands and Niagara). I originally wanted three months so I could go to the West but probably not now.

Why the Aargh? Or is that the general Anti-Toronto animus of non-Torontian (?) - Have to learn words?) Canadians towards the biggest cities. That happens everywhere. Talk to Jas on Dublin.

I don't like Toronto, like all non-Torontian Ontarians and Canadians.

Annoyingly large city with a little tower to climb up and a waterfront slightly larger than my left hand, sorry.

[Tetro Kornbluth]

May I just add here that the forum is now worse than any time I remember it... it could really do with losing some of the trolls and post boosters, who rarely contribute anything of substance and yes I do have specific people in mind and yes most of them are under 16 or so.

[Ban my account ffs!]

May I just add here that the forum is now worse than any time I remember it... it could really do with losing some of the trolls and post boosters, who rarely contribute anything of substance and yes I do have specific people in mind and yes most of them are under 16 or so.

They all just got out of school.. give 'em a break.  They'll settle down or leave pretty quick.