Why take it if you hate doing it?

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

On a side note, I'd probably never take a class like that. I like to read, but I HATE analyzing/discussing books. It takes the enjoyment out of it and as far as I'm concerned, if it needs to be analyzed or discussed to understand or "enjoy" it, it was poorly written.

ITA.

There were some works that I could analyze to the teacher's satisfaction, but then there was also stuff like JB and Waiting For Godot that just had me thinking "What the fuck is this shit?!"

I also hated having to watch films or movies and have this sheet full of things to watch for because we would be discussing them later. I can't think of a better way to suck all the enjoyment out of the film than that.

[depechemodefan]

Yeah, I remember a number of complainers in my Canadian Lit class at uni. Too much reading, too much writing, all the reading is boring (well, on THAT score they were quite correct), waaahh waaahh.

The youngest person in my program was ME, age 24. The rest were all late 20's up to 50's.

The program? Library & Information Technology. Yeah. We all wanted to be Librarians. But half the class hated to read anything longer than a magazine article, if that.

I guess you don't have to want to be a librarian to get such a degree (LIT, hee) but, 90% of the librarians I work with will mainline books if they can just figure out how to do it.

but then there was also stuff like JB and Waiting For Godot that just had me thinking "What the fuck is this shit?!"

God yes. When Shakespear makes more sence (I really don't have a sarcasm meter, so half the time I'm trying to figure out if a char. is out of char. or sarcastic) then a modern play, then fuck the modern play, I'm going to go play tetris.

I also hated having to watch films or movies and have this sheet full of things to watch for because we would be discussing them later. I can't think of a better way to suck all the enjoyment out of the film than that.

One sociology class I took was about the media and the proff. had us watch Blue Velvet. Good times. He gave a lot of insight for all the movies we had to watch for that class (like the Godfather, Pretty Woman).

[ArcticChicken]

Shakespeare was meant to be watched.

You got me thinking about the only Shakespeare play I've seen done properly. I've seen plenty of good costuming, fantastic sets, and excellent choreography, but only once have I seen (or, rather, heard) the actors talking like they knew what they were saying, and not just reciting some words they had memorized. It was one of the Henry's and I had to try very hard not to yell at the twit in front of me who could not figure out who "Harry" was.

90% of the librarians I work with will mainline books if they can just figure out how to do it.

Ooh, sign me up.

[Buglady]

I guess you don't have to want to be a librarian to get such a degree (LIT, hee) but, 90% of the librarians I work with will mainline books if they can just figure out how to do it.

Heh. One of my sister's fairly new-at-the-time in-laws asked me, by way of conversation, if I was still reading (we'd had a brief exchange about a book I was reading before the wedding). My sister overheard this, laughed, and said that was rather like asking me if I was still enjoying breathing or if I'd decided to give it up.

I have a stack of books 3 feet high by my reading chair. They MIGHT last me till the end of the month. Might. (Mostly psychology, some psycholinguistics, one by Oliver Sacks, two on statistics, one Bill Bryson "history of nearly everything," one history of the Black Plague in the late Roman Empire, at least 2 novels... um, can't remember what else is in there...)

[mharbourgirl]

I guess you don't have to want to be a librarian to get such a degree (LIT, hee) but, 90% of the librarians I work with will mainline books if they can just figure out how to do it.

No shit. I only became a librarian because it fits the way my brain works. I decided I didn't want to work in a library because me being surrounded by books is a good way to make sure I don't get ANYTHING done.

[Red_Dazes]

Biggest complaint from the students of my literature class this quarter? Too much reading.



Seriously, if you don't like to read, why would you take literature?

hehe.... I always did hate hearing my fellow students complain about reading in our lit. classes. I had one girl ask ME why we had to read "like soooo friggin much" I asked her if she realized that "Lit" was an short for "literature" She says "well, duh of course it is. But why do we have to READ so much." So I asked her if she realized that books are a type of "literature". She just stared at me blankly for about two minutes and says "Really?!".

I almost cried.... I didn't know people could really be that.... dense.

[jedimaster91]

There was also stuff like JB and Waiting For Godot that just had me thinking "What the fuck is this shit?!"

Awww, I LOVED Waiting for Godot. It was one of my favorite plays we read that year. I also loved Hamlet and McBeth and Shakespeare is teh awesome!

Hated Crime and Punishment, though. Fark, that book sucked.

[dalesys]

Seriously, if you don't like to read, why would you take literature?

'Cause we want our brain bacterium to be elite, ya know, cultured.

Says the guy who did 12 years in "prison" because of books.

[Kerry]

Eat your heart out. I had a class on Lord of the Rings.

And what about the students who don't even feel it's worth their time to show up to class? Do they not realize they're paying good money to be there?

[Skeksin]

I guess you don't have to want to be a librarian to get such a degree (LIT, hee) but, 90% of the librarians I work with will mainline books if they can just figure out how to do it.

It involves blenders....

[PepperElf]

english classes thankfully didn't kill writing poetry for me
my old job did more of that, but not on purpose

best english class i ever took - poetry. grade based on effort because the teacher believed there weren't really rules. think he was the one who said to us... "someone here once said, well for example you can't write a poem about fried sneakers. So someone turned in a poem about fried sneakers." so yes, easy grade, but fun too.


but yeah... if you don't like reading... don't take a class where you have to read a lot... unless of course you're able to get away with listening to the audiobook (unabridged only). personally i retain just as much - if not more - from the audiobooks cos it forces me to keep pace instead of scanning/skimming ahead.

[Buglady]

I kind of envy people who can use audiobooks - I'd love to listen and sew or drive at the same time, but my auditory processing is VERY weak and I get lost very easily. I also get impatient because I read very rapidly and I can zip through a book in a tenth the time it takes for the audio version. (I'm the same with movies and TV, especially documentaries - I can absorb far more information from book in that same time frame!).

[tamezin]

Seriously, if you don't like to read, why would you take literature?

They thought it was going to be an easy class. Honestly though, 20 pages per class is nothing. In fact it is insanely nothing.

My lit prof in college was over the top with expectations. We didn't just read and discuss, we disected each piece to the point I didn't enjoy it anymore. And we had a 7-14 page written discussion of the subject matter each week.

[friendofjimmyk]

I like LIT classes and have taken one myself and fully understood that there would be a lot of reading!

However, I had a knack and a love for writing and did so all the time and absolutely loved it until English 2301 - second level class. That's where I met an instructor named "Judy Miller" who, on the first day of class, arrogantly told us, "They call me 'Killer Miller'". And she was right....she proceeded to MURDER, RAPE, STAB, ELECTROCUTE, PILLAGE my love for writing. By the time I got out of her class, my love for writing was a pulverized pile of meat on the floor.

Since then, I've recouperated and regained some of my love for the art of writing. It's not fully restored, but I'm sure the creative writing course I plan to take will breathe new life into it.

[Trayol]

I'm not a fan a Lit classes normally. In my completely biased opinion, some of the layers that are supposedly within some works were obviously meant to remain unseen. Unfortunately, I have to take 2 Lit classes to finish my Spanish Minor. From experience, Foriegn Languages makes analyzing literature all the worse. In class, I just silence my complaining, grin and bear it. I respect my teachers for the care they have, but they'll never make me love it. However, I do like the occasional story we read.