miriam

The following is a minute-by-minute account of my paper writing adventure last night.  Let me be clear; I am usually much less asinine than this (I think)—it just so happens that, once or twice a term, I have a particularly grueling and uninteresting paper to write. Yes, it happens, even when you’re studying your ideal major.  This blogpost is not indicative of my usual work study habits.

Note: I didn’t think of doing a live minute-by-minute account until later in the night, so you’ll first have to read these first few paragraphs that I’m writing after the fact.

It’s around 8:15pm.  By word count, you’d say I’m halfway done the paper.  By reality, I’m ¼ done.  I’m writing about a narrow topic in metaphysics–in fact, I’m writing a critical assessment of a subargument made by a philosopher in a longer work.  It bores me, I have a nagging suspicion that I don’t completely understand the material, and I can’t come up with anything particularly creative.

So far, my work has been interspersed with logging onto Facebook, Twitter, and Gmail.  I’m starting to lose concentration, so what’s the natural thing to do? Call up my sister and cook us up a batch of Bran Krispies.  This activity is beneficial for two reasons: one, I take my mind off the activity for a while, two, I create a cheaper and (somewhat) healthier version of late night snacks than I could get at Magda’s.

Through out the day, I notice I have been  repeating several phrases to myself aloud, whenever I open a new browser to watch a YouTube video, or reply to a message online: “I really need to do this,” “I really have got to get this done,” “I will,” “I think I will,” “Don’t worry, it’s OK.”

I return to my computer.  ”Look,” I tell myself, “I just need to close my internet browsers and I won’t get distracted.”  This means no YouTube songs on.  I’m stuck with the few songs I have on my computer; repeating Buble, Beatles, Mozart, Beethoven, and this random podcast that keeps on showing up on the Shuffle.

I can’t bring myself to disconnect from the internet completely so I open up an MSN conversation with a friend, who is also supposed to be writing an essay.

I pick up a cracker and it’s just so dry, it makes me sad.

At this point, I decide to make a pact with her; I will write, occasionally chat with her, then write more.

My productivity increases significantly.

The following are real, live, reports from the scene:

~11: 30 SOMEBODY EMAIL MEEEE.  I get instant desktop notifications for those.

~11:40 I’ve watched ½ of The Notebook and somehow have no real motivation to finish this up to watch the rest.

11:42 Progress on essay—OK, I have a thesis now.  I’m like, 1000 words in.  You know you’re doing this wrong when.

11:57 Just put together a tortilla-chicken sandwich.  I’m so proud of my chicken-cooking skill.  I’m eating it at the computer.

12:07 NEW EMAIL!! OH.  Boring newsletter.

12:09 It has suddenly dawned upon me that I probably won’t be completely finished until at least 2am.  Sad face.

12:10 MOZART JUST DOESNT CUT IT FOR ESSAY MUSIC.

12:16 i hate when i accidentally click on the internet button rather than the mword button.  I swear, it’s accidental.  This time i closed it before coming up with something to type into google.  So proud.

12:22 that moment where you come up from the depths of your essay, glance at the clock, and realize you forgot anything existed at all in the world except the essay’s content for 5 whole minutes.  Take a deep breath and dive below the surface, again.

I could get 80+.  I really could.  It doesn’t matter that there isn’t much content here.  Maybe there is.  No, I can’t afford 70s.  No no no no no.

12:26 WHY AM I STILL LISTENIGN TO MOZART?

12:28 this essay is as boring as the font, Times New Roman.

12:33 Productivity increases as time runs out.  Or maybe it’s not a perfect curve.  Note: Graph tonight’s performance.

1:19 ……..Why isn’t this over yet?  I think I may get a 67%. Or a 63% or something equally hideous.

Can I just say I’m super happy that nothing terrible is happening?  Like, what if my computer just died right now.  Sure I’ve been emailing things to myself but life would be so much harder.

1:35 one last push over tough paragraphs

NEW EMAIL!!!  Too short, no respite.  Ts;nr.

This is my current music:

1:38 UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. JUST FINISH IT.

I have never written anything so poor.

1:56 im seriously contemplating watching the remaining hour of The Notebook, just as a breather.  And because I’m worried I won’t get to it.  I have several tough paragraphs to go.

2:05 I’m lying down on my side (on bed).

2:10 I’m watching The Notebook until 3.  I will then wake up at 7:30, proceed to finish writing, take a nap, and then run out the door to class.  Good night!

[Original meme: http://feministryangosling.tumblr.com/]

8:13   OK now it’s a 70%….

8:47 I can see this get an 80%….I may be delusional at this point, but who knows?

9:14 DONE.  time for nap before class!

A few people have asked me what the application process is like and whether it’s worth it.  Hence, the coming-to-existence of this blogpost.  There will be a prize in the form of comic at the end for you.

The Process

I’ll be frank.  I don’t think I went through the process in its due form.  So…this section is kind of sketchy, but it’s better than nothing.

1.  Look up the requirements on the Philosophy website.  Complete them to the best of your abilities.

http://www.philosophy.ubc.ca/undergrad/honours.html

When I applied:
I had NOT completed all my Faculty of Arts requirements.
and
I had NOT applied by the end of my second year; I technically applied in mid-May.  Which may have been too late had the spots in the tutorial been filled up.  Now, I hadn’t even really thought of applying until quite late but you are obviously thinking about it right now, at this very moment, so you shouldn’t be late.

2.  E-mail the Honours Advisor with an e-mail or letter of intent, explaining why you’re applying.  My guess is that it should be cover letter style.  Attach your recommendation letter from a Philosophy instructor, or let him know the instructor will be delivering it to him.

Honours Advisor
Chris Stephens
cstephen@mail.ubc.ca 
BUCH E356

I did not do this, I just contacted him directly, asking how I should apply.  These are simply the instructions the Office Staff gave me, after-the-fact.

He may or may not meet with you for an informal interview during the process.  It shouldn’t take long for a final response; mine took a day.  Then again, it was summer.

What It’s Like / Should You Take It?  

Honours is typically recommended for those students going on to graduate school.  It will help prepare you for the style and vigour of graduate work and I believe graduate schools may expect some sort of honours standing.  If you’re not considering graduate school, or any other professional school where you might benefit from having had challenging academic experiences, then don’t automatically assume it will be useful.

I initially applied to challenge myself, to develop some academic skills for either law or graduate school, to make me feel better about choosing a Philosophy major over Political Science, and to encounter brilliant students.

The Honours degree consists of taking a lot of requirements.  So many that you should plan everything out on Degree Navigator beforehand—with a Poli Sci minor and plans to graduate within 4 years, I have no electives.  There is no Honours thesis to write.  The main component of an Honours degree is the required tutorials.  2 courses (PHIL 390, PHIL 490), 6 credits each (weird, eh?), a small number of students (mine’s 10 or 11) split between 3^rd and 4^th year, 3 hours a week.

The topic is at your professor’s discretion (the professor changes each year).  It will most likely be his/her topic of research/interest.  As such, the course has a narrow focus in a specialized area of philosophy.  This can be a good or bad thing.  As for me, I’m not a huge fan of contemporary philosophy and its minutiae and I’m not particularly interested in the subject I’m studying right now, although it can occasionally peak my interest.

It’s not easy.  And I kind of like that.  You will easily find some GENIUS students there, so it’s all catch-up/listening for me. Marks-wise, I’m doing average. I believe we are being penalized somewhat marks-wise in taking this course (seeing as we would be doing much better in other courses), which I always hate to see in Honours courses because you should never be penalized for challenging yourself! Nonetheless, I’m sticking through with it because I am learning.  And it’s not like I’m doing epistemology, ugh.

And now for the fun part:

I came across this face-palm worthy yet true maxim not too long ago, called Godwin’s Law:

“As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1.”

I couldn’t help but notice something similar.

Note: I stand corrected.  We went over PWs today and no mention whatsoever.  It was kind of refreshing.

A flavour of what I’m formally studying right now:

PHIL 340 (Knowledge and Reality II)

This course is primarily Metaphysics, as the prerequisite was primarily Epistemology.  We’re covering topics like the nature of reality, being, and time.  We ask super bold questions like:

Is reality dependent on our minds?
Do unicorns exist in some non-existent way?
Are there really tables?
What the hell is Quine saying?

I’m taking this course because it’s required for a philosophy degree.  The more of it I do, the more I realize that’s the only reason I’m taking it. It’s true, I cannot help but find pockets of fascinating ideas here and there (Berkeley’s mind-dependent reality, anyone? Love it).  But I’ve come to learn I’m an extremely pragmatic person and if I cannot find a use for it, well, I will whine about in on my blog.  What’s worse, the subject matter is so incredibly abstract—half the time we’re conceiving of conceiving some inadequately explained thing possibly “floating around” out of space and time.  Or maybe I just have to admit that this “abstract” feeling I have is the feeling of not fully understanding metaphysics, haha!

PHIL 310 (The Philosophy of Plato)

First off, an aside.  50% of the reason why I even bother to show up to this class is the professor.  He is so fun to watch, whether he’s gesticulating in sweeping arm movements, being ridiculously eloquent, or reciting Ancient Greek epic poetry (um, please do more of that).  Anyhow, I had to take a historical philosophy class for my degree and of course I was also attracted to Plato’s idea in the Republic that that philosophers should rule the world by A. Whitehead’s quote: “The safest general characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato.”

No doubt you’re asking: Miriam, now that you have seven whole weeks of Plato class under your belt, is this true!?

I do think it’s true, but we have to acknowledge that a sizeable chunk of those footnotes are responses in disagreement with Plato. Anyhow, it’s a bit of a leisurely class as it is specifically open to non-philosophy majors and there is little reading.  That slices both ways because while it’s relaxing it can occasionally be repetitive.

RUSS 412 (Dostoevsky in Translation)

I need to take a literature class for my Arts degree (see a trend going on here?) and I am lucky enough to have the option to take a course on the writer of my favourite book ever, The Brothers Karamazov.  Dostoesvky was a 19^th century Russian writer whose works, in my opinion, still have so much resonance today.  I love his complexity, his portrayal of inner conflict, and his deeply philosophical themes in the most soap-operatic of stories (because really, what can be more realistic than philosophy in the midst of the crowd?)

Lectures are primarily historical, whether background on Russia or Dostoevsky’s life.  Professor gives lots of leeway in topics and interpretations, which again slices both ways as I would like to have have more guidance in interpretation but it’s also nice to have freedom.  I have a presentation due next week, so that should be fun.

PHIL 390 (Honours 3^rd Year)

Some people have asked about the application process for Philosophy Honours so I’ll cover that, as well as my review of the course in my next post…whenever that is!