(no subject)

[nirinia]

Idiot that I am, I read Heart of Darkness first. I thought we were discussing that on Friday, but we're not, we're talking about Beloved (Morrison). Three hundred pages to get through tomorrow, then.

Studying literature at a university that haunts the bottoms of ranking lists does not make for good employment prospects. I have no more than two semesters left to finish my BA, which means I must make a decision. As I see it, I have three options: finish my BA, then run off to Oxford to start over and get a proper education; study medicine and specialise in surgery; study law. Do either of the three, then go into the Diplomatic Corpse. Or I can put it all off another year by applying for the Military's intensive Russian course – Russian and espionage, I'm sure I'd enjoy interrogating people in Russian. And Russian is rather fun.

The elimination method, eliminating the ones that mean I will have to go improve my grades, leaves literature at Oxford and law. I would love to go all out and run off to Oxford, but then what will I do when I'm done? Sensibly, law is a great option. Anette is equally depressed about her situation, so we drink coffee and sigh. Or make Hilde panic about her bachelor's thesis, due in two semesters. Poor thing, I don't think she ought to be around me.

Joining Mother for a dress rehearsal of Yasmina Reza's God of Carnage ("Blodig Alvor", in Norwegian) at Nationaltheatret tomorrow. Hoping it will have me in stitches by the first act. I need some fun to take my mind off all the reading, and the general despondency of attending a crappy university.

Comments

[booksforfood.livejournal.com]

Haha, this echos how I felt last year so, so much. I have a BA in English and it's useless. I ran away to Scotland and I'm going to get my Masters in Information and Library Studies at Robert Gordon University, which is a fairly new university but is getting a great reputation. My goal is to become an academic librarian, work in a fabulous university (like Oxford, what up) and then eventually get a second masters in Educational Administration or something and become a head librarian. I'd eventually like to get an MFA as well.

I considered law for a bit. I think any intelligent English major does. But luckily I worked in a law firm for three months as an admin assistant, and while the job was the Job From Hell, I'm glad I did. It made me realize that law is not for me. It's not creative enough and no one there was happy, though that could have been because of the particular company.

It's a difficult crossroads we're at--trying to find out the next step to take and how to convince others to give us the chance that we need to succeed.

[nirinia.livejournal.com]

It's a terribly difficult crossroads, I just wish someone could show me how life would turn out down all the roads. The education is likely nothing like the job we end up with, and I need to know if I will be comfortable with the job before I spend five years on another degree.

Your plans sound fabulous! And I'm so jealous you have a plan. Perhaps we'll meet at Oxford, with divine jobs and great success.

I'm thinking law might be right up my alley. But so is everything else. Or it might turn out to be my job from hell. Thank you for sharing your experience :]

[bombe-regn.livejournal.com]

UIO sucks.

[nirinia.livejournal.com]

At least their English department does.

[bombe-regn.livejournal.com]

and the history department. argh.

[nirinia.livejournal.com]

Oh, blaaargh. The entire humanities department sucks.

[drunkenchipmunk.livejournal.com]

finish my BA, then run off to Oxford to start over and get a proper education; study medicine and specialise in surgery; study law

Loads of people on my FL are taking very confusing degrees, it's confusing. What ever happened to the good old, bog standard English Literature degree? It seems to have disappeared between now and the time I graduated. How are you doing English Lit and Russian, and medicine and law at the same time?! What degree will you finish with?

The mind, it boggles.

[nirinia.livejournal.com]

Haha, sorry! I'm just being confusing. I'm technically enrolled in a Language program, majoring in English, minoring in Russian. But I've added a second major in English Literature, and am about to switch programs. It is confusing, I don't quite know what kind of degree I will get in the end, but there will be English involved. Medicine and law are just the other options I'm considering, when I'm done with this useless degree.

[http://users.livejournal.com/incinerate_/]

Come to Oxford!

[nirinia.livejournal.com]

I wish! But it's such a bad career move. Unless I want to end up and academic in Norway, or do brilliantly and somehow get a fun job.

Your posts, by the way, are making not going to Oxford so, so hard.

[http://users.livejournal.com/incinerate_/]

That's annoying. Just do brilliantly and get a fun job here?!

Sorry! Oxford in the summer is the best thing ever. I'm super excited to be going back.

[nirinia.livejournal.com]

But think of all the work it would take to do brilliantly, and I would have to have an original idea. *flails*

Aaaah, I'm dying to go. The libraries, the river, the architecture.

[rawthorne.livejournal.com]

I've heard it said the BA isn't what matters, but the MA--or, if you're feeling ambitious, the doctorate. For my part, I'm looking forward to the day when I no longer have to write papers or pass exams. Less than eight months to go, then employment.

[nirinia.livejournal.com]

That is sort of comforting. But I don't think I'd get in anywhere semi-prestigious with this laughable BA. They're likely to take one look at the ranking lists, guffaw and write me off. Employment, that seems so far off it is almost mythical. But the no exams or papers sounds so, so good.

[rawthorne.livejournal.com]

Rest assured, employers don't look at college rankings when they hire. They'll look at what you can do, your profile, your competencies.

[nirinia.livejournal.com]

Ah, but then I would have to get through an MA.

[rawthorne.livejournal.com]

For an entry position? Not so much.