The beginning of the end
May 09th 2009 19:01
english
examens
This week's General Linguistics and Grammar tests have both been cancelled "for security reasons". Our teachers decided to postpone them because of the chaos created by the strikes; but they don't know the new dates themselves. Same thing for Detective Fiction.
Speaking of which, Mme B gave us our Sherlock Holmes paper back yesterday. She suggested that I rewrote mine because it lacked the structure that the French love so much and even if I had a decent grade (12/20), the ideas I mentionned in it were "easely worth a 16". The thing is we don't learn to write papers like that in Belgium. Here, it's all about writing a plan and sticking to it. I don't mind, though. It's awesome that she gives her students a second shot, and it gives me the opportunity to write more effective essays.
There's another vote scheduled for Monday. I suspect that they'll decide to continue the 'blocage' for another week (in spite of the finals), and no one knows what will happen then; we're all a bit paranoid at the moment. It turns out that we'll start with Literature or Civilization on the 15th. We never know which one we'll get because they do a random draw, so we have to study for both. So you spend hours on your desk wondering why you bother trying to remember all of those dates because you have a 50% chance NOT to be interrogated on it anyway (that's completely stupid and so evil in my opinion).
Thème and Version (French to English and English to French translation) will be on the same day as Phonetics. That's three total. It's alright, because those are classes where you either know the vocabulary or you don't. I'm a bit worried about Phonetics, though... I instinctively know how to do transcriptions, but I have troubles with the secondary stresses and justifying my answers with the rules or the unbelievable number of exceptions. There are just too many of them. D:
Speaking of which, Mme B gave us our Sherlock Holmes paper back yesterday. She suggested that I rewrote mine because it lacked the structure that the French love so much and even if I had a decent grade (12/20), the ideas I mentionned in it were "easely worth a 16". The thing is we don't learn to write papers like that in Belgium. Here, it's all about writing a plan and sticking to it. I don't mind, though. It's awesome that she gives her students a second shot, and it gives me the opportunity to write more effective essays.
There's another vote scheduled for Monday. I suspect that they'll decide to continue the 'blocage' for another week (in spite of the finals), and no one knows what will happen then; we're all a bit paranoid at the moment. It turns out that we'll start with Literature or Civilization on the 15th. We never know which one we'll get because they do a random draw, so we have to study for both. So you spend hours on your desk wondering why you bother trying to remember all of those dates because you have a 50% chance NOT to be interrogated on it anyway (that's completely stupid and so evil in my opinion).
Thème and Version (French to English and English to French translation) will be on the same day as Phonetics. That's three total. It's alright, because those are classes where you either know the vocabulary or you don't. I'm a bit worried about Phonetics, though... I instinctively know how to do transcriptions, but I have troubles with the secondary stresses and justifying my answers with the rules or the unbelievable number of exceptions. There are just too many of them. D:
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Our teachers decided to postpone them because of the chaos created by the strikes, but they don't know the new dates themselves.
She suggested that I rewrite mine because it lacked the structure that the French love so much and even if I had a decent grade (12/20), the ideas I mentionned in it were "easily worth a 16".
The thing is, we don't learn to write papers like that in Belgium.
Here, it's all about writing coming up with (or making) a plan and sticking to it.
It's awesome that she gives her students a second another shot (or a second chance) , and it gives me the opportunity to write more effective essays.
I suspect that they'll decide to continue the 'blocage' for another week (in spite of the finals), and no one knows what will happen then - we're all a bit paranoid at the moment.
So you spend hours on your desk wondering why you bothered trying to remember all of those dates because you have a 50% chance NOT to be interrogated tested on it anyway (that's completely stupid and so really evil in my opinion).
Note that 'to interrogate' means 'to question' in the sense of a police or military interrogation. It can also mean 'to question something in a serious/fundamental way', but either way it's sort of an intense word and cannot generally be used in the context of tests.
Also 'so' sounds kind of wrong unless it's part of an interjection (that's so dumb! you're so annoying!) or is followed by a second clause (it was so obvious that I couldn't believe no one else noticed it).
This week's General Linguistics and Grammar exams / tests have both been cancelled "for security reasons."
Our professors decided to postpone them due to the chaos caused by the strikes, but they didn't even know the new dates themselves. usually we refer to "professors" at university level, and teachers for all levels below
It was the same thing for Detective Fiction.
Speaking of (which), Mme B gave us our Sherlock Holmes paper back yesterday / Mmg gave us back our Sherlock....
She suggested that I rewrite mine because it lacked the structure that the French love so much, and even if I didn't have a decent grade (12/20), the ideas I mentioned in it were still "easily worth a 16."
The thing is, we don't learn to write papers like this* in Belgium. *I only chose "this" since you are telling us so immediately what had happened to you
Here, it's all about coming up with / devising a plan and sticking to it / sticking with it.
It's great* that she gives her students a second chance, and it gives me the opportunity to write more effective / impactful essays. *personal preference, I don't really like the word "awesome," :O. "shot" is a little too informal in this context...but I feel like I don't like to use a lot of slang, also personal
There's another vote / poll / election scheduled for Monday.
I suspect that they'll decide to continue the 'blocage' / the freeze / the deadlock for another week (in spite of the finals), and no one knows what will happen then; we're all a bit paranoid at the moment.
We never know which one we'll get because they'll do a random draw / they'll do a lottery, so we have to study for both.
As a result, you spend hours at your desk wondering why you (even) bother trying to remember all of these dates because you have a 50% chance NOT to be interrogated on it anyway (which is completely stupid and so evil in my opinion). hehe, that's the way tests are designed... ;o
That's three total / three altogether.
It's all right*, because these are classes where / in which you either know the vocabulary or you don't. *extremely common mistake that English speakers also make
I instinctively know how to do transcriptions, but I have trouble with the secondary stresses and justifying my answers with the rules or an unbelievable number of exceptions.
good luck with your test! however by this time, you may have already taken them. hope they went smoothly! :)
other than that, excellently written....
~c.