The tutorial of how not to...

I went and did it...I am oficially not a student anymore !
Well, that's the main message of today at least.

Lately I have been keeping this blog kind of silent the main cause of which was that I was feeling like shit. I still do. However, taking in note that this blog was created as my student's blog and obviously now it has lost its purpose, I decided to make this blog my bullshit_i_want_to_share blog as of now. Share with whom? - idk, probably google as that's the only friend I have at the moment o.O

Oh, yeah, atm I have nothing much to share, as I`m currently living in my past with the excuse that I have no future and there is nothing going on in my present.

Picture related: it's the artists impression of the amount of fucks that will ever be given over all this, as well as an accurate description of my present and future.

My annoyingness, you can't even grasp its immensity.

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How the hell should I understand that after standing up my head started spinning so hard, that everything went blank and I almost fainted, which, due to me standing at that moment and still trying to hold by the wall, resulted in uncontrolled spasms in my legs? o.O How the hell should I understand that my head has started spinning so often, actually ?
Sometimes I wonder if I do should try eating a bit more, but, guessing by the silence my mother gave me on the phone after a certain question, there is no way I will find the funds for it in the near future without finding a job for myself.
It still baffles me, why the hell companies keep looking for employees using such retarded system if it's fairly obvious that they so often end up hiring incompetent morons. Or does such trait persist only in Latvia, where most low-qualification jobs are given to someone through acquaintanceship ?

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An idea (finally, lol) shot through my head, that I might try signing up for some language course in Latvijas Universitāte and try getting in budget...but then I got completely discouraged by understanding how low are my chances on landing in budget there and how even lower they are on keeping it if I have to study in 2 colleges simultaneously. Not to mention that I could scratch my hopes on getting a job in next 3 years. Still I feel like I should fiddle around with that idea.

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Maybe I will try out google+. Maybe I won't.

Yeah, well, we were given the Oxford advanced level grammar test in the end...74% (pic related)
Sure, I could blame it on the test itself, because there were several question with more than one variant possible the test didn't actually account for, but it doesn't change the fact that I wasn't as ready as I thought I were. Oh well, whatever as long as I pass.

Did some advanced English grammar tests (e.g. this and that). While they weren't particularly hard ones, still, 90-100% . I am ready for today's end-semester test in grammar.

Can't figure out how to cut down that damn summary. I managed to cut a little less than 1k words from it and I`m now down to 8 pages. The summary already looks kinda nonsensical, if I start cutting down even more I risk to loose all the little coherence that's left there.
I actually feel more retarded than usually for not being able to become even dumber. Consequently my self-esteem seems to be going down the drain.
I will probably just hand in what I have so far and if I will actually get it handed back to me with request to shorten it - I will just give up on it. I have already invested too much just to improve a grade in something that's an utter waste of time by itself. Sure my pride and sense of security are important, but not that important.

Was arguing today with a college colleague about the methods used to teach us some of the stuff. She was referencing to another college where people had to sit for more than an hour and just constantly write down stuff dictated to them in English, which was later on evaluated e.t.c. Seems like her main argument was that that's a way how to get people motivated to learn proper spelling. But come on. If you can't find the motivation to do it by yourself, neither will you find it if pushed to write such stuff down. Besides, it doesn't teach a crap. In fact I believe (from my own experience as well) that it can even damage ones spelling, because in a task like that you don't have the time to look up on how to properly spell a word and as a result your first experience written in your memory with that word is how you wrote it wrong. Human brain doesn't really work like a hard drive and we can't erase memories so it will stay there, in our memory, forever and will continue confusing us in the future.
Also there is no real meaning behind knowing how to spell words if you don't know how to use them or what they actually mean. It's especially useless for a translator, because in his work he can always use dictionaries when working with written text, but dictionaries or knowing how words are spelled by heart won't help him to actually work with the text, how to find the most appropriate translation and not misunderstand idioms etc.
Well, this way of thinking is an artefact of USSR education system, there is no surprise that there are people thinking that way in Latvia. It's odd to find such people among those of my own generation however.

Just getting stuff out of my head here, because I can't really confront her directly with my arguments. She seemed quite upset and displeased with my attitude towards it when she mentioned it, lol.

Got my two essays handed back. I`m supposed to improve them. I'm not happy. disappointed. FUCKING FURIOUS !
I so would like to hand them back in, improved and with another ~5 pages of text on top, but such intellectual levels at which it would be possible are unattainable to me. Will just have have to deal with it. Fuck.

Let's see...I missed out one lecture, but it doesn't look like it will be that big of a loss after all.
A quick summary for myself:

Deductive argument 
A Deductive Argument is a form of argument where the conclusion logically follows from the given premises. If the premises in a deductive argument are true and strongly support the conclusion, then the conclusion of the argument must also be logically true. It basically has three parts: 1) the major premise, 2) the minor premise, and 3) the conclusion.

Example
Jim likes either Coke or Pepsi.
Jim does not like Pepsi.
So, Jim likes Coke.

(more here)

Inductive argument
An Inductive Argument is a form of argument where the premises support the probability or likelihood of the conclusion. Regardless of the number of premises, the strength of the conclusion in aninductive argument depends on the strength of the individual premises that support it.

Generalizations from a sample to a universal claim.

Example

Every emerald examined has been green

Therefore all emeralds are green

(more here)

Abductive argument

In my own words - it's the combination of Inductive and Deductive argument where best possible assumptions are made from from the existing premises. Couldn't find a better explanation anywhere.

Example

If there were another planet outside Uranus, that would explain its course.

Therefore these is another planet outside Uranus.

I can't get online from my computer.

There's nothing wrong with my hardware or software.
So, the University network must be down.

(more on it all here, here and here)

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Now, just to figure out how write an essay using these (which is really not hard) and I`m set.

Tomorrow is going to be an relatively easy day and I have all the damn homework done already, so guess I will take it easy and rest a bit. Though I might decide to read the damn book (for the damn summary I`m supposed to write) a bit later just so that I don't regret wasting my time for nothing.

I really really really suck at passives. Getting only 30% on this test.
Damn, spent the whole goddamn weekend on doing most of the homework for the week and still I don't have the time to rest.
This evening I will be busy with training/studying my passives, reading theory theory for Reading Comprehension and transcribing the homework part for exam in phonetics. Actually sounds like I will end up with a lazy all-nighter.
Oh well.

[whine]

Feels so goddamn wrong. Took yesterday free and instead was working at home on my essays that took like forever for me to finish. And now it's almost 6am, I haven't slept the whole damn night and I still haven't finished all my homework for tomorrow today and I`m not sure I will actually manage to 100% do it all. Additionally I`m also completely neglecting some of the semester works that one of our lecturer gave us. Where the hell does the frigging time go? How do I get it back? And how the goddamn hell am I expected to do all this if I did had a job? Well, actually better question would be how the hell they expect to keep me in college by piling up all these works on us, if I did have a job?

[/whine]

Would hate for my attendency to suffer even more.

Phonetics

It doesn't look like I have much time left atm, but let's what can I squeeze out.
So I had this plan to browse some web and look up additional information for phonetics (the course at which I`m afraid that I might fail) and grammar. Since grammar is not as pressing on me, it's on hold for now and I`m working on phonetics. Will be writing this post as I go.

First I need to learn to make the damn difference between some vowel sounds, especially e,ə and ɜ:. Hopefully listening and repeating a record of those sounds will help me out some. The same page also offers useful additional information worth reading, btw.
After that I`m proceeding with listening to some select words that have their phonetic transcriptions written in front of me. I need something more elaborate but since I`m short on time it will have to do for now. (god, those damn transcriptions look so Russian when you are trying to read them so I actually read them as if it were Cyrillic).
Next. Tests and exercises: 1 - 6 out of 10 (frigging good start) ; 2 - 66.7% ; 3 - 100% ; 4 - 100% ; 5 - 63% ; 6 - 100% ; 7 - amazing 17% ; 8 - 100% ; 9 - 90% ; 10 - 90%
Some more additional information about schwa.
Ohshi- turns out that the word 'lamb' has  /b/ muted in it ! ( [læm] )
Ok, anyway, my brain can't keep up anymore, so I will just leave this, this and this here, take a short pause and continue with studying for todays Reading Comprehension test.

Time time time

There is not enough time for anything. And my goddamn body requires too much sleep.
Yesterday I had planned to study some grammar on my own, but unfortunately I ran out of time and got way too sleepy to do it. Same with phonetics. Doubtfully I will have any time left this evening too since tomorrow is planned out to be extra busy for me and consequently will require some preparation.
It's kinda stupid that aside from studies I really want to play one or two sequels to games this spring, refresh my German and study Swedish...and probably start looking for a job too. God, I will never be able to do it all.
Thinking about adding downloading and watching BBC documentary about Britain's history to the list too.

And this is how a post in which I previously planned to add some new study materials turns into a pile of complaints.

#^%$@Q

I had beautiful things planned that I wanted to do, e.g. find additional materials for phonetics.
But today I overslept.
Something like that hasn't happened for a while and I have completely forgotten about the amount of willpower that is required to go to college lectures completely unprepared. I have no idea how some people are able to do that constantly... ok, actually I do understand their way of thinking, I just do not accept that.
Still reminds me that I need a job. Goddamn world never working out the way I want it to.

Going over to susan's house

First I think it's important to note, that our course has been given an assignment to keep a journal of our activities. Purely to practice our use of English language even at home. Personally I don't think that I have it necessary since, being a non-lifer, I most of my time is consumed by the internet and I`m mainly communicating only in English there. But nonetheless an assignment is an assignment and from now on I will try to spam my blog a bit more often.


Now to the important stuff.

Reading through "Modern German Grammar" on my free time I have come to conclusion that I have forgotten the damn language way more than I could have imagined, but at least it's coming back to me fast. I only wish I had more willpower to keep reading that stuff.

The new study semester doesn't seem to have started very optimistically. The main issue are our two grammar courses, both of which, as it seems, have the same program but different lecturers just slightly different names. Frigging ridiculous, but have no other choice than to bear with it and do the usual - the best that I am able to.
Related: download Longman Advanced Learner's Grammar here and Cambridge Advanced Grammar in Use here...

Also, just finished up a home assignment for lexicology (no idea why I uploaded it) and grammar, currently taking a break but still have some stuff to do planned since aside from doing my home-work I need to refresh my memory on some stuff (like passive and infinity in grammar), study a bit ahead (gerunds in grammar) and maybe find some additional literature for phonetics. Doubtfully Hopefully I will manage to do all that by today too.

Update: the Advanced Grammar in Use torrent seems to be semi-dead but while searching for other sources I found this torrent . Quite useful too, just have to yet go through the whole damn list.

Reporting that so far my examination period has been going somewhat well. Not all marks have been announced yet, but I`m quite confident that I have passed everything I wrote so far...no that confident on how good those marks are going to be.
Anyhow, only 2 more exams left and the last one, on 18th January is the one that makes me worried the most. Phonetics. I just don't get that damn [trænˈskrɪpʃn̩]

P.S. Frigging showoff !

Prāta Vētra - Gara Gara Diena

Ok, so today marks the start of my examination period. Let's hope I`m not fcked.
The first exam is in Latvian. Document created for the purpose of preparations attached under the cut.

sidenote: haven't slept for 2 nights, lol.

I completely fail in finding any examples on how proper stylistic text analysis is supposed to be done. All I can find are HEAPS of theory. But oh well, it's too late today already. According to schedule I`m doing some grammar exercises for the next 2 days. Guess I will attend to analysis some other day again.

Also would like to highlight this google chrome extension . A must-have.

FML

Wasted my time and made a short list of what I will be busy with during my winter break and examination period. More detailed list available under the cut.
Who needs vocation or holidays, if you can be hungry and try to work back a fraction of what you lost in previous 5 years.

Suddenly: women wearing short skirts in the middle of winter EVERYWHERE !

Ok, obviously I have been taking this past week easy and not doing a crap. It's just that I felt that I need a sort of vocation for myself. And I plan to keep the pace going up to the next week.
Now, to the reason why I logged in. A reminder for myself what should I attend to after I return to studies:
-) Wouldn't hurt to practice my grammar, especially tenses. Some tests found on internet throughout the whole period till the exam should be enough.
-) Obviously I don't remember a crap of what we were learning in Latvian language lessons. I definitely have to re-read all the materials, check the program and depending on found there - maybe look for some additional materials. Also I have issues with using 'deklanācijas', so probably I should learn them too. Won't hurt.
-) Transcriptions, transcriptions, transcriptions. Phonetics is my weak point, especially transcriptions, so I need to find some materials, maybe examples to train by. Nothing much I can do there except practising to write them. Also I should remember to revise other materials for phonetics before the exam, since transcriptions is obviously not all we are going to have there.
-) And finally I shouldn't forget to do some text analysing for stylistic text analysis exam. The chance of failing there is quite big, but I`m not as worried about it...for an unknown reason.

If I will have enough free time after all this, I will start polishing up my German and Russian languages. Maybe read some books, read some grammar theory and such, nothing too serious, just getting ready for my plans to learn Swedish.

Last Friday our Stylistic Text Analysis lecturer announced to us that we will be having a quiz on next lecture. Apparently we have to memorise the whole goddamn vocabulary for it. Well, it's not like wasn't preparing to do it at one point already, but this adds massive pressure to it and I simply know that I won't be able to remember it all in such short period. Anyway, don't have much choice, so will have to do the best I can. Finished all the homework for the whole next week in advance so that I can spend my evening by rewriting the words and their meaning.
Additionally winter depression is hitting me hard since I currently can't afford to spend too much money on anything. I am living on thin air, water and potatoes. The next two will be fun weeks.