I found a cache of my English Lit. papers from two years ago. Finding old college papers always amuses me, although these were so recent that I still remember writing them. All the same, there were a few surprises.
For instance, I used the words semiology, trope, linguistic turn, and sophistry all in one paragraph (discussing literary criticism, but still). I wrote a deconstruction of Yeats' "The Second Coming" which I find perfectly sound even now. The subjects of the papers were always chosen from a list provided by the teacher; undergraduate work at Middle Tennessee State University did not encompass independent courses of study, nor were the lists particularly interesting, but one did what one could.
I miss being in college. I had a good time digging into Coleridge, Foucault, and LeGuin. I like writing papers because I like forcing myself to think over something more than once, and when I read for pleasure I rarely do that. I especially enjoy having someone critique my thinking and writing, other than a peer group. College the second time around was fun, damn it. I want to go back.
Unfortunately, I can't go back. Tennessee requires everyone to pass two semesters of algebra. I've tried Algebra II twice, and failed. I'm sorry, but I refuse to try again. What I want from college is to study a particular set of courses, not get an interdisciplinary degree. I don't mind taking classes outside my specialty, but I do feel like third-rate dirt because I'm not allowed to register in a Tennessee state university anymore. It's a shame. I think I'll get over it. I'll try again in another state, maybe. Or maybe I'll just use what I learned from two years ago, and pay more attention when I read.
Now, where did I put my copy of Female Playwrights of the Restoration?