School’s not out for Summer (and I’m Totally okay with That!)

My rant on Tuesday was a bit off the cuff (that’s what happens when I’m angry and can’t sleep), but since I do have a proper theme to define the week’s posts, I figured that I should include the rant that I had meant to post before my anger took over. I’m pretty sure you can guess from the title what this week is going to be all about J

Everyone knows that I love school, and learning things has always been a big part of my life. But like everything else, there are many many things I can complain about. The early hours, the boring lectures, and the overwhelming amount of papers are all things that I complain about on a regular basis, but my favourite school themed whine involves my hatred of presentations.

The worst things about having to do presentations are the nerves. Not sleeping properly the night before (yawn), sweating (yuck), stuttering (embarrassing), the mind-blanking (even more embarrassing), and the resulting adrenaline high (woo spiking hormones) are all nervous stages I got through every single time I have to present. This nervousness has gotten worse over the years; I used to be able to get up on stage a dance an Irish jig (thanks to my mum’s obsession with Riverdance), but the mere thought of doing a class presentation makes me physically ill.

Besides my physical and emotional reaction to presenting, I feel that they’re not really a good way of learning. The presenters may get a deep understanding of their topic, but I find that the audience doesn’t always absorb the same amount of information. Presenters don’t always give the most unbiased opinions either, so the information imparted is most likely going to have some holes in it. Did I mention that it’s also the teacher’s job  to TEACH? They’re the ones with the big salaries, so why does it fall to the students to teach instead? I realize that profs are just trying to get the students to connect with the material, but I honestly think that presentations are just a way for profs to sit back and not do their jobs.

Okay, done ranting now. Thank the gods I only have one more mini-presentation left this semester. Blargh.

Yes I borrowed the cartoons from various sites.
No, I do not remember which ones.
The artwork is all from Tokidoki!

Since it’s back to school time (yes I know I’m a month late, but I’ve been busy!), I figured what better outfit to feature than a clichéd schoolgirl. I admit that the 3 years of elementary school that I attended at a private Catholic school were less than fun (I was going through a tomboy phase and refused to wear a skirt or dress), I actually rather enjoy the look now. Maybe it’s all those years of watching Japanese anime in high school and seeing all of the school uniforms there, or maybe it has something to do with Harry Potter and house ties, but either way it’s something I pull out of my closet every once and a while.

I should warn you though, do not wear an outfit like this for a presentation. You’ll get laughed off stage, and that won’t help your anxiety! Clichéd outfits are for the weekend or dress up time people!

Tie by Yves Saint Laurent, shirt by Harajuku Lovers, pleated skirt by Steetwear Society.