I’m an anthropology student of Copenhagen University. I’m also passionate about anthropology, I love it. I have no doubt in my bones, this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. Besides this I work harder than I ever have before and the fact is daunting, I only JUST passed my first two exams at the end of the spring term.
It’s very hard for me to accept, because I have always received a grade corresponding to the effort I’ve put into a class or course. Which means I’ve always worked my ass off, otherwise I wouldn’t be where I am now. I’m fortunate enough to share my course with 85 other Danes, with some of the highest grade point average in the country. It’s not easy getting into Anthropology and I only got in on standby, had a year off to travel because my grade point average was borderline.
Fact is: I did my absolute best and it ended up in a very poor grade.
I’ve been processing this for the past week and a half or so. It’s still hard, but I won’t accept it as a slap in the face, I’d rather tell myself it’s a kick in the butt and then do something about it! It’s also nice to know it’s not because of my anthropology or my brain, it’s apparently because I write very poorly. It can be learned of course, but it is certainly going to take a while and a lot of effort. I don’t know how, but I will learn this. I have to.
Writing is the way we communicate and spread all the data that we gather, so obviously it is very important. I have no doubt that I will become a good anthropologist, but the means to achieve my goal is to write, so that is what I will do.
How do you practise writing? This certainly isn’t academic, but I’m figuring it can’t hurt, like reading a lot can never hurt. So here we are.
