with a guy who
struggled to
complete
his sentences. It was especially awful when his train of thought changed tracks mid-sentence, or he just appeared to have forgotten what he was going to say (paused too long, perhaps?). And it really didn't help that he spoke in a dull semi-mumbling monotone that made the regular guy seem positively enthralling. I was mentally completing his sentences for him. It was particularly annoying when he would pause with just one word to go: "they didn't think it ... ... ... ... was". The worst part? He spoke at length about Darfur. I never thought anyone could make me disinterested in the plight of Darfur, but all I was interested in was getting out of that lecture theatre. I nearly left early, but I couldn't bring myself to be that rude. Truly, is it that hard to ensure lecturers are decent public speakers? I'm paying good money to go to university, so I don't expect to be stuck listening to people with the charisma and enthusiasm of tofu.
I'm honestly disappointed with this semester thus far. Last semester, for all the complaining I did about not being mentally stimulated, I had great tutorials and good lecturers apart from the Asian guy whose English was sub-standard to say the least. This semester, I've struck a couple of really dull and lifeless lecturers, one tutorial where no-one wants to participate (I suppose I should've known what I was in for with a 9am Monday tute), and one tutorial that turns into a pseudo-lecture from a tutor who clearly aspires to be a lecturer one day soon. And on top of it all, I feel as if a couple of my courses are poorly organised. I'm frustrated. But at least my Politics of Development lectures are fantastic and always get me thinking.
And I should have been studying instead of writing this entry, but let's all give a quick yay for procrastination. Yay!