Posted by alexandra_k on July 24, 2013, at 23:51:38
In reply to Re: It is happening again..., posted by tetrix on July 24, 2013, at 23:10:09
I used to have my own office on campus. Used to have my own room, too, in a graduate student hall of residence. We had a 24/7 zero tolerance to noise policy. Which was wonderful. Meant you could sleep when you wanted, work when you wanted, and you simply got used to going out to socialize, and putting on headphones if you wanted to listen to noise at home. There were lots of places all around campus, too. Even cafes. People would talk... But it was a soothing background murmering. Often if you did intentionally tune in to the conversation it was something about work.
I was there for... about 5 years. And now I'm grumpy to discover that the rest of the world is different.
I purposely moved just across the road from a university library. Because I figured that I could work in the library, if worst came to worst, yeah. But then it turned out that the 'library' (actually 'information commons') was mostly set up with desks in a group work arrangement. While there were a few individual desks the noise carried to them. The 'silence' signs weren't enforced. When the librarians would (occasionally) make loudspeaker announcements for quiet you could hear them reading the speel they were supposed to and sniggering and laughing about it while they were reading it.
The quality of the noise was different... The noise of those *trying* - but being incapable of - individual work.Groups of students would come and sit in a circle round their group desks and pull out their books. And much sniggering and laughing and pretending to be stern and flipping of pages and arranging of pens would ensue. Incessant sighing. Kicking of ankles when looks and smiles weren't responded to. Coughs. Little squeals. There is no soothing background murmur. There is only the struggle to be the loudest, the most attention capturing. The point of which is that... It really is impossible to ignore.
I can't work. So... I won't let you work, either.
Heads up: Just because you sit around talking all the time, does not mean you have good social skills.
______
There is another university in the city center. I can work there... I have applied to study there next year, actually, once I've finished my thesis. I just applied to move into a grad hall of residence... Will see how that goes. The semester started last week but the automatic form let me put in an application for the grad hall I am interested in, so we will see whether they have a place and whether they will consider me as a visiting grad and what they will make of me more generally with respect to next year when technically I will be an undergrad rather than grad...
I'm not entirely sure this is financially feasible...
But I guess if I get offered a place it might give me options. And... It is really just across the road from the medical library... Please oh please let this work out for me. Self contained. Right in the city. Surrounded by grads. F*ck yeah.
poster:alexandra_k
thread:1047657
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20130612/msgs/1047775.html