study abroad grief

i remember a day in the not-so-long ago month of January, when i was ridiculously stoked to be coming to London to study abroad.

but now it's March, and i'm about to gauge my eyes out with a spork. here's why:

the "lecturers" union here in the UK have gone on strike. it started about two weeks ago. frist off, thank GOD i'm not forced to call them professors, because the only thing they profess is there serious lack of knowledge on just about anything beyond their field. granted, that could come from a deeply-vested interest in the subject, someone who loves their field so dearly that they, like Dr. William Marvin of CSU, wears Dickensian clothes on a daily basis and wears his mutton-chop sideburns proudly, declaring that yes, he's a Medievalist and damn proud of it!

these people are not like him. they are not taught anything beyond what their "course" (major) is. but i digress.

the lecturers are on strike for more money. classes have been cancelled erratically, and last week, i didn't have a single one. as though that didn't make the experience weird enough, here comes the real gripe.

the strike is on, but we still have classes (when not cancelled with no prior notice). that also means that assignments are still due when set, including midterms and finals.

HOWEVER, the lecturers are not allowed to grade them. we still have to turn the shit in, but they can't even read it, let alone record a fucking grade for us. and if the strike persists, which it's looking like it will, considering the next walkout (no classes) is scheduled for next tuesday, then we will receive NO GRADES for the whole of the term.

that's right! we will have come here to study abroad in this opressively boring armpit of London known as Trent Park (fondly referred to as T.P. by us caustic Americans) and will have NOTHING to show for it, except papers written and never even graded.

i love the scottish university system, on which the american system is based. bless the U.S. and count your lucky stars you're getting a decent education there.