Robert’s annotation:
As late as freshman year in college, I was still doodling in math class — though less productively than Vi Hart. Apparently I was also having trouble finishing my homework on time. This was my first problem set; I tightened up my operations (mostly) later on.
Did you continue the story about aliens?
No, it was a one-shot deal. If the T.A.s had asked for more, I would have kept going. But they seemed inclined the other way, so I stopped.
I’ll see if I can find some of the other cartoons I drew in college.
Just for fun, here’s a closeup shot of the doodle:
I was particularly pleased with the physically impossible sound effect.
It actually looks a lot like the old Flash Gordon comic book panels.
For someone who keeps insisting upon his lack of artistic skills, you certainly created much more interesting doodles than I did.
Naturally. You were merely an artist. I was a geek.
Actually I was still struggling with music my freshman year. I had a couple of years and several majors to go before being an artist even crossed my mind (that was my brother’s territory). I was still in embryo, a nerd/geek without portfolio.
I see. You probably hummed your doodles, then.
You know, you may be right about that.
I know I do.
I like it! The LUNAR PEAKS have nice cragginess. Was the JOVIAN WAR VESSEL from Jupiter?
Natch.
Thought ‘twould be!
CP’s answer implies that that might mean yes?
“Natch”, at least in British slang, means “obviously” or “of course.” I assume that’s how Robert is using it here.
Early-to-mid-20th-century American slang, too. It’s short for “naturally.”
Excellent but late–oh, Robert, I can sympathize. Also the doodle is awesome.
And one possibly irrelevant question. Did you have to write in cursive for your classes or is that just your handwriting? I know people had to use cursive a lot more back in the day, but was it required?
It wasn’t required; it was just what people did. We learned cursive in second or third grade, and most of us wrote like that from then on. Unconnected block letters were considered baby stuff.
Cursive is still much easier for me to write. When I print, it’s only for the convenience of machines (which are still like babies in many ways).
I’ll bet Hogwarts requires its students to learn Spencerian script, or an equivalent. Muse Academy certainly does.
Most of my teachers—non-math teachers, anyway—required cursive for any assignments that were turned in unless you had special dispensation.
One of my college friends grew up with British schools in Kenya where they taught cursive before they taught printing because it’s actually easier to learn—at least the writing part of it, not necessarily the reading. I think cursive is less tiring, too.
We were required to type our non-math papers.
All assignments? We only had to type major papers in college; none in high school that I recall. In fact, I can’t think of a teacher past 3rd grade who would have accepted any assignment that was not written in cursive. If you wrote in print you were marked down or had to do it over, unless you had special permission.
I was talking about college. But I typed almost all of my papers in high school, too. It was faster and neater, and there was less temptation to draw JOVIAN WAR VESSELS.
Um… That isn’t fair, about Muse Academy. I have motor learning problems, and I think learning to write a new script would be really awful for me, to the degree that if Muse Academy was real in this universe and also somehow happened to be affordable, the hope that I could possibly get accommodations would be all that would keep me from tears. There are accommodations, right?
Most people, when they learn to do something like ride a bike or write or play the piano… it’s difficult for them at first, because their body isn’t used to doing it, and it doesn’t come naturally to them. Soon, though, it becomes automatic; they don’t think about how they’re doing it, and some can’t even explain when asked. I’m not like that.
It took me ages to learn to write, but that isn’t even my point. My point is that when I wrote a word, I had to think about how to form each letter as if I was doing it for the first time. Everyone expected me to write as quickly as they did, though, so I had to do as much as they did, and I took so much longer that I lost a significant chunk of every day finishing writing things down. This was the case for many years. I couldn’t write naturally until several months ago. I learned in 8th grade what most did in 1st. It was literally just this sudden, miraculous moment when everything clicked, and writing was automatic, and I did mention it here, but I didn’t really know how to convey how big of a moment it was, so it probably seemed like a side thing, but actually, it was huge. I know I’m not being coherent, but it’s really hard to explain. I had no idea just what was going on myself until I read a book by Dave Eagleman that explained really well what everyone else was doing that I couldn’t.
Learning a Spencerian script… I could not go through that again. Ever.
Don’t worry, Bibliophile. Muse Academy in any form would always welcome you.
Silly question:
Do you usually write in print (in the US)? I thought everyone wrote in cursive… I can’t even do print b’s anymore, since I’ve only had to use them once or twice or forms since second grade.
Except for my grandparents/older relatives and occasionally my parents (who use it a lot more frequently than I do but not as often as grandparents), I don’t know anyone who writes in it solely.
There are probably still a lot of people who do but since we’re in such a technological age now, and since at most schools it’s not too hard to computer/printer time, typing up papers/things is a lot more the norm (and required for every large assignment I’ve done since freshman year of high school, actually).
All in all I think it is still being taught/used in some formal contexts but is mostly fading out with the practicality of typing.
My writing is somewhere between cursive and very small, nearly unreadable print, because it’s quite a bit faster to write that way. Most of the the people I know write either like that (conjoined, tiny, and mostly illegible), or in print. I don’t think I personally know anyone who writes completely in cursive.
Except for Russian, because everyone who writes Russian does it in cursive because there isn’t a print form…
Yeah. After taking Russian for a semester I can sort of write in cursive (I mean I learned, but I’ve not been fast at it.) I do have the tendency to write Russian Ns even when writing in English, though.
Yep. I don’t know anybody my age who writes exclusively in print.
Many students will claim that the hardest part of the SAT is writing the confidentiality statement in cursive.
Wait, what? You know no-one who only writes in print? Was that a typo, or are things really that different in other parts of the country?
Oops. Indeed, that was a typo. I meant to say that I don’t know anybody who writes exclusively in cursive.
I write in cursive 90-95% of the time, though this is a relatively recent thing, maybe a year or two. I can write in print still, of course, but it looks really messy if I’m trying to write quickly. Of course, that’s not to say my cursive is usually neat…I find it harder to read than other people’s neat print, but not any harder to read than other people’s messy print.
We had a unit on cursive when I was in second grade. My practice booklet disappeared and turned up three months later under a cabinet with vomit on it. I did not learn cursive very well.
I can write in it, if I need to, but it’s very slow going and I can’t remember a couple of the capital letters. I’ve always written in print. I have one friend who writes mostly in cursive, but everyone else I know uses print as well.
I think (aside possibly from my parents, but even then) I do not know anyone who usually writes in cursive.
Me!
Me, too, but I’m the only one I know.
Anyone not from the internet, I mean.
I sometimes write in cursive, and you know me in real life too, so maybe I count?
I can’t remember a lot of capital cursive letters anymore.
When we first learned it they assured us it’d be totally necessary forever, but after 4th grade almost everything we did was typed. To be fair I doubt they expected the onset of computers/word processing software. I don’t remember the last thing I was asked to d in cursive–no, wait, that’s a lie. When we went to take AP tests they asked us to copy a statement in cursive and it took me forever to finish it. Everyone said afterwards that it was weird and they couldn’t remember how some of the letters were supposed to go. The previous year we’d just had to print it.
But yeah. It’s really hard for me to read it! I get why in theory it is easier/faster (never picking up pencil: awesome and I do it anyway with my printing shorthand scrawl in places) but it also makes it super easy to make everything LOOPS AND SQUIGGLES with little to identify letters form each other. I have to guess words based on things I can pick out (“okay this has to be a ‘t’ or an ‘f’ at the front and judging by its length its 4 or 5 letters long, so it’s probably ‘this'”).
Maybe that’s just my grandmother’s though? And dad’s? …And at least 3 of my teachers?
Seriously I HATE it when teachers do comments in cursive, I already know they are in a hurry to get everything done on time and this contributes to being hard to read.
On the other hand, my mom has beautiful cursive. Very clear and easy to read. Then again, she is an occupational therapist, and spends a lot of time teaching the kids she works with to write/print well.
Is that a circled “STAPLE” i detect in the corner? The number of times I have neglected to staple math assignments…:x
That is indeed what the note in the corner says.
Behold:
Is that a request or a complaint?
I don’t remember. The Cursive Era was a long time ago.
When I was in sixth grade I had a teacher who insisted that everything be written in cursive; she thought it was better for your brain. That was recent enough that I’ve retained the ability to write in cursive. I use both, just depending on what I feel like doing. Although mostly I use an odd sort of mixture of the two.
Heh. We learned cursive in second grade and had to hand in everything in cursive if it was handwritten. Term papers have to be printed and most teachers accept printed homework, but since most language tests (German, for instance) required 400-800 word essays all written in (legible) cursive, it’s good to practice.
My writing’s sort of messy, more long and sideways instead of neat and curly. I never really cared about the look of the thing and as a result, people have asked me if I’m left-handed (I write with my right hand). I’ve tried writing a little with my left: it looks roughly like the way I wrote with my right hand eight years ago, perhaps a little spikier, so maybe I am left-handed or just equally ungifted with both hands. Sometimes, I resolve to use my left hand in latin or chemistry (where I won’t really need the notes) to get some practice, but I usually just forget again.
Anyhow, most of my notes are illegible for anyone but myself and a few friends. It’s a good excuse not to lend them to anyone. And then there are history lessons where all the letters are cutesy, textbook round loops because I was very, very bored. Cursive is just much more fun to read, and in some classes, like Latin, I don’t think I could keep up with my notes otherwise.
We should all send in samples of our handwriting. Some sort of set text that we copy out or something to be posted on the ‘Blog – I think it’d be interesting to see everyone’s handwriting.
Sounds like a fun idea to me. Would the GAPAs have time to facilitate this?
I don’t think this one would, unfortunately.