The written test (installment two)

[raven]

I'm bored, uncomfortable and just had an encounter with an individual henceforth to be known as Arsehole of the Universe. There are reasons for all of these except the last. I dragged myself out of bed at seven thirty in the morning in time for breakfast and the PPE written test. Which is incredibly formidable and makes me feel scared. I'm still scared even though I've done it. The first question was an article, discussinng contractualist political theory and value-added political theory, neither of which I could honestly claim to have heard of before. I had to comment on the article and summarise, which wasn't so bad, but then had to discuss something "the author has overlooked." Argh. In the end I talked about values as imprecise and "liberty" might imply both the liberty to steal and the liberty not to be stolen from, so on and so forth, etc.

The next bit wanted me to define each of three words, making the differences between the three clear. "Refute, reject, deny." "Novel, radical, total. "State, nation government." I fluffed and made up definitions and generally wrote stuff regardless of relevance. The problem is of course the time limit. It's impossible to write either as much as you want or in as much detail as you want when you only have twenty minutes for each part of the test. The third part involved numbers. It gave you statistics about a shop and what it sold and what it cost the shop to buy its merchandise and some people and how much they were willing to pay, and then they wanted you to predict profits. For the first time in my life, I voluntarily started writing equations. It dawned on me that they'd save me time, but my skill at algebra is such that I have no idea whether what I wrote made any sense mathematically or otherwise.

The ironic thing is that after a sleepless night and having to drag myself out of bed, I now have nothing to do until tomorrow. I could read the newspaper, I could go out, but neither is entirely appealing at the moment. It's very cold and looks like it's going to rain. So I'm sitting here playing on the internet, which brings us neatly on to the Arsehole of the Universe. I talked to him briefly before, when he struck me as arrogant ("Oh, if I don't get in here I'm going to Harvard") but just now he drifted in, looked very obviously over my shoulder and said, in the most condescending tone imaginable, "Oh, I see you're preparing for your interview as we speak."

"Um... no," I said, and didn't add, no, I'm reading my friends page and what business of this is yours, exactly?

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said. "I just thought you were." And his eyes were resting on someone's femmeslashy icon.

"Well, I'm not," I said. "Or was that just a misguided attempt at sarcasm?"

"Yes, but not misguided," he said, gave me a dirty look and sauntered off with Mumless Pierced Boy.

Maybe I'm just being twitchy. I think I'm going to go out, and do something I don't know what, or else phone Fidan and annoy Rice-Oxley.

Comments

[hathy-col.livejournal.com]

Tell the Arsehole Of The Universe:

"You! Out of my gene pool!"

I just like the phrase, to be honest. Bah. Silly people.

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

*grins* He's just such an arse. There is no other word for him.

In other news, I talked to Hannah and it looks like we're partying at LIPA. Which sounds terribly odd when I come to think of it.

[hathy-col.livejournal.com]

He sounds like a complete and utter twat. Hit him with a stick until he goes away. (If that isn't a Colleenism, I don't know what is.)

YAY! Bring on the party! I'm actually really rather looking forward to this; it's an excuse to look a little bit posh, buy some shoes and drink. And, y'know, to see everyone again.

[shipperkitten.livejournal.com]

Slight change of plan with the party... I don't think they have got a late licence so [I don't think] alcohol won't be around by the time we all finally arrive. So we might be moving the party to Liverpool city centre, if that is the case. Does that make sense?

[eternalwings.livejournal.com]

You probably dont want to hear this Iona but it sounds like A.O.T.U likes you *chuckles* or is scared of you. possibly as you have given such a clever nickname. Just a question- is the pierced guy called Adrian as he sounds like one of my mates...

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

It makes sense-ish. Where in Liverpool city centre?

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

Oh, I doubt that. He's an arse.

Adrian? I'll find out. Mentally referring to him as Mumless Pierced Guy means I haven't actually bothered to ask him his name yet...

[shipperkitten.livejournal.com]

Hopefully not the same place as the work people! :P

[eternalwings.livejournal.com]

Mum....snigger snigger......if it is adrian he quite amusing, how is like there then? Miranda has the cutest pressie for you. Catherine was glaring at us because we were reading her disturbing texts. They involved chains and I am sooooo not going there. We scared Mr. Evans again. Apparently if you take dieting pills when you are preganant your daughter will be a lesbian. Miranda said that rather loudly- he left rather quickly.

[gamesiplay.livejournal.com]

I just have to say-- I don't envy you most of that test (value-added political theory, ew), but I do envy you the word bit. I've been sitting here quite happily for the past ten minutes making mental distinctions between "refute," "reject," and "deny," because I am precisely that Wrong in the Head. I sort of wish we were tested here, too; it'd balance out the interview, by which I was slain.

"Yes, but not misguided," he said, gave me a dirty look and sauntered off with Mumless Pierced Boy.

I think you should kill him. (And tell him that actually getting into Harvard is a myth. No one gets into Harvard anymore. ;)) Although exposing him to a femmeslashy icon was a good response, too.

[gamesiplay.livejournal.com]

In all my blathering above, I forgot to say good luck, as always. It sounds like it's going well.

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

I read that! About the slimming pills, I mean. It comes of having read just about every daily broadsheet published today and yesterday.

Weirdly enough, I'm missing you and the other mini-Scoobies. Ask Miranda if she knew Anthony Stewart Head was in Little Britain. Someone's got it on in the common room and it's terribly surreal.

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

The test, or a former version of it, is here (http://www.admissions.ox.ac.uk/interviews/tests/PPE.pdf). I did it as a past paper on Friday and hurt my brain, but the words are actually my favourite part. At least I don't feel I could be better informed and/or better at maths.

You know, you may continue to tell me that you were slain by interview, but current evidence has a tendency to dispute the fact. You are actually at your first choice college. Hee. :) In the meantime, I must go to Staircase 20 tomorrow (informally known as the tower. I'm getting interviewed in a tower!) and prepare to face my doom, etc., etc. Roll on Wednesday.

Regaring the AofU, I may well kill him. An excellent idea that is extraordinary in its simplicity, and will certainly release tension round here.

[quackaquacka.livejournal.com]

Miranda's here...(roaming)...

Yes, I did know that. Apparently, he plays the Prime Minister.

However, having seen about two minutes of a man in light blue leather and fairy wings on that programme, I got quite disturbed and switched to CNN (I like CNN).

And yes, I did scare Mr. Evans. But oh well.

[language-idling.livejournal.com]

You should've spat back at him that you weren't preparing because you were already prepared, thank-you-very-much, and that you were just a little concerned that BASED ON INTERVIEW AND TEST ALONE they might just give you your degree straight out and you were concerned that you might miss out on the university experience. Hyperbole is a splendid device to use on arrongant jerks.

[mettanna.livejournal.com]

Yikes. I've just had a look at that past test, and ow. You're brave for even looking at the thing! I hope Arsehole of the Universe isn't being too... arsehole-ish, and once again, good luck for tomorrow!

[eternalwings.livejournal.com]

roaming? *raises eyebrow* and I've seen anthony Stewart head in Little britain! woo, the mini scoobies? Is that our group name now (cheers!) well mini scoobies are missing you too Iona. Good luck until you get back!

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

I saw! It's really creepy. Really really creepy.

I'm not surprised Mr Evans was scared. Pretty soon he'll stop spending his time in the library and then who will we have to tell Norman Tebbit jokes?

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

*giggles* Meredith, there are no words for how brilliant you are. Thank you.

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Thankfully AotU is nowhere to be seen, and the interview's over!

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

Thanks! And yeah, we're the mini-Sooobies. Yay us!

[walkertxkitty.livejournal.com]

I'd have told him, "You're right, it wasn't misguided. It was plain lame. If no one finds the comment witty but you, you've failed. Now get the hell out of my personal business."

The process you're describing is similar but not as intense as that for getting into a teacher's program.