I have exactly one day before the first exam of this end-semester season. So naturally lots of thoughts are panning through my head. At this point, I’m just looking for excuses not to study, so all of these thoughts are definitely helping.
The first, is attendance. Attendance got declared this afternoon for us, and we’re writing exams tomorrow. I think it’s pretty sad that we had to wait so late to find out whether or not we’d be able to write exams the next day. Additionally, for those provisionally detained, they lost easily an hour or more of studying time having to go and speak to the Examination Department. And these are all issues we can resolve. However, resolving them also means a more transparent system for attendance, and I’m not entirely sure I want that.
I miss classes to complete other work that I’ve prioritized for the day ahead of classes – I’m not going to lie about that. And more often than not I get that done. I took advantage of that this semester more than I ever have before, so I was a little on edge about the attendance list and was very grateful to have made it past.
The second is the TV Show F.R.I.E.N.D.S. As one of the first sitcoms I was exposed to, I remember really enjoying most of the series and falling in love with the characters and the story arc. As I grew up and rewatched clips of the show on YouTube, I realized how well the dynamic between six very talented cast members was portrayed, but I also realized how poor some plot arcs were. And though poor, they inspired an entire generation of sitcoms and memes and tropes – which is not something I think the show gets enough credit for. I was introduced to How I Met Your Mother in Grade 7, when I think it was in its second season – and I followed it along on the television, learning several things about current American pop culture along the way. You can’t deny that there’s clear elements of “Inspiration” from F.R.I.EN.D.S. on the HIMYM set, and the HIMYM plot. You also can’t deny that they were originally meant for two completely distinct set of audiences.
There’s merit to each show that deserves some acclaim. And as I binge-watch F.RI.E.N.D.S. on Netflix, to keep myself away from the doldrums of heat and exams, I realize that a little more.
Tejas Rao 