Arrived in Oxford yesterday and I’m now firmly ensconced in my student digs out on Banbury Road. My room is pretty basic – a bed, a desk, a wardrobe, and a basin in the corner – but it’s got broadband connection that’s faster than my one at home so that’s something.
My fellow students are all taking exams at the moment. In Oxford that means donning your subfusc and sticking a coloured carnation in your lapel.
Subfusc are the clothes students wear with full academic dress to take exams. As well as an academic gown the guys have to wear a dark suit, black socks and shoes, a white shirt and a white bow tie. The girls have to wear a black skirt, white blouse, black tights, black shoes and a black tie. From what I saw yesterday there doesn’t seem to be any regulations as to how short the girls’ skirt can be. But it was a sunny day.
The colour of the carnation reveals how far into the process you are. A white carnation denotes that you’re just starting your exams. A red carnation lets the world know this is your last one. A pink carnation means you’re somewhere inbetween.
Apparently I have to wear subfusc when I present my paper at my tutorial next week. It’s on Gerard Manley Hopkins, not TS Elliot as I’d been told. And although I only arrived yesterday I’m already knee-deep in sprung rhythms and instress. I did find something interesting on his erotic influences but I’m not sure I can work that into the essay question yet.
The big question, of course, is which carnation I should wear. Technically the tutorial will be my first and last exam.
The tutorial is 60 minutes long so I’m considering taking along three carnations, one of each colour, and changing flowers every 20 minutes as the lesson progresses.
It might just distract my tutor from just how crap my essay is!
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