Expectations are strange, strange things...

So...the persuasive speech I posted about a few weeks ago? I just finished giving it. I ended up deciding on the topic, "Save the Spiders!", and talked about how spiders are very beneficial to society and shouldn't be killed, but rather respected.

It's funny -- last speech I gave for this class was an informative one about the history & future of the toothbrush. I LOVED that speech and had a great time doing it. I got a 99 on it -- the prof deducted a point because she said I didn't look at my notes enough (I knew the material too well) and I was "too energetic -- you sounded like a used car commerical". (Hello? I'm freakishly energetic. All the time. She should know that by now; I even get excited when she hands out homework, for pity's sake!)

Anyway, I took her advice about streamlining info, not being so darn energetic and not sounding so memorized for this speech. Personally, I think it stunk; I lost my place a few times looking at my notes and I was defintitely WAY less excited than last time. However, when I talked to her after class, she said it was actually much better than last time, because I relied on my notes instead of my knowledge and wasn't too enthusiastic. WHAT?!?!

Expectations are strange things, eh? I had high expecations of myself for this speech, and in my mind, I didn't come close to meeting them. And yet, apparently, by NOT meeting mine, I managed to meet HERS. So now that I've sacrificed my own goals in an attempt to live up to hers, I'll get a good grade.

AND, I had to wear matching socks today (knee-high socks with a skirt. I ROCK that look, by the way) because she said mismatched made it seem like I wasn't taking the assignment seriously. You would not believe how much I wrestled with this when getting dressed this morning. Sure, matching socks never killed anyone, but it was a matter of changing who I am to meet someone else's expectations. Conformity. Ick. And in the end? I wore matching socks for the first time in about 3 years, and I'd bet you my grade improved because of it. So there you have it -- College is teaching me to conform and sacrifice my personal beliefs.

So you know, college is strange, too, come to think of it....