In Uni,

I have had the privilege to be taught by Professors who in my opinion teach purposefully.

I can do some exams in pencil, which is nice. This is when I think the prof personally does not have any good reason to restrict answers to be strictly written in pen. But this also means that such a level of strictness depends on preference which differs from prof to prof. What is okay and works for one may not be so for the other.

I am not told a black-and-white way to do up my research report, but am given suggestions to do so. I learn that as long as the way the content is being presented makes sense and it serves its purpose the best way I think it does at that point in time, that's probably fine. But I don't know what other experienced academics do know and find useful, so I still follow how other academics do their stuff, even if I don't fully understand yet, and hope that I eventually will (at least a bit more).

There is no textbook (/diminishing emphasis on textbook). The material in the textbook (should there be one) will change anyway (and therefore the presence of 2nd edition, 3rd edition, revisions...). My textbook becomes research papers. For some modules my lecture slides are summarised versions of research papers (sans citations). Yet they may be relevant only for a certain period of time.

I'm glad I don't know everything, because that means there is always more to learn.
(That's something that makes life exciting?)

"Stata thank you?"

"E. Beam." (V)
"My name isn't something very smile-y, is it?"