# Hello from Canada!



## chizuru (Sep 23, 2014)

Hi, I'm Jazz.  I hail from the sticks in Canada. I'm currently enrolled in university as an English major, but I hate it. I've always loved literature and writing, but I find university to be too restrictive. My grades aren't great or even close to it, but I'm slowly making improvements and am very happy with myself for not giving up. Still, it has helped improve my writing skills compared to how they were in high school. I go to a very small liberal arts university in a small town, but am likely moving to another country after graduation. I also study Canadian history and women's studies. 

I'm hoping to be an ESL teacher after graduating and see whether or not I like that route. I otherwise hope to somehow work in immigration or do another degree in social work. I would also like to someday be an international student advisor at a university.  I also love languages and culture, and am actively involved with international and exchange students on my campus, helping them adjust to life in Canada. 

At the age of 11, I decided to become a writer. This was mainly influenced by Diana Wynne Jones, as I used to soak up her books in a matter of days after purchasing them. I also loved Lemony Snicket. I have written a very rough draft of a novel I'm rewriting now when I was 16, but stopped writing for about four years. I went through a depressive episode a year ago, and am trying to overcome it. Writing calms me, and I'm much happier with my current writing than I was four years ago. I'm taking up my professor's advice to keep working at it everyday and share it with other people.  

Besides writing, I also enjoy Japanese indie music, art, fashion, traveling, and working towards my life goals. I collect cute things and vintage tea cups. I adore cats and have my own little fur baby. ^_^ I hope to make some friends here and get to know other writers. I might not post much of my work since I tend to share it individually. Sorry if this post is rather long.


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## Nickleby (Sep 23, 2014)

The main purpose of a school is to teach you how to learn. The main purpose of a university is to teach you critical thinking. Getting a diploma means you've fooled everyone into believing you have a lot of patience, suffer fools gladly, and blindly follow directions. Now aren't you sorry you wasted all that time (kidding).

You're not obliged to post your work. I would encourage you to provide some feedback for other members, which will help your own writing by forcing you to analyze theirs, by practicing tact and clarity, and by the simple act of practicing your craft. Once you have more experience, you may reconsider.

Welcome to Writing Forums. Contact a staff member if you have questions or concerns. Once you make ten posts (as shown in your profile), you can get into the private workshops. It's all in the FAQs, just the FAQs, man.


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## Offeiriad (Sep 23, 2014)

Canada has sticks? Who knew! :welcome:


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## chizuru (Sep 23, 2014)

Nickleby said:


> The main purpose of a school is to teach you how to learn. The main purpose of a university is to teach you critical thinking. Getting a diploma means you've fooled everyone into believing you have a lot of patience, suffer fools gladly, and blindly follow directions. Now aren't you sorry you wasted all that time (kidding).
> 
> You're not obliged to post your work. I would encourage you to provide some feedback for other members, which will help your own writing by forcing you to analyze theirs, by practicing tact and clarity, and by the simple act of practicing your craft. Once you have more experience, you may reconsider.
> 
> Welcome to Writing Forums. Contact a staff member if you have questions or concerns. Once you make ten posts (as shown in your profile), you can get into the private workshops. It's all in the FAQs, just the FAQs, man.


Aha.. Well, school has taught me plenty of things, thinking critically being one of them. Having genuinely engaged professors is also great. I'm currently taking a class with a prof who loves Canadian literature and short story, so I'm hoping to get her help too.  I just wish I'd gone into a different path, like social work or something. Still, I like some of my classes, I'm just not a big fan of studying literature before the 1800s, which is what I'm required to study.

I signed up to give feedback to other users.  I do so in real life, so I'd love to do it here. No forcing needed. ^_^ Thank you for the welcome!


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## Elvenswordsman (Sep 23, 2014)

Welcome to WF! I'm also from Canada, great place to live. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out. Do you know your path to ESL Instruction?


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## chizuru (Sep 23, 2014)

Elvenswordsman said:


> Welcome to WF! I'm also from Canada, great place to live. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out. Do you know your path to ESL Instruction?


Hello!  I've messaged you. I might have some ESL questions too. I'm hoping to do one of the programs after graduation for a year or two, hopefully being placed with older children. I'd actually prefer working with adults.


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## Blade (Sep 24, 2014)

:welcome:Welcome to the forums chizuru.

I hope your educational experience does pay off for you over the long haul despite your reservations. You do have lots of exposure to written material and the time to study it that you would not have if you were in another course or out working somewhere.

In any case have a look around the site to see all that is going on and feel free to ask if you have any questions. Good luck.:encouragement:


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## ActionHeroTrainee (Sep 24, 2014)

chizuru said:


> I hail from the sticks in Canada.







Offeiriad said:


> Canada has sticks? Who knew! ￹FPRIVATE "TYPE=PICT;ALT="







chizuru said:


> I'm currently taking a class with a prof who loves Canadian literature



Canada has literature? Who knew!

But seriously, welcome from a fellow new guy. I hope the forum isn't as much of a distraction to you as it is to me, or else you'll never find time to do any of your schoolwork.


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## chizuru (Sep 24, 2014)

Thank you, guys.  I'm focusing mostly on Canadian literature whenever possible (a four year degree isn't long enough to get into depth, and I don't have the money/marks to do a masters, sadly). I'm hoping to do a specialty course with one of my profs on literature by or about immigrants in North America. Don't get me wrong, I like school, but there are certain reasons I am not overly fond of being where I'm at.

Also, fun fact, my boyfriend coauthored a book recently which is being published in another country, although it is a self help book. His company is just starting up so they aren't expecting to really make money from it, but to get their word out there. So he's already ahead of me (he's won poetry contests in his home country).


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## thepancreas11 (Sep 24, 2014)

Can I just say that having listened to it quite frequently I love your national anthem, almost like the writer meant it to be sung at the top if one's lungs with a smile on one's face. O! Canada indeed.

I look back on my schooling and realize something similar especially when it comes to literature. I read books now that I should have read then and enjoy them in spite of my knee jerk reaction to hate anything deemed "classic" by something teaching English. That being said, now I understand what they meant. Perhaps it's because I've come to this site and realize what the caliber of writing is out there, but I now understand more and more of the beauty in true literature. I hope we might be able to dj the same for you.

Toodles!
thepancreas


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