This post is inspired by one of my favourite tumblr blogs (possibly ever) – Things I Don’t Understand And Definitely Am Not Going To Talk About – coupled with the realisation that I am 5 months away from turning 22, and there is still so much I don’t understand. Those of you who are older than 22, I apologise – I am very aware that I have a lot of life to live yet, hopefully, and in that future time I will probably find the answers to a lot of these things. But I feel that there’s so much that I probably should know and just… don’t? To those of you who are younger – you can sympathise with me, right?
90% of this list is pretty lighthearted: 100% I genuinely do not understand. Help is appreciated.
21 Things I Don’t Understand (and probably will feel the need to talk about):
1 – why (almost) everyone feels the need to ask me ‘what are you going to do with that’ when I tell them my degree.
2 – chequebooks.
3 – balancing chequebooks
4 – why my high school had to pick unnecessarily hard a-level syllabuses after piss easy gcse syllabuses. nothing ever matched up and gcse science is not science (unless it’s triple. we didn’t do triple)
5 – why the plural of syllabus can be considered syllabuses and syllabi. can we just agree syllabi sounds better?
6 – why american spelling consistently removes the ‘u’ in words (i.e. flavour, neighbour, colour). it needs to be there. it does.
7 – why people genuinely feel the need to comment negatively on other people’s outfits or appearances because they don’t fit ‘norms’.
8 – why people genuinely feel the need to comment negatively
9 – why people think that constructive criticism is a negative comment
10 – how people think that going to a new country with a view to stay long term and not learning the language past ‘getting by’ is an ok thing to do. it’s not. it’s kind of rude.
11 – taxes. this one scares me, too.
12 – why the thing you actually want to be doing with your life whacks you in the face after a pretty hefty investment into something else
13 – why companies are so eager to have employees with degrees, then so reluctant to hire actual graduates
14 – why my degree costs £9,000 a year.
15 – why student finance thinks the majority of students can live on around £3.5k a year. most of the time that doesn’t even cover accommodation
16 – why peach green tea is so awesome
17 – why green tea lattes are not a thing in the uk
18 – why, even with the current movement to make people so much more aware of mental illness, people still lightly throw around words that describe incredibly debilitating situations
19 – ‘your problem isn’t as bad as my problem, so I’m going to one-up you’ … this mentality, what?
20 – why outsider wasn’t crowned the fastest rapper in the world, just because he doesn’t rap in english…
21 – how ‘payment = experience / exposure’ became a thing
If anyone has any answers or explanations I’d love to be enlightened! Is there anything you still don’t understand (and probably should) – let me know and we can cry about it together. And by cry I mean write longer lists containing even more points…
♥
OK so I don't know if you genuinely care but some of these I am going to answer JUST FOR YOU FII!!!!1- Because if you aren't going to get a job straight out of uni it's pointless now, didn't you know? Jesus people, not everyone wants to be a laywer or a doctor. You need people to do other jobs too!6- Because Teddy Roosevelt (and others including Mark Twain) tried to make a "simplified English" to help reduce illiteracy! They also changed other words (like enuf, buro, blest) but they didn't stick.10- Because English speakers (who are typically white) are ignorant and think the world should revolve around them. Which sucks. A lot.11- Taxes aren't that confusing. Make less than £10,000 then you pay naught, make more you pay some. How much you pay though depends bc there's so many tax brackets and whatever else. Detailed explanations are confusing but I don't think the basics are that bad.Student finance is because rich people think that EVERYONE can afford to give their child hundred's of pounds a month for living expenses even though a lot people live borderline poverty and can barely afford to live themselves. It's stupid.I think that's all of the one's that I can answer ( another word changed by Teddy to "anser" 😉 )Look at me and my useless facts o////Chantel Dione | fashion, beauty, music & lifexo
Omg no no you are brilliant and now I'm going to win all the pub quizzes ever with that. And as much as this was tongue in cheek I really do appreciate you explaining ♥♥♥ xo
I love this post! Although, as far as what Chantel said for answering number 10 I live in The United States and I know a TON of people from other countries (that aren't white) that come here and don't speak English and are just trying to pass by without it. I've even been asked before why I don't speak their language in the U.S., so no it's not just "ignorant white English speakers" it's everyone everywhere with the privilege mentality that doesn't learn the language where they moved to. I know I'm not moving to another country without knowing their language. I really do love your post and I share very similar questions!xo, Lauren-leewww.laurenleegrace.blogspot.com
It's a really problem and it really does paint a picture of the ENTIRE group of migrating people, which is probably why such bad stereotyping happens. I agree that it isn't just white English speakers (whether they are ignorant or not) – it's a group of people who believe that they don't need to adapt to a new culture for whatever reason. I've seen it in many races when I was in Korea, and some Koreans had such a bad image of foreign work ethic and language ability they were often genuinely surprised when I'd reply to them in Korean!xo
Loved this post, so clever!Some of the things I don't understand–Why mortgages are so hard to obtain-Why mortgages is spelt with a 't'-Why real life finances aren't taught in school-Why unicorns can't be a real thing-Why every girl in the world seems to have a designer bag (where are you getting the money for this?!)Don't worry, I also don't understand cheque books, but on the plus side, I think they're becoming pretty redundant ;)Chloe xSnugcorner.blogspot.co.uk
Ah thank you! They are all very good things to not understand – especially finances and unicorns 🙁 I'd feel all my finances were better managed if it were by a unicorn. And very good imitations are surprisingly affordable… ;)I AM THANKFUL. I understand how to write a cheque, yes. I do not understand the need, nor why they require balancing?????? xo
Haha I can't understand checkbooks either! Dreading the day I will have to use them O:And I never tried green tea latte.. I'm intrigued (:Life in Pastel
Every time I get a new card 'do you want a cheque book?' No I bloody don't I don't want one please stop asking! Ahh They are one of the best things ever and I miss them so so so much 🙁 xo
Dude, I'm 25 and I literally don't understand anything that 'adults' should know at my age haha. I just roll with it :)Eärendil
I am glad to hear that! I just have a few burning life questions I felt the need to articluate aha!xo
YES!!! WHY AREN'T GREEN TEA LATTES A THING? I love London, but man English people need green tea lattes haha!I don't get number 7 too! There should be a rule against that!!X, CarinaRunning White Horses | Fashion + Travel
Because we suck. It's so frustrating!!! I miss them so much and I've used up all my latte powders I took back with me from Korea :(There should indeed! xo
Omg I love how I was about to say I agreed with so many then I scrolled down to find they'd been answered in the comments :') but number 17 – YES!!!!Sinéad xo ♥ fabuleuse, toujours ♥
Ahahah my girls have my back, I am now rather enlightened! Number 17 needs to be rectified. I want my green tea lattes back. In England. For a reasonable price!!xo
Darling, I like your blog very much! I like your style of writing and your photos! Everything is so beautiful!I’ll be happy to see you in my blog!)Diana Cloudlethttp://www.dianacloudlet.com/
Ahh thank you!xo
Hiya lovely!! Just catching up with your blog following the bdib chat last night! What a funny little list, intrigued by the green tea latte, I feel left out, I want to try one!! Uni expenses are my main reasons for not going to uni! I can't even begin to imagine how stressful it must be. My main bugbear? Why do companies ask for people who apply for a job to be "experienced" or "experienced in X" HOW CAN WE GET EXPERIENCE WHEN NO ONE WILL TAKE US ON IN THE FIRST PLACE. Ahhhhhh!! xxHannah x | hannatalks
Helloo!! Green Tea Lattes are the best drink, and I am so so sad that they aren't available in the UK – I first had them in Korea and was hooked. YES THAT. the never ending cycle. We want you to be experienced but we don't want to give you the experience! xo
Haha I loved reading this! Best one is about the americans leaving out 'u''s, for an outsider it is so confusing! xo Mel || Sketch & Scribbles
awh thank you! I feel strongly about that one – iT NEEDS TO BE THERE. Please stop trying to correct my British English spelling, American software!!xo
Korean is an amazing degree to have! Most employers are just looking for the fact that you completed a degree and having a skill that not many other people have (ie. Korean language and English cultural knowledge) is invaluable!Tweet xx
I think so too! Aha – I love being able to answer the question with stats and a general 'well I know it's going to help at least' answer. I just don't understand why people have to be so smarmy about asking. I'm loving being (almost) bilingual. It surprises people immense amounts.xo
#2 & 3 – Fii! I am 31 and I don't understand why checkbooks are still being manufactured! They are so antiquated. BUT, I'm glad I had one last year planning for our wedding because there were a few vendors who didn't take PayPal. Yes…this was 2014. And I didn't balance it…my bank account did that for me =)#7-9: Because people like to hear themselves talk.#1: I got a degree in English Arts (all things English, Grammar, Poetry, etc) and people STILL ask me why I did it. You would think I made a mistake but if you only knew how many Americans grew up speaking English and can't spell and/or use proper grammar…you'd be appalled. No matter the industry, I will always have a job. lol
That is good to know!! And i just don't understand why people feel the need to get all … 'but… why???' about degrees? Like, it interests me, isn't that enough???Aahaxo
Interesting post and funny to read – green tea latte sounds nice!I have a new outfit post up on the blog, would love to know your thoughts lovely:* Electric Sunrise – Fashion and Lifestyle Blog *x
Awh thank you! Green Tea lattes are amazing! They should really do them in the UK.Sure thing hun!xo
I loved this post and I hate when people comment on others outfits negatively too! xxfashionismyfirstlanguage.blogspot.ie
Awh thank you!I personally do not see the need for it at all – if you can't say anything nice, don't bother? xo
Goddamnit the student finance one gets me so hard hahahKimberley // thecolourchronicles.com
No 13 so true! I don't understand why British heating systems always fail to work, why you can't open a window properly, why the most ugliest and boring girls get to date the hottest guys…why life is sometimes so unfair :/Caz | Style Lingua