I finally met my department yesterday. Okay, it's history, so I imagined that everyone would be a little eccentric. We're not the most socially capable bunch in the world. Yesterday's History Postgraduate reception involved a lot of nervous speeches from faculty members who all seemed a bit scared of us, and a lot of professors pushing students to "finish the wine before they kick us out of here." Okay, so I guess I not in the States anymore. The first and only time I shared a drink with any of my professors was when I gave my senior presentation on my absolutely fascinating thesis entitled "Intellectual Origins of Nazi Doctrine." I was nervous, drank a bit too much before my presentation, thought I bombed it, and wound up getting an A. In general, when presenting papers
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