Finding a community you can feel completely a part of is an important part of anyone’s life. Sometimes that might involve being a part of a religious group, a shared experience, or a passion for a shared interest. One of my favourite aspects of studying Classics as a postgraduate at Durham is that it involves being part of a community.
A passion for classics
Unlike as an undergraduate studying Ancient History, everyone on my course is equally as passionate about Classics as I am! It’s so rewarding to be able to strike up random conversations about Ovid’s oversharing in the Amores or giggle about Oedipus becoming a marriage expert in Syriac with people who are equally as interested. I have found it far easier to make friends as a postgrad because I am surrounded by people who are passionate about and dedicated to learning as much as they can about a subject we both love. It is incredibly rewarding to be able to immediately strike up a conversation with someone on my course and find that they are equally as fascinated by the same obscure topic (in my case ancient textile production)!
Learning the language
I didn’t do any Ancient Greek at undergraduate level, so beginning to study it during my MA was quite daunting. The idea of having to learn aside people who had had the opportunity to learn classical languages much earlier than me, was particularly intimidating. However, I was not alone! A large part of my cohort was equally inexperienced! Although I have not found the course easy, and I regret not taking Ancient Greek earlier, being able to understand primary texts in their original language is incredible! Additionally, being able to share that experience with other students is so rewarding, whether that is encouraging each other through the difficulties of coming to grips with the aorist or in the pleasure of rediscovering the beauty of Sappho.
Ἐὰν ᾖς φιλομαθής, ἔσει πολυμαθής.
“If you are fond of learning, you will soon be full of learning.”
Isocrates, To Demonicus 18
Classics family
One of my favourite experiences with the Classics Society was becoming a Classics family with my friend and some fresher ‘children’. This meant that we were assigned freshers who were also part of the society who we helped with any difficulties they had on their course or in fitting in within the department.
The Classics Society put on a bar crawl social where we dressed up as Dionysus and we met our ‘children’ who were dressed up as grapes! Neither my friend or I drink so I tend to be a little cautious about the kind of socials which revolve around alcohol. However, we didn’t feel at all pressured to drink to have fun and we had a great time getting to know our new children and taking part in the challenges the society put on. We were given a water balloon ‘grape’ and our mission throughout the night was to protect it! It turned out to be the perfect mix of nerdy classics conversations and silliness.
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