Problems With University Learning, How I Keep A Commonplace Book and Some Good Writing Advice From The New Yorker

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Melbourne’s finally entering winter, and when everyone wants to stay in with their heaters alongside a warm cup of tea, I gave into my urge to always be out and about in the cold.

My partner grew up in a warmer climate, and when she was enjoying the humid dampness of Singapore, I was running around naked in the snow in a small province bordering Russia. So when I say the cold reminds me of “a Russian Literature moment”, she’ll roll her eyes and ask to steal my coat. So here I am, coming at you from a café a street away from Flinder’s Street station.

Before we get the ball rolling today, here’s some housekeeping. From now on, you can submit questions to the subscriber’s chat every week. If one of these questions catches my eye, I’ll dedicate an entire AMA block to answering it, and your profile will be featured alongside the column. Given the volume, I prioritise questions from paid subscribers and those that generate the most reactions from the chat. Don't be shy and say hi if you want to join the party.

Today’s question came to us from a long-time supporter and thoughtful commentator: Nico. Here’s his question:

Hi Robin :) one thing I would be especially interested to know is: how did you go about (or rather against) institutionalizing learning? How did you preserve your learning and education for yourself during your time in college? I mean personally of course, because obviously there is not much you can do about the dominant presence of the education system (at least right now). I know it’s a little vague, but I’m happy to hear your thoughts on this topic.

-Nico