UQ Diaries
What is one thing that you refuse to learn and why?
Welcome to another edition of UQ Diaries. Each month, we explore some of life's juiciest topics, from money to relationships, and technology obsession to irrational anger.
At our heart, our mission is simple: to give your voice a chance to be heard.
This month, Contact posed the following question to our UQ community:
What is one thing that you refuse to learn and why?
Read on to see what some members of the UQ community said.
Note: some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
Your responses
Age: 33
Degree: Bachelor of Arts
Occupation: Communications
City / Town: Brisbane
I refuse to learn the offside rule. Not even for the Matildas –who inspired me to actually care about sport for the first time in my life – will I absorb this arcane piece of sporting legislation. Did they get the goal or not? No? Great, I have no further questions.
Age: 57
Degree: N/A
Occupation: Executive assistant
City / Town: Brisbane
Doing maths in my head. That's what excel spreadsheets were invented for! I only have a limited memory capacity or 'elastic band memory' in my head; it's usually full of thoughts about work, home, dogs, dogs, dogs, craft, shoes and shopping – so there's just no room for mental arithmetic.
Age: 22
Degree: Bachelor of Arts
Occupation: Student
City / Town: Brisbane
Ironing my clothes! I feel like it’s just too time consuming and I’ve found little to no purpose for doing that. I guess people nowadays are more laid back and wouldn’t mind you having some wrinkles on your clothes. Plus, hot iron is quite a safety hazard and I wouldn’t risk it just for the sake of looking neater.
Age: 34
Degree: Bachelor of Arts
Occupation: Administration
City / Town: Valley
Learning to drive is hailed as a rite of passage, an essential skill that grants freedom and independence. Yet, the prospect of navigating the bustling streets evokes a sense of dread. The road, with its myriad rules and unpredictable variables, is such a daunting place to me. I refuse.
Age: 55
Degree: Bachelor of Arts
Occupation: Postgraduate student
City / Town: Canberra
Ride a bike. I've made several attempts to learn, as a child and an adult, but I just thoroughly loathed the experience. I've now decided that riding a bike would add absolutely nothing to my quality of life and I've happily abandoned any further plans to learn.
Age: 58
Degree: Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, Bachelor of Arts, MA
Occupation: Writing and proofreading/editing
City / Town: Brisbane
I refuse to learn anything about using AI in the creation of art in any of its forms. The process of making art is as important as the resulting artwork. It is all about expression, thinking, feeling, drafting, tearing down, starting again. AI may be useful in other areas but not in the production of art.
Age: 36
Degree: Bachelor of Journalism
Occupation: Graphic designer
City / Town: Brisbane
We have a really high-maintenance Miele coffee machine that needs SOMETHING done to it every time you turn it on. I just have one coffee a day versus my husband’s 800, so I absolutely refuse to learn all of the various things this machine needs.
Age: 25
Degree: Bachelor of Business
Occupation: Marketing
City / Town: Brisbane
Spellcheck and I are besties. While I enjoy writing, I think that I will forever misspell words like recieve (aka receive) – thanks spellcheck.
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