Observed Conversation

I might be stretching my "found object" definition here, but I found this assignment on an old computer of mine. For this assignment, I observed a conversation without the observed party aware. I sat next to two girls during lunch and recorded their conversation. Below is a transcription of the conversation as far as I could transcribe it, until I stopped out of frustration. The names are made up.

INT. FOOD STORE/DELI——DAY

Two female college students sit at a table together. The store is busy with lunchtime fervor and many other students are sitting at other tables having conversations.

BETHANY

I would get more enjoyment out of my classes. I would find it much more enjoyable and I would get more out of it. It's like, I'm trying to do too much.

(pause) And also life in general would be less problems, 'cause right now, like, I really really like to do work, but I find

(with emphasis) that's all that I do.

HILARY

Right. How can I get a life if I can't meet people?

BETHANY

Exactly. But, umm, I just, all I do is my work and I like it, but sometimes I'm like, still…

HILARY

Right.

BETHANY

I lost a lot of sleep this week. It's hard to compromise the two. It's either like, you're fully a student or you compromise your schoolwork.

HILARY

Right. No, totally. Like, umm, I forget, someone was talking about, I forget who. Their parents were like, why are you taking four classes? And they were like, most people at Columbia, or a lot of people at Columbia, take five. The people at any other college, like, the norm is four. Like, even at other Ivy Leagues. The norm is four.

BETHANY

It's bizarre. And they set it up, they structure it so you must take five, you know? Or else you can't graduate on time.

HILARY

Yeah, I mean it's like, my sister goes to a trimester school. So they took, it took 'em. It's like, eight classes if you take four classes a semester. Nine classes if you take three a semester. The only reason my sister had to take four was because she took a semester off.

BETHANY

What school does she go to?

HILARY

She goes to Union. But like, schools that are trimester you only take three. Granted it's a smaller semester.

BETHANY

Yeah, more intense probably.

HILARY

But, like, I, my life felt so… Like I'll see her every semester registered for four classes, and my classes are just like… I'm, like, I'm not good at, like, compromising some classes. Like, every semester, there's one class I do low in and one class I do really well in.

BETHANY

Yeah, same here.

HILARY

And it's like when you sit down and it really, takes time for you to understand something and learn something, that's when you appreciate it, but up until that point…