January Blues

So when I intended to start a blog, I didn't account for the ridiculous work load of 4th year getting in my way. I realise I have been a bit slow on the old posting, but will try and keep it up!

During my time at university, whenever I have complained about any work I have do to, there is always a finalist within hearing who shut me up with "You wait until you're in final year", and to be honest I never really believed that my final year would be THAT much different from 1st or 2nd year? Well i'm here, and it is, and unfortunately I have become that condescending finalist!

The question that keeps cropping up is: 'Do I have that much more work to do?" or "Am I just taking it all more seriously this year?" - and to be honest, I think it is a mixture of the two. I only have the same amount of modules as in previous years, and some of my English modules are open to 2nd year students, so it can't be that the modules (in the English department at least) are any harder. What I can only think is that my attitude has changed. I couldn't imagine going to a seminar having not read the book - which we did all the time in 1st and 2nd year, a night in Smack would have taken precedence over finishing the last chapters of a book, and if I could get away with reading an English translation of my German books I would. (Awkward moment when one of my German lecturers stumbles across this - sorry in advance :-)) Not now. It's nearly week three, I have been back at uni for a month now and am yet to have a night out, I have already read 5 novels, some in German, written 10,000 words, done all my seminar homework, attended every class and still have another 5000 word essay to write before everything calms down again. Reality has set it and the end is in sight. Yes we have longer essays to write (5000 instead of 3000), and yes our final language exams are double weighted, and yes the grades I get this year determine what I might do for the rest of my life. But i'm trying not to get too bogged down in it all - after all, they say your years at uni are the ones you'll never forget, and I'm sure once these essays are handed in, the hard work will be forgotten :)

So I guess this is a post, less about teaching, but more about being a finalist at uni - I just hope the old saying 'Hard work pays off' actually comes off this time :)