Cam says
I’m about to finish my Bachelor’s degree. With the finish line in sight, I’m actually feeling quite nostalgic for the last three and a half years. I might actually miss it. Though truthfully, I’m back next semester for postgraduate and so really, my rose tinted glasses are completely unnecessary. I’ll be right back again soon.
Finishing my degree might be a little different than I imagined – I’ll be sitting at home, pressing submit on CANVAS, and then it’ll all be done. Maybe a wave of gratitude and relief will come over me, colours will swirl around me and lift me up into the clouds where I will become a higher form of myself. Or maybe I’ll just knock off downstairs and start onto the magnum bottle of Rosé that I’m now saving for this occasion. I’ll let you know.
This semester has been challenging. At the beginning of this year, I had many hopes for 2020, but I certainly had no expectations of what was to come. But of everything that happened this semester, I think what I’ll remember is the response from UoA students. The ability as a collective to adjust, adapt, and to make new plans when old ones fell apart. We had a massive change to how we operate at university, and we’ve managed to keep moving forward despite this.
In week two, Dan and I wrote a column called ‘CoronaChaos’. It hasn’t aged well. We didn’t predict how fast COVID-19 would threaten us and as it turns out, we’re not psychics. Damn. The column however did say one thing right, that there is a merit in staying calm and keeping on. That is exactly what students have done, kept calm and kept on.
All the best for exams and enjoy your 5% grade boost,
See you in Semester Two,
Cam
Dan says
Okay, look. It’s the end of the semester. Everyone’s about to graduate, celebrate, go home and relax. I don’t want to be a downer. So even though I’m on an immense downbuzz right now (I literally just handed in the most painful assignment of my entire life, a 17,424 bitch of an essay) I’m going to try keep things upbeat.
People talk a lot of smack about university. We joke about it being a pointless piece of paper; about it being endless; about the pain and discomfort it brings us. We complain about the costs, about the time commitment, about the lack of job opportunities. It’s easy to get caught up in the swirl of negativity, to see our achievements as meaningless or inconsequential.
But that’s not true. Completing a university degree – hell, even just starting one – is a massive accomplishment. Don’t let yourself be persuaded otherwise. Be proud of what you achieved this semester. Working through the lockdown hasn’t been easy. But you’re one step closer to fulfilling your goals. Treasure that. And enjoy the last few weeks of the semester. This may e
Anyways, I’m off to hibernate. I think if I sleep 24 hours a day for the next few weeks I should just about catch-up with my sleep cycle by the time exams roll around.
Cheers,
Dan
PS. Mark Henaghan, LAWGENRL 433 professor: you’re a lovely guy. Thank you for sending us heart-warming videos of your grandchildren encouraging us to study. Thank you for your support throughout the semester. Thank you for making family law a compelling and parsable subject. But for the love of god, YOUR PAPER IS FRIKKIN FIFTEEN POINTS PLEASE MAKE THE FAMILY FILE SMALLER OR GET RID OF THE OTHER ESSAY AND EXAM COMPONENT AJKBLJAHSDGADFG okaythankyoubye.
PPS. If you’re graduating this semester: congratulations. How the hell did you manage it? Please share your secrets with me. I’ve been here for FOUR AND HALF GODDAM YEARS.
