March 20, 2017, by Words on Words

The Business End of the Year

This blog post was written by second year English with Creative Writing student, Thomas Hughes.

Formative essays, internship deadlines, society elections – yep, we are reaching the business end of the year again.

Somehow we are already well into March and there is less than a month left of the spring term. Some English students are already submitting coursework for upcoming deadlines, when it feels like only yesterday that we were opening our brown envelopes on autumn semester Feedback Day. There is a sense that we are already approaching the home straight of the academic year.

And it is not only the course that just got serious. Internship and placement deadlines are coming thick and fast. These opportunities are more heavily associated with other degrees, but someone like me with an interest in journalism or marketing needs to take all the work experience opportunities they can get. It is good, then, that there is no shortage of opportunities: I have a long to-do list of deadlines, and it will be impossible to apply for everything.

Then there is extra-curricular activity. Whether you play a sport or not, you will be aware that Varsity is just around the corner, while for me personally the second stage of the Handball University Championships is the biggest sporting event of the calendar (in playing terms obviously – somehow I doubt it attracts as many viewers as the Champions League final). Meanwhile it is almost time to elect new committees for the many societies, not least Impact magazine, which is being re-structured next year (in the meantime, keep your eyes peeled for more articles by yours truly).

In other words, it is that time of year when we have to start getting stuff done. For second years like me, we have now passed the halfway mark of our degree (a scary thought, I know), and it is natural to feel an obligation to cram your CV with as much as possible before the grind of third year.

Yet it is also important to remember not to take on too much. Yes, we all want to make the most of our short and sweet time at university, but we cannot do everything. Focus on the things you want to do, rather than the things you feel you should do. Another company name on your CV can only be a good thing, but if you do not actually enjoy an internship, then how beneficial can it be?

So as we enter the business end of the year, do yourself a favour and cut down on unnecessary stress. We are only here for three years, so we should make the most of it. But at the same time, we are only here for three years, so how about we enjoy it?

Thomas Hughes

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