The end of these deadlines marks the beginning of semester two. The
weather will slowly get warmer, and summer will suddenly arrive without us
noticing. This semester will be my very final semester here at the University of Southampton and this, in itself, is a terrifying thought.
You see, this time last year when I was starting the last semester of
my final year as an undergraduate, I was safe in the knowledge that I would be
coming back to do my MA (providing I got the grades, which I did) whilst my
friends and coursemates started to panic about their impending future as
graduates. Whilst others frantically applied to grad schemes and internships, I
knew that I had at least another year before I would be doing the same. I
didn’t have to make the most of being here at Uni – I still had a year to enjoy
it!
Unfortunately time has passed too quickly and here I am. One year
later, watching the final countdown happen. Tick tock, tick tock.
Technically, I don’t finish my course until mid-September when I hand
in my dissertation, which gives me the whole of summer in Southampton too. However
this will be mostly spent studying in the library, whilst my friends are at
home for the holidays; it won’t be quite the same. Therefore I have, in my
eyes, just five months to go until everything changes once again.
As somebody who fell in love with university life as soon as I set foot
on campus for my first lecture, the prospect of leaving for good at the end of
the summer fills me with dread. Of course, it’s the opportunity to start a new
and exciting life, to try something new and to finally try and make my way in
the big wide world. However, as someone with a real passion for education, it
saddens me that it will not necessarily be on the agenda every day once my
dissertation has been finished. So I plan to make the very most of this last
semester.
I introduce to you my Final Semester Bucket List: a list of all the
things I wish to do, see or achieve before I leave the University of
Southampton. Aside from the obvious ones, like ‘graduate with a good degree’
and ‘work my hardest’, I have decided to make sure I really make the most of my
remaining time here. Even after four years here, there are things I have still
never done, and now is the time to do them!
If any of you are also leaving this summer, I recommend that you make
one too before you regret it!
My Final Semester Bucket List
1. Finally sing at Karaoke at
the Stag’s pub one Thursday night.
2. Have a curry at the
notorious Manzils Restaurant.
3. Try as much of the menu as
possible at Sprinkles in Portswood (an ice cream and waffle bar).
4. Go back to each of my
favourite nightclubs at least once
before I go.
5. Visit the Valley Gardens on
campus.
6. Go to one last show at the
Nuffield Theatre.
7. Go for a swim at the Jubilee
Sports Centre.
8. Go shopping in Portsmouth.
9. Go to the New Forest for
the first time since I was younger.
10. Help with SUSU Elections
coverage for SUSU Media.
11. Go to the local roller disco
12. Go to as many of my
favourite films as possible at the Student's Union cinema.
13. Have a day of picnics and
games on the Common.
14. Go on SUSUtv
15. Go to Varsity 2013 (a big sporting event between the universities of Southampton and Portsmouth)
16. Attend at least one more ball,
award ceremony and conference at the University.
17. Make the most of the
extracurricular lectures provided by Humanities.
I’d love to hear your bucket lists, so if you have any of your own, or
any that you’d like to suggest for me to do, do comment below!
Joanne
Do you intend to go back home to your family after university
ReplyDeleteHi Anonymous
ReplyDeleteI would like to move out and become independent as soon as I am able to, but as I currently have no plans for life after my MA I will most likely be moving back home for the time being.