Pressing on

Once again the ever-productive (or at least every student hopes!) Easter holidays are upon us; the annual, often panic-filled time for a little bit of rest, some much-needed relaxation from the craziness that the end of the Lent term usually brings, and then it’s (some might say unfortunately!) on to work and revision ahead of the summer exams.

And whereas normally I’d still be doing my best to get out and about as much as possible, meeting old friends from back at home and making the most of the luxury of on-demand football in the living room (it always seems to somehow clash with deadlines and rehearsals at University – although that’s possibly a good thing this season, being a Manchester United fan!), this year there’s an academic and personal demand which seems to loom over most days and is wonderfully guilt-inducing if you’ve not supplied it with some time! Yes, the infamous, foreboding presence of the deadline for submission of my Third Year Project, the Computer Science version of a practical dissertation, is nigh.

There’s something quite surreal about typing the first words of a document, in my case a technical report detailing my work from start to finish, which you know, by hook or by crook, will one day feature ten thousand of the things! But at the same time, I’ve found the process of writing up my previous nine months’ worth of work quite a satisfying (if sometimes gruelling!) experience, particularly when, wading through papers, I’ve been delighted to find one or two sources granting me a glimmer of inspiration – there’s nothing quite like those “Eureka!” moments along the way, even though sometimes this has led to me working in the night to capitalise on them (or else they won’t let me sleep)!

And although I’ve had to considerably reduce the scope of the project from its initial concept and goals (at the time when I thought anything would be possible in nine months, forgetting the fact there’ve been modules to study for as well!), I think I’ve been lucky enough to take on a piece of research which does, to an extent at least, bridge the admittedly somewhat thematically tenuous gap between the worlds of theatre and computer science, two great passions of mine which have ensured that the challenges have remained fresh and interesting in my mind over the duration. Plus, it’s given me the excuse to watch plenty of shows throughout the year and feel justified in doing so (“background research”!), so it’s really been the best of both worlds!

Taking on a Third Year Project bespoke to my own interests has allowed me to play with analysing theatrical footage with Computer Science-based techniques – a lot of fun!

Once the project has been turned in, there are a few final threads to tie up in terms of coursework assignments and the infamous “project viva” (an hour-long presentation where I have to explain, discuss and, in some instances, defend my work!) before exam season kicks in and revision launches into full swing, with three heavily-weighted ones on the horizon for me.

But amongst the seemingly heavy workload remain a number of dates and events to look forward to, including the annual Performing Arts ball at the beginning of May (always an incredible occasion with the brilliant people you’ve performed alongside for a year, and the perfect gee-up for exam season!), the Students’ Union’s Excellence in Volunteering Awards (EVAs) shortly thereafter (which I’m gratefully attending as a nominee for commitment to Performing Arts – thank you to whoever put me forward!), as well as the excuse during revision period to eat plenty of comfort food!

So although in these final few days I still find myself swamped in references and figures, citations and tables, and paragraphs to write aplenty, it’s probably nothing compared to what’s in store for the next month or so! There’s certainly a feeling of the calm before the storm at the moment.

But with the end of my third year in Southampton in sight, I know there’s plenty left to take on yet, to relish, to press on with, and to enjoy, so it’s just going to be a case of keeping my head down, taking on one challenge at a time to the best of my ability, and at the end of it all enjoy the glorious sun, celebrations and trip to the Edinburgh Fringe (again!) which are sure to follow. Here’s to a Happy Easter to all, and the best of luck with everything the next couple of months promises to offer!

Robin