Last time I wrote, I was firmly entrenched in the numerous trials and tribulations of the summer exam season, and with three still to go, was very much at the foot of a revision-based mountain – but all the work was worth it for the spell we’re currently in; the post-exam celebration period!
It’s one of the best months to be a student; with all your academic commitments (for now, at least!) being firmly behind you, but still too early for any internships, placements, holidays or other events to fill up your diaries. June is a pressure-free opportunity to just appreciate and enjoy the incredible lifestyle that the city and University of Southampton offers as a whole, alongside the brilliant folk you've spent the past academic year meeting, working in the library with, and bumping into every now and then, all in glorious sunny (well, most of the time, this is England after all!) weather.
That’s not to say that the month encourages you to be lethargic, or to not make good use of the relative freedom - I like to use the spare time to pick up extra skills, for example (this summer I’m planning to definitely work on my graphic design!) – but more that it’s just a time to enjoy and savour for every student, celebrating an academic year (fingers crossed!) well done. This is particularly the case as I’m aware that in a year’s time from now I’ll go straight from exams into job-hunting, and then onto trying to make my way in the ‘real’ world - a thought which is frankly terrifying at the moment! But having benefited so much from my time here so far I feel ready to tackle such challenges or, at the very least, do my best in attempting them; so for now I can afford to just sit back, relax and enjoy the presence of the sun!
And what better place is there to do that than the Southampton Common; a huge, open plain located close to both campuses? It hosts one of my favourite annual occasions, the SUSU Theatre Group picnic where, following a great crowd-sourced meal (crisps, crisps everywhere!) and the often hilarious awards ceremony, actors and actresses who have spent the past year cooperating closely on stage take to ‘competing’ valiantly on the sports field . Let’s just say that we’re quite unlikely to be invited to take part in this summer’s World Cup (although we’re naturals at diving and faking injuries)!
But I've been up to plenty to fill the time in between, most frequently going to loads of rehearsals for the upcoming Edinburgh Festival Fringe show, The Importance of Being Earnest: a gender-swapped twist on the Oscar Wilde farcical classic. There’s something really surreal about trying to learn how to sit, walk and talk like a “lady” (!), especially when, due to the great weather, the directors decide to hold the rehearsals outside – we get even weirder looks than usual during them!
It’s one of the best months to be a student; with all your academic commitments (for now, at least!) being firmly behind you, but still too early for any internships, placements, holidays or other events to fill up your diaries. June is a pressure-free opportunity to just appreciate and enjoy the incredible lifestyle that the city and University of Southampton offers as a whole, alongside the brilliant folk you've spent the past academic year meeting, working in the library with, and bumping into every now and then, all in glorious sunny (well, most of the time, this is England after all!) weather.
That’s not to say that the month encourages you to be lethargic, or to not make good use of the relative freedom - I like to use the spare time to pick up extra skills, for example (this summer I’m planning to definitely work on my graphic design!) – but more that it’s just a time to enjoy and savour for every student, celebrating an academic year (fingers crossed!) well done. This is particularly the case as I’m aware that in a year’s time from now I’ll go straight from exams into job-hunting, and then onto trying to make my way in the ‘real’ world - a thought which is frankly terrifying at the moment! But having benefited so much from my time here so far I feel ready to tackle such challenges or, at the very least, do my best in attempting them; so for now I can afford to just sit back, relax and enjoy the presence of the sun!
And what better place is there to do that than the Southampton Common; a huge, open plain located close to both campuses? It hosts one of my favourite annual occasions, the SUSU Theatre Group picnic where, following a great crowd-sourced meal (crisps, crisps everywhere!) and the often hilarious awards ceremony, actors and actresses who have spent the past year cooperating closely on stage take to ‘competing’ valiantly on the sports field . Let’s just say that we’re quite unlikely to be invited to take part in this summer’s World Cup (although we’re naturals at diving and faking injuries)!
But I've been up to plenty to fill the time in between, most frequently going to loads of rehearsals for the upcoming Edinburgh Festival Fringe show, The Importance of Being Earnest: a gender-swapped twist on the Oscar Wilde farcical classic. There’s something really surreal about trying to learn how to sit, walk and talk like a “lady” (!), especially when, due to the great weather, the directors decide to hold the rehearsals outside – we get even weirder looks than usual during them!
Gender-swapping a play has been a good laugh for everyone involved! Here we are rehearsing inside… (Credit: Joe Hart)
… and out! (Credit: Joe Hart)
We've also been spending loads of time together as a cast and production team preparing ourselves for the trip (as we’ll be living with each other for a month up there!), making the most of our new-found time off. This has included, for example, trips to the cinema to catch a couple of movies we’d missed, and also earlier this week a visit to the Mayflower Theatre, in the city centre, to see a touring performance of the hilarious One Man, Two Guvnors. I’d never quite found the time, somehow, to see something there, but it was a beautiful theatre and superb venue, fittingly filled with a cacophony of chuckles by the comedic masterclass the show was – my body’s never hurt so much from just laughing before!
The pre-set for One Man, Two Guvnors featured a live band as you walked in; the show was incredible, one of the best things I've seen!
And as for what’s coming up, we’ll soon be going around the Civic Centre making the most of Southampton’s varied and well-stocked nature once again, as we seek to shop in plenty of fashion outlets – for Earnest dresses, of course! Another group of my friends have even looked at booking in some outdoor laser tag nearby, organising some ten-pin bowling or maybe even arranging the short trip to Bournemouth beach to make the most of the sunny weather (while it lasts!).
This weekend also sees the arrival of the annual 24 Hour Show run by SUSU Showstoppers, the Students’ Union’s musical theatre society, which I’m looking forward to taking part in again. Given only the titular 24 hours in which to learn a whole show before performing it for the first time, it’s always manic, chaotic, and a heck of a lot of fun (particularly as the audience are in the spirit of things – they tend to forgive a lot)! With all profits going to charity, it’s one of those great events where everybody wins, so if you’re free at 5pm or 8pm on Sunday 8th, we’d love to see you at the Annex Theatre on Highfield Campus (although sorry in advance if we, or the musical, is a little lacking in sleep at the time)!
After that, I’ll be seeing off my graduating housemates (whom I've lived with since first year!) at next week’s Grad Ball, before heading back up North for a bit, third year well and truly completed – crikey! Time seems to have absolutely flown by in Southampton and I've loved every minute of it, so I can’t wait to enjoy this great spell in June by getting round town and making the most of everything this incredible University, city and home has to offer while I can.
Robin
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