After a few touch-ups to the referencing, I logged on to e-assignments (the electronic essay submissions system we use here) for the last time and submitted it, essentially ending my degree.
What came next was a whole cocktail of emotions. I mean, it’s not really officially over until July, when I get to wear a funny hat, collect a rolled-up piece of paper and actually graduate; but from now on, there’s no more work left. Everything that I needed to do in order to make sure that I was allowed to pick up that rolled-up piece of paper is now done.
Obviously, it feels like a gigantic weight has been lifted: I have a degree, all my hard work paid off - I made it through to the end. But then again, I am still left with that slightly deflating “…now what?”. I’m reminded of the most fulfilling experiences during my academic career, both those which I mentioned a few blog posts back, and more recently.
Just last week the Film Festival swept up another accolade - an EVA (Excellence in Volunteering Award), but now suddenly there is very little left to keep me occupied.
So, may I present to you dear reader, a little list of things to keep the brain active during such a time. You might not have finished completely, but rounding off any academic year usually ends up leaving a great deal of blank space behind, so here are some ways to stay motivated.
Use All Your Time
Okay, this first one may seem like a bit of a step backward: the last thing you want to be doing when you finally finish work is to go back and do it all over again. However, in reality, when it comes to something as substantial as this, you really should use all of the time made available to you.
Unless you have some sort of pressing reason to submit your essay ridiculously early, why not use the time to relax a little more and make sure you’ve squeezed your brain entirely dry of ideas? Especially if you simply just plan on transitioning into very little, those extra few days might mean the difference between a lower grade and a higher one.
It’s the final push - you might as well give it all you’ve got!
Make Stable Plans
The deadline has finally past and you’re well and truly done - great! Now what?
Suddenly the world is your oyster. All those long nights cooped up in Hartley Library have finally paid off and now you’re totally free to do whatever you want. The only problem is, there’s almost too much choice.
Going from a very rigidly structured work day to nothing at all can seem insanely jarring for a lot of people, so why not put some solid plans in your diary early on to help steer your freedom? It might be that trip you’ve always wanted to take or that friend you’ve never visited. It could even be something as basic as just going to the cinema. With the plans in place, not only will you definitely get to do everything you’ve been wanting to do the whole way through your work, but you’ll also start to fill your time productively.
Lazing around can be a lot of fun, but it certainly saps your energy levels too. If you don’t start making plans, you might start to see your entire summer gradually fade away before you actually get the chance to fully enjoy it! Which reminds me…
Pressing that final submit button was certainly very satisfying.
Enjoy Yourself!
True, the points I’ve already mentioned are there to help you maximise your productivity, even when you have little structure. What’s most important of all, though, is that you enjoy yourself. If these ideas don’t work for you, feel totally free to ignore them. You’ve worked insanely hard to get to this point, and you should be allowed to do whatever you so please as a reward.
Eventually, you’re going to have to start fumbling around with jobs, so now’s the time to get some much-needed rest. That might come in the form of making plans and doing things, but it also might end up with you still in bed at lunch time playing Grand Theft Auto in your pyjamas.
The trick is to just take that one thing that you always wanted to be doing whilst you were slaving away over essays, and totally embrace it.
I’ll be honest though, as freeing as it was submitting that final assignment, leaving the University’s Film department has been tough. I wish them all the best for the future, and can’t wait to see them continue to top the League Tables in Film Studies for a good while yet.
Education may be somewhat over, but life still continues.
Ben
