Third Year Dissertation: tips and finding that work-life balance

It is easy for students to feel lost with what to do when writing their dissertations. I’m happy to admit that I myself feel a little overwhelmed with the workload I have right now; juggling a part-time job, societies, my three other modules, social life and, of course, writing my dissertation!

Where to get the extra help

Aside from meetings with your dissertation supervisor, there are loads of places where you can go find out about some of the skills you need to be successful in your studies and beyond. One such place is the Academic Skills Hub based in the Hartley Library. It is staffed by librarians who can cover a range of topics with you from:

• Academic Writing
• Critical Thinking 
• Information Management 
• Academic Integrity and Referencing 
• Presentation Skills 
• Exam Techniques 
• Research Skills 

The best thing about this is that you don’t have to book a one-to-one session. The Hub is open Monday to Friday from 10am – 12pm and then from 2pm - 4pm. You can just drop in for a 20 minute session with one of the team.

 

My Dissertation Bible. I got this from the Academic Skills Bookshelf on Level 3 of Hartley Library.

Some Tips…

I particularly like the fact that the Hub helps with research skills. It is extremely useful for finding the right academic sources for any piece of writing. I use a ton of academic journals for writing essays so I use DelphiS regularly. For those who may not know, DelphiS is a University website which has all of the library’s electronic and print items and lets you access most journal articles online that may not be in WebCat.

From dropping into the Hub, I have learnt that the way you enter search terms on DelphiS greatly affect the final quality of your essay. For example, you can use the technique of “truncation” to allow you to search for multiple forms of a term or when you are uncertain how a word is spelt. So instead of doing three or four separate searches, you are able to save a considerate amount of time by finding the maximum possible journal articles you need with just one click.

The database cannot sense what type of journal articles you prefer to come up. Its results will be based on what you input in that search box so using a truncation symbol helps weed out potentially irrelevant sources.

An example of different results that will come up with truncation. The truncation symbol for DelphiS is an ‘*’ or a ‘$’

My dissertation is about economic underdevelopment in South East Asia with a focus on the economy of the Philippines. I have found that over the years I have developed a huge interest in current affairs – I find myself constantly asking: “why is this particular event as issue?” Or “why is it that these groups of people choose to behave in this way?” After moving to England at the age of 10 and developing an interest in British and International Politics, have always been - and always will be - curious about the politics of my home country. Writing what is perhaps the biggest piece of academic work I have written in my life so far on the country that I was born in is one of the best things that I could do. Not only does it satisfy my love for learning about how power works but it also keeps me in touch with my roots.

I have heard time and time again that writing your dissertation on what you’re severely passionate about is the main thing that will motivate you throughout any all-nighters you may encounter!

My academic poster for my dissertation. My course has a module called Research Skills in Politics and International Relations that encouraged us to come up with a topic idea as early as we can and gave tremendous feedback. The poster shows the development of how I’ve come up with my topic. 

One other thing…be prepared!

The other thing I must mention is to be prepared when you’re meeting with your supervisor. It is up to you to initiate a meeting with them as they are your first point of contact. However, you must remember that, like yours, their time is precious. Set a meeting with them but make sure you have an idea of what you want to talk to them about. It is equally important to actually do readings before your meeting so that you have an academic basis for your conversation. Perhaps what I should have done in my first meeting was to bring a copy of my academic poster for my supervisor to have a look at!

Finding that balance

Past Life at Southampton Blogger James wrote about working hard and playing hard…and he is absolutely right. All this dissertation fever can get you down what with the winter rain and minimal sunlight (it is autumn after all…)

So aside from making the library my second home, I have also found time to focus on other activities!
 
Getting as much sunlight as you can during the day is crucial to beating Seasonal Affective Disorder at this time of the year- and what better way to do that by enjoying the beauty autumn brings to Highfield campus.

Highfield Campus in Autumn (credit to the University of Southampton's Instagram account). 

The Filipino Society threw a Halloween party…

…complete with a buffet, games, and costume prizes!

The Big Bang! Fireworks display at Mayflower Park

It just goes to show that feeling overwhelmed about an important piece of work such as your Dissertation is okay so long as you make use of what is there to help you. Of course, it helps to be prepared by doing key research, planning your time wisely and rewarding yourself.

Now I’m off to do some more reading If you’re doing your dissertation as well, may no procrastination be ever in your favour!

Rylyn

Six weeks gone, six more to go

It's hard to believe that six weeks has already gone by since the start of the new academic year. Part of me has reverted back to the pre-summer routine and it feels like I’ve been here forever, but at the same time I feel as though it’s still week one and I have no idea what’s going on.

Thanks to the joy of coursework deadlines and reading assignments beginning to pile up, I thought I would just write a short blog this week, highlighting the best bits of the Semester so far, and what I’m still looking forward to.

My favourite things so far:

Getting back into baking. So many of my posts are about the things I do to avoid doing my University work, it’s a wonder I get anything done at all! Thanks to the cold and uninspiring weather of late, I’ve been spending a lot of time trying new recipes for bread and cakes which is lots of fun but doesn’t do my waistline any good!

My growing collection of flour is taking over my tiny kitchen!

Meeting the new people on my course. There are only three of us taking MSc Global Health this year which is lovely because we became good friends really quickly. What’s even greater is that our modules are really diverse, so we have met lots of lovely people studying various different postgraduate degrees. We meet regularly for study groups (usually hosted at my place since I’m so close to campus) and the occasional dinner out in Southampton.

Having a great time at La Baronia, plus as it was Mexico Week organised through the University, we enjoyed 10% off and a free cocktail!

Halloween! This year instead of going “out-out”, I went to a party that my old boss from work was hosting. It was so much fun catching up with the people that I used to work with because I don’t have much opportunity to see them anymore. Instead of dressing up I put my creative efforts into a Monsters Inc themed cake, complete with eyes that ‘bled’ jam…

I named him Fred

The eyes, though a bit disconcerting, were delicious! 

Things I’m looking forward to:

Starting to hunt and apply for graduate jobs. It feels like such a strange thing to be doing only six weeks into the MSc, but big companies start their recruitment drives early! Positions for graduates are already being advertised, with interviews in January and start dates in July. Although I’m nervous about filling in lengthy job applications (the ever present fear of rejection looming over me) I’m excited to see what’s out there and what opportunities I can go for.

Going to Oxford to see my sister and my parents. I haven’t seen my family in a long while since travel is so expensive and home is quite a way away for me. Fortunately my sister lives in Oxford, which is much easier to get to, so we are all meeting for lunch there to celebrate my birthday (testimony to how busy we all are, my birthday was mid-October!)

I can’t wait to see my dog in real life and not just over snapchat… 

Christmas dinner with the lovely ladies on my course. I’ve never had a proper University-style Christmas party before due to heavy coursework loads and people leaving at different times. This year we are going to book a table at a restaurant in the city and have a proper Christmas celebration.
Tables book up quickly so if you are planning on having a Christmas meal, best book a good time in advance to ensure you can get a table big enough for everyone.

Emma

Alternative Tips to Staying Sane During Assignment Fever

There are many upsides to pursuing a university course like mine that’s assessed entirely through coursework, namely the fact that you never find yourself getting sucked into the January/Summer exam panic. It does mean instead, though, that when assignment deadlines do finally come around, they’re not exactly the nicest things in the world.

Of course, the first bunch of this year’s deadlines are now fast approaching, so work-mode has very much been initiated. This obviously means different things for different people; we all have our own working methods. Whereas some like to hibernate away in the reclusive work pods of Hartley Library, I find my brain better suited to locking myself in my room and chaining myself to my desk for the foreseeable future. Okay, it’s really not that dramatic; there are no actual restraints to speak of, it’s more about remaining focused mentally.

So without much further ado, here’s a little breakdown of the things I personally do to keep sane during these slightly heavier working days.

Dance Breaks

From even as far back as GCSE level, the concept of taking frequent breaks whilst working is drilled into our brains. You obviously don’t want to burn yourself out, and we all know when we’ve reached that stage where nothing productive is actually really happening. The trick is in noticing this as soon as possible and then… dancing.

Stop laughing. It’s actually incredible helpful. I mean, this is probably a little bit harder if you’re in a crowded library (in which case, I’d recommend sneaking off to a quiet corridor or toilet cubicle), but the theory behind it is solid.

When we take breaks, we so often find ourselves getting incredibly distracted, what with the internet existing and all. So a 5 minute Facebook stalk suddenly becomes a half-hour cat-video-fuelled odyssey through the weirdest reaches of YouTube, and then your whole working persona is shattered.
Dance breaks, however, are far more structured, provide you with plenty of great exercise and, most importantly, they wake your brain up considerably. Pick one or two particularly funky tracks (extra funky if you’re the sort that listens to music whilst working), maybe something you can sing-along to if you’re in a particularly empty spot, stand up from your work space, and just go to town.

Just let yourself go and enjoy the music, letting all your fears and worries about revision and essay writing completely slip away. All you care about in that moment is the rhythm of whatever you’re listening to.

Five minutes later, lo and behold, you’re cured. Suddenly you can return to your desk with your brain reset, fully prepped to get back to work.

There is no shame in boogieing away your essay stress.

Talk To Yourself

This one’s definitely a whole lot weirder if you’re in a crowded public space, but I’ve found over the years that having brief conversations with yourself about certain topics can actually help cement in your mind exactly what you want to say. This works particularly well with more abstract concepts and theories; having to explain out loud exactly what it is you’re trying to say is a great way to help you articulate it more clearly.

Obviously you could go and find another human being to talk to, but this could well lead to further distraction. A conversation might erupt. Suddenly you’re not talking about gender politics in Die Hard anymore - you’re discussing dinner plans, or your unexplainable hatred of that guy in The Apprentice. Or worse…you’re on Facebook, and the cat videos are back and once again your entire work focus crumbles.

Better to be safe than sorry. Those cat videos are mental poison.

Cloning not 100% necessary. 

Bring Your Deadline Forward A Few Days

Okay, this one is very easily the trickiest to do properly, and requires a lot of mental self-manipulation but if it works, you’ll never miss a deadline again.

I’ve found since first year that almost every single one of my assignments is due on a Tuesday afternoon and I’ve always been one for fail-safes in almost everything I do. If I need to get a bus or a train somewhere, I always get the one scheduled to arrive before the one I absolutely have to get. If I need to set aside some money to pay a certain bill, I’ll always set aside a little bit extra, just to be safe. And the same works for deadlines: if I have a deadline on a Tuesday, mentally my deadline is actually Sunday. Thus, no matter what happens, I have an extra two days packed in just in case something goes horrifically wrong. Like those cat videos taking over again.

This is a particularly hard one to pull off, because a lot of people (students in particular) need the stress of impending doom to actually get up and do something. To force yourself to do something early requires quite a bit of self-control, and so, if you don’t feel like you can manage such things, here’s a simple, although not exactly 100% foolproof solution: lie to yourself early on.

When you first get those deadline dates and you’re putting them in your calendar, bring them forward a few days. If your lecturer says it’s due on Thursday, put it in your calendar for Tuesday. This way, every time you check to see when your essay is due, you’ll always be thinking a few days ahead. As much as you might trust your own brain, fail-safes are always a good idea, just in case.

These are just a few of my own methods for keeping on top of things during these harsh working months. Feel free to give some of them a go but do remember, we all work differently and so we all have our own ways of remaining sane. Some of your methods might even be better than mine!

I do recommend that you try a dance break though, even just once.

Ben

My favourite places to eat in Southampton

We have reached November, which means that we are already halfway through this semester and I keep thinking we just started the term last week! Last year I was counting the days until I could finally be home and not have to cook my own food anymore. This year has been quite different. To make a long story short, I have been sofa surfing for a while now and with this I have also been eating out so much I actually miss cooking food.

Some of you may have read Emma’s blog post on preparing food at University and enjoyed it as much as I did. But understandably, there is a time when you can’t be bothered to cook or you want to go out and just enjoy good food. So, to make something good out of my weeks without a kitchen, I’m going to share my favourite places to eat in Southampton. Of course, there are plenty of places to eat on Campus, but it's always nice to explore cafes further into the city. Everyone can find something here that suits them, and I have mentioned a few places which are ideal for lunch and breakfast as well with some good restaurants for dinner.

There are plenty of good Italian restaurants around the city, but my favourite is Piccolo Mondo.
Piccolo Mondo is located just across the road from the Civic Centre. It’s not easy to spot at first, but given that every time I have been there it has been very busy, it must mean that they have a lot of regulars coming back. The portions are a decent size, so be hungry. I love the spaghetti carbonara here.

Mexigo. This is very easy to find as it is located right on London Road. My friend Miranda and I have almost tried everything they have to offer; from burritos, fajitas, tacos to nachos and enchiladas. We both agree the enchiladas are the best, but don’t come too late as they are often sold out for enchiladas after 6. It’s also a reasonable price for the food and you can take it away or eat in. 

Nara Sushi. I won’t claim that I have visited every sushi place in Southampton, but the few I have visited has been quite disappointing and hence I have been a bit sceptical to sushi here. For someone who eats sushi probably twice a week when I’m home, it’s safe to say I have missed having a proper sushi restaurant, so finding Nara Sushi in Bedford Place was one of the most pleasant surprises I have had while eating out in Southampton. The coolest thing about Nara is that you can bring your own drinks there, so you can buy whatever you want and enjoy it with your meal. Obviously it’s not very budget friendly if you want to go here every week, but if you are eating sushi for the first time, go to Nara.

Halladays Tea Rooms in Bedford Place is not exactly a place to come for dinner, but for breakfast, brunch or lunch this is heaven. Remember the delicious pancakes from my last blog post? This is the place. They serve everything from pancakes, ciabattas, baguettes and salads to full English breakfast. Check out the tea menu, I dare to say no other place in Southampton can offer a bigger variety of tea. They are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays and very busy on Sundays, but worth every pound.

Again, it hits me mid-eating that I should take a picture of the food, but then half of it is already gone! Here's my breakfast at Halladay's Tea Rooms

When in Bedford Place, Retro Café is also a good choice. Located in the upper part of Bedford Place, this is a very enjoyable place to have lunch or simply just go for a coffee with a nice atmosphere.

Café Valentines in Oxford Street. Three words; Try the smoothies! I know there are some very decent smoothie bars around West Quay and High Street, but the smoothies here are actually just as good.

They also make delicious coffee, so if you fancy a Sunday stroll, you should end it here as it’s just a 5-7 minute walk from the docks.

I hope this gives you some inspiration to places to go out for coffee, tea, lunch or dinner in Southampton. As mentioned, I always seem to take pictures of the food when it’s too late, so I apologise for not having better pictures! However, if you are extra curious you can check out more restaurants and cafes on Tripadvisor.

I’m always up for trying new places too, so feel free to let me know in the comments if there’s somewhere I have to try next!

Alexandra

A university field trip experience: Politics and International Relation in Brussels, Belgium

I went to Brussels as part of my Politics and Governance of the EU module last year. It is, most definitely, one of my most memorable experiences from my time at university so far. After spending a mere three days with people from the class, it surprised me how well one can really get on with those whom they’ve previously thought of as simply a familiar face they see from time to time in lectures.

The module’s aim is to provide students with a working knowledge of the history of European integration, of the main institutions of the EU and the EU policy process. The field trip was a stakeholder visit that allowed young people to discuss some of the key current issues confronting the EU’s future direction: its democratic legitimacy; its enlargement, the Eurozone crisis and other current challenges.

We made our own travel arrangements to and from London St Pancras. Thankfully the way there was smooth and I didn’t run late. We arrived 50 minutes before the train’s departure for security checks.

Belgian Waffles for 1 euro!

We stayed at the Sleep Well Youth Hostel. We were lucky as we didn’t have to sleep in mixed rooms with ten or twelve people per room! I packed lightly as we had to carry our bags with us all day on the Wednesday. The towels and toiletries (shampoo etc) aren’t provided at the hostel but we were able to borrow towels (for 1 Euro) which I did to save space in my bag.

Day 1

We must have arrived in Brussels around midday. We had lunch at a small restaurant at the Grand-Palace. I managed to get myself steak & chips and a beer for 10 Euros! Everywhere was pretty close, so after a short walk we made our way to the European Commission office. The Commission’s role is to defend the interests of the union. Its role on paper is to effectively the driving force of European integration.

Group picture at the European Parliament visit

Day 2

Our schedule was pretty jam packed on the second day. We spoke to a representative from the Committee of the Regions which gives voice to the regions and cities in the European Union. We found that there are 350 members from the 28 EU countries. When one thinks about the effort that must go through communicating through translations, you really can appreciate the challenges that Union has to go through.

What I enjoyed the most about this day was meeting with Jean-Christophe Filori. At the time of the visit, he was head of a unit that deals with Turkish issue of membership within the European Commission. The honesty of his opinion, that it is not accession that the EU prioritises but the consideration of whether the state in question follows the Copenhagen criteria first and foremost, was refreshing. You don’t have to agree with what they’re saying, but hearing the opinions of Brussels politicos nevertheless makes European politics less distant.

Inside the European Parliament

The field trip took place in spring. I must say that this was the perfect time to hold it as the weather in Brussels was absolutely divine! I must’ve averaged at 23 degrees with not a cloud in the sky! It was also fantastic of the trip conveners to let us have time to wander around the area. I think this is when the group most bonded.

Basking in the sun outside the European Commission office

 

Belgian Beer 101

Day 3

The last day was spent visiting the Eurochild office and the UK Representation in Brussels (COREPER- Committee of Permanent Representatives).

Eurochild is a network that promotes the rights and well-being of children and young people. Talking about the interests of young people in Europe was incredibly mind opening. Europe is a wealthy continent and has abundant resources to provide for children who will grow to make up the foundations of its society. However, at the time, the Euro crisis with Greece begged the question of whether or not the European Commission had time to consider other things in its agenda. I had the chance to mention this issue during the visit. It is true – the question of finance was indeed priority at the time, but what the EU must always keep in mind is investing in children is both a moral obligation and an economic priority. The youth are, after all, Europe’s solution to its ageing demographic.

The UK Representation in Brussels (COREPER- Committee of Permanent Representatives)

I would absolutely consider working in Brussels when I’m older. The UK has representatives working there. The picture above shows when we were given a talk about what policy making involved when working with the EU. In short, there are a lot of priorities that is considered. It is effectively a relationship based on bargaining and consolidations. But this isn’t necessarily a bad thing – Politics is the study of humans with differing opinions that is made to work through negotiations.

Free time spent at the Grand-Palace Square

You hear a lot of negative news about the European Union in the media. Britain leaving the EU (or ‘Brexit’ as some media outlets aptly put it) is once again becoming a hot topic in politics; the Conservative party adamant to hold an in and out referendum by 2017. Allowing us to have a first-hand meeting with the policy-makers within the Union made its complicated institutions a little less ‘mythical’. The field trip is an excellent example of how Southampton maximises the learning experience of its students.

A video of the trip!

The Department of Politics and International Relations (PAIR) and School of Social Sciences paid for our accommodation and travel. All we had to bring was our travel documents, money for the metro and for food. I wanted to mention once again my thanks to the department and to the University for financially supporting the trip – it really was just fantastic.

If your department offers a field trip like this, don’t miss the chance and take it. It will really make your university experience!

Rylyn

Let's talk about mental health

This is something that I’ve wanted to write about since I started writing for Life at Southampton, but I have always managed to think of something else to write about…perhaps to avoid talking about mental health.

At the end of second year I suffered a series of panic attacks and was subsequently diagnosed with anxiety and depression. I hadn’t wanted to admit that I was struggling; even day-to-day tasks were becoming difficult and even just talking to people or leaving the house to go anywhere other than the library was becoming impossible. I convinced myself that I was just focusing on work, I was just busy and under a lot of pressure – that how I was feeling was normal. It wasn’t until I hit a crisis point that I went to the GP and admitted something was wrong. Since then things have gotten better, and I wish I had spoken to someone sooner, before I let it get as far as it did – but it’s still hard to talk about.

My experience, it turns out, is similar to the experiences of so many students, not just at Southampton but all over the UK. The transition to University is one of the most dramatic transitions that young people today face. Countless studies have shown that the prevalence of mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression and eating disorders are significantly higher amongst student populations – yet somehow, unbelievably, mental health isn’t something that’s commonly discussed before you move to University. For some reason, we still have this concept of mental health disorders as something you can ‘just get over’.

So, the first message that I want to get across is: if you notice that you aren’t coping well, that your habits have changed, you’re becoming withdrawn, or eating differently – talk to someone.

 The first point of contact could be a friend, your GP (the GPs at the University Health Service were extremely knowledgeable and helpful), or Enabling Services within the University (who run drop in sessions from 1pm to 3pm Monday to Friday during term time).

Also Masters students, PhD’s and Postdoc’s, listen up! Those studying a PhD are the most at risk of developing a mental health disorder, so all of this applies to you as well.

If you speak to your GP, they might recommend that you seek out some form of counselling, either through Enabling Services (which is free) or through NHS Steps2Wellbeing (also free), which offers counselling and treatments such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for various illnesses.

Something that has frustrated me immensely is the cliché that an eating disorder is only anorexia or bulimia, and that it only affects women. This is not true! Men and women are equally at risk of developing an eating disorder, which can manifest in any number of different ways. What’s important is that you recognise that you know you best. If you notice that your eating habits have changed, or that you feel differently about food, that’s when you need to talk to someone. Eating disorders are best cured right at the start, before they have time to take hold and do irreparable damage.

The key thing to know is that you are so not alone, and that in Southampton there is so much help available.

For instance, the University has launched a new counselling service where students have been trained to act as ‘buddies’ for people who are finding it hard to adjust. They are trained in confidential listening techniques and have loads of advice for students who don’t know what to do next.

Charities such as 'Student Minds - Southampton' offer support groups, events and training, and runs campaigns aimed at raising awareness. Visit their Facebook page for more information.

The University offers a number of specialised treatments and outreach services so that there is ALWAYS someone for you to talk to, at any time, in Southampton.

Emma

Interviews, press conferences and transferrable skills

All of Rylyn’s talk about the careers fair and employability in general got me thinking about my own future this week, just in time for some rather exciting opportunities to float my way.

Getting wrapped up in the University itself is always a fun and rewarding experience, and my course alone has given me plenty to keep busy with; but every now and then, especially now that I’m hurtling through my final year here, thoughts seem to shift towards what on earth I’m going to do when I leave. I’ll be honest, it’s a scary prospect - anyone who said otherwise would very likely be lying - but this week I came to the conclusion that almost everything I’m doing will have some worth when I’m out in the big wide world, hunting through the job market.

On a more basic level, the social experience of University has certainly had an overwhelming effect on how I engage with other adults in general, and sticking to numerous deadlines - whether they are for assignments, my own projects, or even this here blog - has definitely helped to master those pesky organisation skills.

More obviously though, I’ve been given the opportunity over the past week to embark on a couple of exciting ventures which, in themselves, have proven to be more directly useful in tooling me up for that eventual job hunt.

The first of these opportunities came in off the back of my coverage of this year’s London Film Festival for The Edge - which I talked about in more detail in my last post - wherein I somehow ended up in a room with some of the film industry’s most celebrated figures, to support the release of Universal’s new film Steve Jobs.

A press conference for the new Steve Jobs film proved incredibly star-studded.

Maintaining your cool and suppressing the urge to ‘fanboy’ whilst staring in total awe at Danny Boyle, Kate Winslet, Aaron Sorkin and Michael Fassbender is surprisingly difficult, but somehow I managed it.

It quickly became an exercise in professionalism; if I wanted to really pursue a career chasing film (which I very obviously do) then being casual around some of the industry’s current greats would no doubt be expected.

In fact, after a while it grew a lot easier, as it became clear that these individuals were just people after all, and for all the fame and glamour that surrounds their lives, they are - on the most basic level imaginable - simply just other human beings doing their jobs; following their own careers. Lesson well and truly learned.

Accidentally bumped into the man himself outside afterwards. 

Professionalism was maintained, fear not.

Exciting venture #2 then came just a few short days later in the form of more journalism-based fun, when I was given the chance to chat with even more interesting people currently working in film in a few shorter one-on-one interviews. Whereas it was slightly easier to remain calm here since the “talent” (apparently this is industry speak for ‘person of interest’) were a lot more low-key and everything was done over the phone, such things did present some new challenges.

Chatting to someone you’ve never met before at length one-on-one can be pretty tough, especially when you can’t see their face, so this one became all about communication: being as precise and clear with my questions as possible. Whilst, at the same time, juggling a phone in one hand, a semi-ancient voice recorder in another, and shouting as audibly as possible into both.

Rest assured, things seemed to go relatively smoothly - other than the fact that mere minutes before one was due to take place, the fire alarm in the Student’s Union building went off leading to some mad dashing around. Luckily, Highfield Campus has plenty of quiet spots though and I managed to duck into the University’s Valley Gardens. Despite apparently breeding busy-ness by its very nature, silence is never far away here in Southampton.

The glorious Valley Gardens (photo courtesy of ex-blogger Joanne’s old post - found here)

These experiences definitely gave me a wider insight into what may prove to be my future career, and it was a nice release from the stresses of course reading, ahead of the impending first round of assignments. Maybe job-hunting won’t be so scary after all.

Ben