Archive: June 2007
"Another Year Over..."
Friday, 22nd June 2007, 15:03 GMT
Exams are over, the rain is battering the UK and to stem the flow of emails demanding another blog entry... it's the 2nd entry of June. The plethora of emails I've had this month pleading for an update to my blog has been fantastic and is so much appreciated.
Organised Stress
The Outlook Aufgabenleiste (To-Do-Bar) is empty! For the first time in five months, I've got no essays, assignments or exams splashed across the right-hand side of my email client. The feeling is quite strange. Since February, I've had at least one task that must be completed by the end of the day, but with the German migration swiftly coming up, the English tasks are coming to a close and the preparation of probably the biggest event of my life so far. Finishing compulsory visits to University campus gives both a feeling of relief and agitation as I find myself on the sofa in front of on-demand television and the stress of the past five months has gleefully turned into an over-excited state-of-mind that demands ever more increased levels of Haribo and Wine Gums to sustain it.
Since my last entry, I've finished three three-hour, written exams in Marketing, Industrial Relations and the Modern German Language (translation and essay-writing). The three are mentioned in chronological order, that is the order that I sat them. What I failed to mention in chronological order is the two weeks worth of 10am-10pm revision that was conducted beforehand in preparation for 37.5% worth of my degree. I've used up 4 biros and forests-worth of paper, of which I'm extremely sad (bring on the recycling box collection). In general, I think the stress of cramming has been relieved after each of the preceding exams by semi-ok questions, that I think were answered in as much detail as my meagre brain can regurgitate and interpret.
As this section is getting rather large and is perhaps, tediously, academic-based, I'm going to wrap up with a brief mention of the library, which has been my home for the past month. With over a million books, spread over 5 floors, it's a truly awe inspiring place for intellects (so why I'm allowed in is beyond me). The last entry reported that is was awash with "what seemed like the rest of the UKs student populous", which was true up until about a week ago, as the first year and finalists were finding freedom. This week has seen the numbers dwindle and you'd be lucky to be sharing a 50sq metre area with a single other person who isn't the vacuuming cleaner. Despite this noisy distraction, revision got done and I finally got round to reading the 2nd of my IR textbooks in preparation, before finally concluding with my German language exam this morning. No more getting up at 6:50am for a while!
Lad of Leisure
So with exams out of the way, it's time to organise some exciting social events before I leave the midlands for a year and with it some of the best friends too - thank the lord for facebook. So far this is mainly revolving around posh-food and drinking, although will probably be replaced by draconianly-complex shifts of the bar-work nature. Nevertheless, with nothing concrete apart from a posh Sunday Dinner it gives me time to sleep, after what has been almost five months of interrupted sleep patterns.
Leamington Spa through the Seasons - ©2007 andyholland.co.uk
This excess of unorganised and laissez-faire time to arrange has left me reflecting on current events. BBC News has been an uncomparably-amazing source of information, along with the usual German resources for the upkeep of my German practise. Inevitably this has brought up the now clichéd topic of the weather. The above picture is a montage comparing the winter months and the summer months in Leamington from approximately the same angular viewpoint. Although I love the crisp, blue and fresh look of the Winter, I'm drawn towards the more blue sky of the summer, despite the brown-tinge to the water.
Upon leaving campus today, for one of the last times before I head off on my foreign adventure, I took the picture to the left, which I think so gloriously defines the recent global-warming-induced verrϋcktes Wetter! The guassian-blured nimbostratus clouds turned an even more deadly grey before giving into the strenuous pressure of a tonne-load of H2O.
The severe weather warnings from the Met Office are of serious concern, especially when tricklings of water come seeping into the kitchen. Nothing that a quick dose of newspapers couldn't fix though. Compared to some of the horror-stories flooding in through newsagencies across the country we came off extremely lightly.
Lack of News
Due to the revision and exams, I've hardly had a chance to set foot outside of either the four walls of the house, or the multiple of walls within the Library. In spite of this, the week before last week, I decided to take a well-deserved break and venture into town for a bit of retail therapy (and more importantly pay in a cheque that was owed to me).
The reason for this regaling is simply to explain the context surrounding the photo to the left. Depicting Jephson Gardens in the heart of the Leamington Parade, it truly reflects the glorious sunny weather that we had before the recent spate of dismal rain. The scene struck my eyes as I casually strolled back from the shops and I just had to be spontaneous and whip out the phone to capture the bright eyes in the majority of the people, excluding the man in the foreground, who seemed exhaustive from the humidity and sheer heat reverberating around the gardens. Overall though it was a clichéd "I saw this and thought of you" moment (so from me to all you blog readers).
The End of an Era
As exams finish and the last week of 2nd year uni concludes next week, it certainly will be the end of an era that started with the foundation of the real Inter-House. I thank all those who have made the first two years at uni so special and memorable, may long it continue in some quasi form after the year break in Germany.
As uni comes to a close, so to does this entry, as well as season three of Doctor Who. It really has been a rollercoaster of a season, with the spectacular return of a familiar foe last week and here's hoping to an absolutely fantastic season finale!
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"Time Goes By So Quickly"
Friday, 11th November 2005, 21:31 GMT
Even though examinations are well underway, I've decided to take time out to record the thoughts of a busy consciousness. Although this may not be a wise move on the academic front, I nevertheless needed a break from what was becoming a very tedious Marketing textbook.
Academia
Even though I've not had an exam since the last entry at the end of May, it certainly seems like the weight of revision and the ever-increasing mountain of information I've discovered I must learn is pressing down on me.
Having said that, I did have a rather relaxed day yesterday with the sun beaming through the window like an angel of procrastination that repeatedly offered me that diversion from the textbooks that, perhaps I needed; that is, given the fact that I spent both Thursday and Friday of last week crushed into the library with, what seemed like, the rest of the UK's student populous.
With the crammed, hot and sticky feeling of the library still firmly embedded in memory, I decided instead to stay at home with the window wide open, letting the breeze flow in. It was a wholly pleasant revision session. That is, until some neighbour, five streets away, decided to play Hip-Hop music at the loudest possible volume! Nonetheless I did complete what I had written in my new Outlook to-do-list.
TV
At the same time as the last entry pretty much all of America's finest TV came to a 'series-finale' close. For some shows, like 24, this couldn't have come sooner. Although I did watch religiously week-on-week it didn't live up to its preceding seasons and, although the finale provided some spectacular explosions, the plot holes simply distracted from its usual intense magnificence. Nonetheless, I would say that the lack of cliff-hanger (albeit with a lack of questions that needed answering) has cut the season off nicely from what I'm sure, will be a sweet revival next year.
In contrast, Coronation Street and Doctor Who (two of my other TV favourites) are superb at the moment. Especially the last two episodes of Doctor Who; Human Nature and The Family of Blood. Although not a true reflection of the Doctor's true 'nature'... it certainly was a testament to David Tennant's acting skills, which were simply brilliant!
Speaking of brilliance. Davina McCall is back with the 8th instalment of the one and only reality TV show: Big Brother. It is providing such a good balance to the academic overload I'm currently experiencing. My favourite has to be Laura already. She is probably the only down-to-earth ones in there and should provide some fun as well as emotion, which are always the best things to come from watching an episode of an on-the-surface, boring, concept.
Relaxation
One other way of relaxing that I should've mentioned in the last blog entry was the Coventry BBQ. Organised by 'the I-Block' guys (at least the downstairs bunch), it was a pleasant relaxation exercise, at least when they graced us with their presence once finished with a fierce world cup battle on Pro Evolution Soccer.
We enjoyed copious amounts of beef and two large bowls of salad, followed by a much needed stress relieving burning of anything we could find. The picture illustrates what turned out to be a very smelly highlight of the night sky.
Back to Reality
And so, as I close this blog session, my mind is coming back down to earth after seeing the textbook pile lying in front of me. As exams come in thick and fast from Thursday onwards, the next blog entry may have to be postponed for a month. Check back soon though, you never know... I may need another break!
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