A Delightful Parcel

What lovely weather we are having! Isn't funny how, as soon as the temperature peeps over 20 degrees, the British whip out their shortest shorts and smallest tops, plonk themselves on a roof or a patch of grass and lie there until they roast. I have to admit I was one of those people, though I failed to roast and failed tan, but rather stayed exactly the same colour *sigh*. In terms of recreational possibilities, the weekend was gorgeous, it terms of revising, it was horrendous. Staying inside drove me crazy, revising outside made me sweaty and the heat made me drowsy. WOOPAH. Thus I can safely say that thanks to the lovely Summer weather, I hit the mid-exam slump pretty hard. It didn't stop me trying to work though, and I believe that under the circumstances my productivity was commendable. Nevertheless, Monday found me burnt out, sipping on Lemsip and feeling very, VERY sorry for myself. That's when my housemate Shumi found THIS package on our doorstep.

It was from my parents and filled with lots of gluten-free revision goodies - perfect for the all-nighter I will probably be pulling on Thursday in order to finish my essay on time. It was so thoughtful and so colourful, like a piece of home sitting on my desk. I am so lucky to have such generous, supportive parents and I love them and miss them SO much. Anyway, I better get on with revising for the Italiano exam tomorrow - this will determine whether or not I can continue to study it, so please pray that I have peace about it! Oh, also, my friend pointed out that my comment-thingy only works if you have a google/blogger account, so I have changed it accordingly so that EVERYONE and ANYONE can comment on posts. YAY.

What sort of things get you through stressful times?

Stressful or Grateful

'All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast' Proverbs 15:15

The British exam season has commenced: students across the peninsula are chaining themselves (metaphorically, not literally) to desks of libraries, bedrooms and schools to study for GCSEs, A-Levels and degrees. Those at the beginning of this examination journey are terrified, those in the middle are stressed because university places are at stake and those of us nearing the end are despairing at yet another summer spent indoors drawing mind-maps and gaining weight. I could continue with this train of thought and whine and groan about how much life sucks right now, but I'm not going to. After all, at this level of education, I chose to have these exams! However, this year things have FINALLY clicked into place (about time!) Educators have been saying this for ages, but it's all about finding out how YOU learn best and understanding that, for most people, this is a variety of different ways. There are times when I need to go to the library and slog it out, but university libraries during exam time are unbearable and make me freak out like crazy, so I find alternative places like the University Chaplaincy or local cafes where there's still a hubbub and I'm still away from home, but the atmosphere is not oppressive. There are other times when I know that just walking to the library is a form of procrastination, so leaping out of bed and straight on to my desk with a cup of tea is the best way forward. I know now, that if I need to write something that is coherent then it needs to be written before 1pm, I know that repeating verb conjugations and words aloud are the best way for me to remember them, and I know the best time for reading literary texts is sat in bed with a cup of coffee. 

Last night as I sat in bed with my de-caff coffee, German radio and Brecht's 'Life of Galileo' I suddenly realised that despite working hard and despite feeling stressed, I'm really enjoying this season - it's basically wall to wall learning. What's more I'm learning about things I CARE about. I mean c'mon the very reason I chose to study German at university was so that I could study Brecht! It's finally dawned one me that the only way to get through exam season without wanting to pull your face off is to recognise the value of your education. It's only in the last century that the doors to learning have been opened to all in this country and we need to appreciate the opportunity given to us. If you're doing your GCSEs I encourage you to take them seriously and realise that working hard for the next month or so will greatly increase your future opportunities, for those at A-Level keep your sights on the goal but also remember to enjoy the subjects, because A-Levels can be fun if you MAKE them fun. For those of us at university, who can barely put a meal together or wash ourselves for fear of work-guilt, let us remember that we only have ourselves to blame and that actually by being at university we are among the most privileged human beings on the planet. Go forth with a cheerful heart and try to remember why you chose to study this subject in the first place. I promise it'll transform the way you progress through the next month.

Right, I'm off to have some yummy homemade fish and chips (courtesy of my very good friend) and then settle down in front of Gilmore Girls (in German, because I have my German Aural exam tomorrow - see? Learning can be fun!)

The Perfect Finish

In the past week I have: written an essay, sat three exams, written two cover letters (one in Italian, one in German), completed all of my year abroad forms, attended 2 rehearsals, started a new church (as in attending not creating!), held auditions for The Vigil, travelled across the bridge to have a singing lesson, had my first Thali Cafe meal and learnt how to make a fish tail plait. It has been successful, it has been stressful and it has been blessed. So, after having a very indulgent shower (lots of singing), a very yummy dinner at Zizzi's, half a tub of ice-cream and 10 hours sleep, I can finally sit down and do this...