Finishing an Undergraduate Degree – the end of an era

So exams are over, the Summer Ball has been and gone and in a few weeks time it will be graduation!  How did the time pass so quickly?!  Of course none of this hit me until a few days ago, I was taking a taxi to the train station and the driver and I were making the usual taxi small talk and he inevitably asks the question ‘So are you a student at the university?’, I pause for a moment and then I answer ‘Not anymore!’.  What a strange feeling, after three years of studying for my BA Philosophy, Politics and Economics degree it’s finally done.   All I have to do now is wait for the results (which are going to be released frighteningly soon) and then (hopefully) graduate!

I know everyone says it but it really is true, three years flies by.  I can still remember arriving in my Freshers’ week in 2009, my parents helping me cart all my belongings up three flights of stairs before leaving me to unpack in my new home for the year.  Soon it will be coming to that time when I’ll be frantically cleaning my privately rented accommodation in the hopes of reclaiming my security deposit.  After three years at Essex I can honestly say I have learnt A LOT, not just through my course, but about myself! 

For many students an undergraduate degree is the first time they’ve been away from home for a significant period of time, it’s the first time they have to cook for themselves, do their own laundry, be their own motivator.  There is so much life learning to be done on the way to obtaining a degree.  Essex gave me the opportunity to become an independent adult, on top of all the fun that I’ve had, I’ve learnt to be responsible through managing my studies and gaining work experience and I feel so much closer to actually being a grown-up!  Don’t get me wrong, I’ll always feel like a child at heart but at least now I know that I can fend for myself, I’m ready (as I’ll ever be) to venture out into the “real world”...whatever that is!

Puja

Summer Ball

I’m an SB12 survivor!!

So as Emily anticipated a few days ago, last Saturday thousands of students went to the Essex Summer Ball 2012, where the Students Union organised a huge theme event full of rides, marquees and food stands. It all revolved around a fairytale theme, so we bumped into a little red riding hood, a fire eater and witches. Personal favourite: the Gingerbread house covered with bags of sweets, although it ran out really quickly!

No giant wheel this time, though there were two really dizzying rides and of course, bumper cars!

The Ghost Train was disappointing of course, but you can’t have high expectations with these things! Other highlights:  a silent (headphone) disco again and an ice skating rink, though it seemed too dangerous for me! Also plenty dance floors to switch around whenever you wanted to change the music style!



Best part for me was meeting all the friends I hadn’t seen since before the exam period, of course looking our best with our gorgeous dresses and suits! Luckily the weather wasn’t too bad, so the cold was bearable to stay till 5.30…

Still surprised at all the people who made it till the Survivors’ Picture, hope to be able to spot myself in it when the SU uploads it!




All pictures are taken from the Students' Union 'Summer Ball 2012' album, you can have a look at them on https://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?set=a.10151048711148561.440457.353774298560&type=1

See you soon!


Ana

End of Exams!

It seems we have been a bit lax with our posts this past month. It has been a busy one - filled with exams and essays or dissertation woes. May brought a couple weeks of beautifully warm and sunny weather in perfect time to distract us all from our studies. The grass by the lakes filled up with students having picnics and bbq's and kicking around footballs. More than one student ended up in the lake - whether intentionally or not who knows! More than once I heard students moan (and even did so myself) about the excess of sunny weather (imagine!) as it was preventing them from properly attending to their studies... Well mother nature played a cruel trick on us - as soon as people began finishing up exams, the weather turned and we remembered that we were in Britain, not Spain!


Today is the final day of exams, and it wouldn't be good English style if this significant date were not celebrated. Today's celebration is appropriately called 'The End'. Basically, the squares will fill up with students for one, huge, outdoor party. As I write, I am overlooking square 5 where I can see fences going up and a large set of porta-loos that are now lining the square. Though the rain is supposedly going to let up, the wind is wipping through the squares. I doubt, though, that the weather will dampen the celebrations... the English seem quite resistent to weather - just look at the 1.25 million people that lined the Thames on Sunday to watch the Queen's Jubilee celebrations on the river. It was a miserably rainy and cold day, but the crowds still came! Well, hopefully we will have an update and some photos of The End next week!


The other end of year tradition that is quite a new concept to me, is the Summer Ball. It puts any formal I have ever known to shame by combining a formal dance with a carnival. Everyone dresses up and there are DJs and bands (including a Queen tribute band this year...!) but there are also fair ground type rides and this year there is an ice palace, a skating rink and... an edible gingerbread house (?!). I'm intrigued. If you want to check out the entire line up, look at the SU page below:

http://www.essexstudent.com/sb12/

And the weather for Saturday? Well, there is no rain in the forecast!

The Uni of Essex Facebook page had this pic up last night to prove it! You can see a little glimpse of sun on Saturday, almost teasing us...


Check up on us next week, we'll have a post-event update to let you know how it all went! And some pics, too :)


Cheers,


Emily