We’re coming to the end of another semester here at Sheffield Hallam and everybody is busy pulling those all-nighters in Adsetts to finish off assignments – myself included. But what happens once that final assignment’s been handed in? Do you find yourself at a loose end? Do you spend three days in bed recovering or three days in Corp? I’ve put together a few things that can happen when you’ve submitted your assignments. Hopefully you can relate!
What do I do now?
Maybe this is just me but, as soon as I’ve finished a load of assignments and it’s time for a either summer break, Christmas break or just a week off before starting more assignments, I immediately feel at a loose end. You spend all that time gathering books, doing research, going over your lecture slides and getting annoyed with yourself for not making decent notes and then, there’s nothing.
Aside from anything else, when you’ve got deadlines looming and you decide to start watching something new on Netflix, you spend hours and hours feeling guilty. As soon as your deadlines are finished, you don’t feel guilty anymore, where’s the narcissistic fun in that?
Turn It In
Ah, my old nemesis. You press submit, then you wait for Turn It In to tell you that you’ve copied 40% of your assignment from other people’s work, just because you’ve done your referencing properly (for once). I’m not sure which I hate more, physical submissions or Turn It In submissions. I complain now but, one day I’ll get that funny sort of nostalgia where I actually miss the suffering Turn It In has brought me. One day.
Subjectivity
Since I’m a media student, I have to deal with lecturers who don’t like the lighting in some of my photos, or who don’t agree with the way I structure my essays, even though it’s been working pretty well for all my other assignments. I imagine for maths students it’s a bit more straightforward, it’s either the right answer or the wrong answer. But, for all the students on courses where creativity is necessary from time to time, opinions get shoved down your throat no matter what so, I guess we’d better get used to it right?
Change of plan
From my experience, you never end up doing what you say you’re going to do, after completing an assignment or exam. You always get the idea to finish watching a boxset on Netflix, but then you realise you’ve already watched it when you were supposed to be finishing the assignment, you feel like you could sleep for days but, you fear you’ll start having nightmares about SHU Harvard referencing. You say you’re going to go on holiday or go out and celebrate with friends but, then you remember it’s the end of the semester and you’re completely skint. Oh well, a bowl of pasta and Friends on Comedy Central it is.
