Byrnesys Blabberings

A couple of months ago University (or college for you thanksgiving crowd) began and I embarked on my now part time studies, a month or so in, its almost Christmas break is almost here, so I thought I might reflect on the changes in my academic life.

UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN (though its never been this sunny when Ive been there, a lil photoshopping I suspect!) 

When I began Uni I never thought I would have such wide contrasting experiences of my years, I saw 4 years of basically just working away and getting my masters, well nothing is quite as simple as what we had once supposed. My first year was true (kind of) studentdom, low low budget, crappy hall/dorm accomadation, brotherhoods of stinky guy living, bad meals, a bit of work, a lot of fun, living in the city. My Second year was all the more different, I moved out of the city, well out into the country to work with a church while I was studying, gave alot of my time to that, and to the travel between which on the  longest bus journey in the world 3 hours every day!…well 5 days a week. It was more community at Church, and kind of distance learning, with not a whole lot of effort expended on the course, but enough to get through. This year things changed drastically again, Im still living in the same place but I kept my job from over the summer into a full time position got a car and changed my studies to Part time.

UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN 

Now Im not sure whether its the course, or whether its the fact I havent actually had any marks back yet so I may be jumping the gun but I really enjoy the experience of part time study, it feels like what University was meant to be (not because of the lack of time you spend actually AT university) but because you focus on one thing, one course, and give yourself for a time to one area of study, and its one I thrive on, more than spreading myself over 3 subject areas over a few months all at the same time, where I never feel I quite bring my mind to any of them, or just one of them.

ABERDEEN

The downsides of it I suppose are that now I enjoy the study, I dont, with work and church, and life have much time to actually give to it, bit of a predicament really! But for now, its working out pretty well, though I kind of wish my work would take the long breaks and that Uni would keep going. That all being said I am looking forward to the Christmas break, so that when I leave work, I leave work…if you see what I mean, I go home and veg probably insetad of study but there are times for everything.