Rubbish awaiting collection in the student area in North
Dunedin earlier this month. Photo by Peter McIntosh
Exams are finally over. Finished. And with their
completion, Dunedin has become notably deflated with the mass
student exodus.
Studentville has become Ghostville, a transition marked by
the emotional goodbyes and promises to keep in touch outside
dozens of flats and Halls of Residence.
In the run-up to exams, fevered twelve-hour days at the
library were interspersed with inventive forms of
procrastination, unknown or at least not practiced before
study leave. I developed an unexpected penchant for
crosswords, completing dozens of them while minutes,
desperately needed for revision, ticked by.
Post-exam lager swilling and fire lighting mark the start of
shared relief and prolonged celebration. But three days
later, the novelty has worn off and you're out of money. Now
what?
This void is ideally filled with a job. But because of the
recession, this has been difficult for many, who are left to
simply kick their heels. Those lucky enough to go traveling
are likely to get even dirtier looks than usual this summer.
The summer period can also be one of reflection for students.
Papers, majors and degrees are changed, with some pulling out
of university altogether. The number of those opting
the latter will probably increase after exam results have
been released.
If a job is an unlikely prospect, and you can't bear any more
daytime television, then summer school is always an option.
The reason it appeals to so many is not just that it prevents
guilty feelings about not having a job, but also offers
papers that are not normally available.
In 2010, the Political Studies department are offering POLS
331, a paper on the inner workings of American Intelligence
Agencies, which is going to be popular, if ‘What papers are
you looking forward to doing next year?' conversations are
anything to go by.
Summer papers can also be easier, aside from the ubiquitous
bridging and introductory topics, there are also those that
would probably not be considered ‘academic' enough for
full-year papers and are therefore more ‘fun'.
I am taking advantage of this, so I will apply myself to the
study of Harry Potter and the Chronicles of Narnia. See you
there.
Bookmark/Search this post with:
A name, residential address, and (preferably residential) telephone number is required from readers who comment on ODT Online. These details will not be visible to site visitors.