Last year, or rather earlier this year I applied for a role in the SU.
I was offered a job, it's a zero-hours contract, which is fine for me, as it means I can pick and choose my hours so it won't interfere with my research.
Today was the induction day a full day of miro training sessions.
It's all getting rather real now.
Research
Spent the morning looking at detail at Archives online, registering for access where necessary and making lists of what I want/need to see. Though it's very easy still to get sucked into a rabbit hole, especially with paintings or photographs of objects.
Stationery
Last night I spent hours browsing suitable stationery, I have no idea what suitable stationery is, clearly it's not obvious as I didn't find anything that jumped out at me as suitable stationery. Ended up looking at bullet journaling, why, I have no idea. Reminded me of the scrapbooking I did years ago. So is it useful, was it a waste of an hour plus of my time, maybe, but maybe it was just the space I needed to chill out a little?
I have been productive though and sorted through bags of old stationery and actually managed to get rid of old not books with shopping lists in etc, or what would have been future social history.
Bags
Maybe this goes with the stationery or maybe it's a deep-seated latent urge I didn't know I had, but I have spent ages looking for the right bag, do I need a new bag, no, do I know what I want from a bag? no. I just feel I need a special bag for uni.
Chances are any bag would get used a few times and then end up relegated to my locker, under my desk or the cupboard under the stairs.
Though maybe, I'm bored, or just need to research something, anything, as I don't even like shopping.
Thought it was time I set up a research Twitter account to follow some of the wonderful archives and twitter historians out there.
All through my undergraduate, I was very active with societies and academic representation, not going to lie I'm missing that a lot.
I am still the president of one society that I started in my first year and at the moment I'm good with not taking on any more yet, that may not last.
I have been offered a 0 hours contract role with the SU and attend training next week, so will explore options for more involvement then.
I have also volunteered as a student volunteer with the sports centre, anyone who knows me will know how ridiculous this is, as I don't do sports. More on this later.
Well, it was all going well, a busy summer means I have neglected the blog, but busy working while I can.
BA ( Hons) certificate arrived at the beginning of the week along with my transcript which sadly only shows a few of my placements, but I guess there is only room for so many, also doesn't mention my peer mentoring in the peer mentoring section, but not the end of the world.
Student finance approved ( for the wrong course) my course apparently not on the CMS. Cue lots of phone calls and emails to sort it out. Lady at Student Finance gave me a fright when she said the course may not qualify for funding.
I have spent a chunk of the summer doing an ILM Coaching course, which has been really useful and interesting, completed my final assignment for that today.
Now just busy planning the next 13 months, as it's just 1 month till I start officially on my Masters by Research, all a bit scary now.
A brief reflection
Finishing Uni back in May, was not what I expected.
I felt very lost for a couple of months having gone from being terribly busy and being prepared to feeling happy and relieved that I had completed my course, to feeling a sense of loss and deep sadness.
The loss not only at losing two family members, but more so a sense of grief at having completed university, at not having the routine and deadlines in my life, and at not seeing friends on a daily basis. It was not how I expected to feel, and that made it worse.
People around me had no idea, and so didn't or couldn't support me. While other felt a sense of elation and excitement at finishing their undergraduate studies, I didn't, I wasn't scared or worried about the future, just not excited.
