We are well into second term and the year feels as if it is almost over. Most of my friends have their third term stuffed with exams and revision classes. But I have only two exams in the first week of May and then I’m home free.
Should I be glad? Probably. But the reality is I’m jealous. They all have something worthwhile to do with their time, which requires them to use their intelligence and studious nature.
On the other hand I spend my time walking into Sainsbury’s and saying “ugat shoqolad” [chocolate cake]. That’s my revision.
I love Hebrew, but sitting at dinner every day and listening to the biologists, philosophers, palaeontologists and the medics going on and on about Solomon Asch, Wittgenstein, Beaumont and Fletcher makes me feel inadequate.
I wonder whether I should be doing something “more impressive”?
No. I’m good at Hebrew. I enjoy it. Why do something that would bore me, just to sound clever? It seems most of my coursemates have thought that, and come up with the same answer. Do what you love, otherwise what’s the point?
In halls, someone on our floor steals our food, so we’ve banded together to catch the culprit. It’s bonding, bizarrely so, but bonding all the same.
That’s actually what I like about halls and university: all the bad stuff brings us together. All the excess, debauchery and decadence are a result of the horrendous amount of work, stress and drama at university.
The good thing about having the third term filled with exams is that your life is structured. You know what you need to do, when and where.
If you have a lot of free time, you can use it productively, or sleep all day and go out all night.
Which is better? Which is the true “student experience”? Probably both. But don’t try doing both. You’ll collapse from exhaustion – which, in itself, is part of the student experience.