Saturday, February 4, 2012

New Life as a Student

Well, the first steps have been taken. The excitement on receiving a letter of offer in response to my admission application has worn off. The enrollment is done and I am now officially a student. Books have been ordered - I just hope they arrive before teaching starts. Now I am just nerves, nerves and more nerves.

5 comments:

Jade said...

Nah save your nerves for the exams!!! He he he he ... you will do great.

Griffin said...

Syren, don't be nervous, a BA can be a lot of fun. I loved my BA (in Art History and Lit.) tho' I struggled with my MA even tho' I got it!

If you attend lectures and do the reading you should be fine. At Loughborough where I am a notetaker for students with disabilities/additional needs, there are lots of resources for the students so I am sure that's true elsewhere. You should be fine.

Essay writing, which can be tricky can be made easier by ensuring you write with short sentences and no unnecessary words.

Exams always terrified me, but after the first year we had a choice of exam or long essay. I went for the essay! If you haven't that choice - then as we hear every year... use the question to answer it so you stick to the point. Don't scare yourself and take slow deep breaths before you do the exam.

As a mature student (as I was too) you have your life experience to draw on as well, so use it. Also, do modules you know you can pass. The interesting ones you can study on your own after the course is over!

Lots of luck.

Syren said...

Thank you both for your encouragement and words of advice - always appreciated and duly noted :)
Pleased to say most of the books have arrived. Still waited on the Latin - I may have to get them elsewhere if the Uni bookshop doesn't get them in soon.

Griffin said...

Latin?! Two books I love are Latin for the Illiterati 1 and 2. By Jon R. Stone. Lots of interesting Latin phrases and words used today with translations. My favourite (not in the book) is the one monks used to write at the beginning of illuminated manuscripts to God: Ad te levavi animam meam - I lift up my soul to you. Perfect for the love of your life too!

Syren said...

Thanks for sharing Griffin.
Teaching starts next week and I'm still chasing the bookshop for 2 of the Latin texts - my nails are chewed to the quick.
Love Ad te levavi animam meam - just in time for Valentine's day too. Being a complete novice - are the words gender specific?