Hey guys!

 

After the first few weeks in, it is now time to confront the deadlines approaching. Usually, in the PPR department each module asks for an essay at the end of the term concerning a question related to the course’s topics. For example, in my Understanding External Intervention in Violent Conflicts module, I was thinking of writing my essay on the impact of the War on Terror on the AfPak (Afghanistan and Pakistan) region. In some modules, like China in the Modern World, you also have to make a presentation for your seminar tutor and classmates, but doing an essay is more common.

My Economics modules are very similar, I’ve been lucky not to have any exams this term: for my Applied Economics module I did a presentation on a paper that explored the incidence of low wages in various European countries, and I was thinking of doing my essay on the effects that inequality of education has on developing countries; for my Monetary Macroeconomics module I will do a presentation concerning the role of monetary institutions in tackling wage inflation, and my essay will probably be on the recommended policies the Bank of England should follow in the post-Brexit UK. Dissertation work continues, but I’m afraid progress is pretty slow and might get even slower with all the deadlines approaching.

 

However, I try not to get too caught up in the academic work and have some fun as well. Even though it is important to get good grades (especially in third year), it is also necessary to remember that everybody needs a break sometimes, to chill and let your mind rest for a bit. Luckily, Lancaster offers a lot in terms of social activities and ways of relaxing.

After last week’s debate on atheism and religion, this week in the Philosophy Society we’re going to have a social event: we’ll watch the movie Her, and then talk about the philosophical themes and undertones behind it (hopefully while chilling in a bar nearby). There is also the option of going to the cinema, either the Take2 cinema on campus or the one in town. Finally, I hope that in spite of the deadlines my friends and I can still go out this weekend to the Sugarhouse, a club run by our very own students’ union.

 

I’ll keep you guys posted on how everything goes during the second half of this term. Thanks for reading!

Guillermo