It’s been pretty clear this week that exam season is well underway! All over campus there seems to be an air of concentration – it’s very clear that we’re all in exam mode: the Learning Zone is full, the Library is jammed and the Study Zone is packed out too! I’ve spent quite a lot of time studying and preparing for my gobbet this week, as well as confirming all the details for my careers mentor application – which is kind of scary! However, my mum and dad did come to see me at the weekend – which meant a little bit of grounding, but lots of happenings this week have offered some affirmations for the rest of this term.

Study, study, study! I could have sworn there was not this much content when we first covered the course! It’s so weird to think how much we’ve actually covered since October. I’ve been pulling lots of my resources from past seminars and lectures out this week to continue with revision and I cannot believe how much I’ve covered at uni; it is quite ridiculous (as is the amount of paper I have consumed!) Just the thought of covering all this is enough to make anybody dizzy, but luckily enough I won’t have to go through the entirety of it for the exam! It’s been quite reassuring this week, actually, to hear from tutors that we should only be covering certain topics, as the way the exam is formatted means that we don’t have to answer something on every section. (Thank goodness!) I’ve been spending most of my evenings (and early mornings, or late nights – depending on how you look at it) in the Learning Zone, or the library just to keep me in the revision frame of mind. It’s so easy to go a little bit stir crazy in my bedroom – just looking at the same space and having the temptation of the kettle in the kitchen can play quite a significant role in creating cause for procrastination. Just getting out of the house and sitting in an environment where lots of other people are revising too is quite reassuring and gives me a little bit more motivation. (Admittedly, food – especially Subway cookies, has been a major source of motivation and affirmation too when I head over to study!)

So, revision and continuing with my seminar readings and gobbet preparation have taken up quite a lot of my time this week as the exams come ever closer. And speaking of the gobbet I have had my first workshop this week. It was really good to mix with a different group of people than those in my seminar group and to see what they had to say about The Myth of the American West! We looked at various sources and had the opportunity to discuss findings collectively – which is always a good way to go about it, as it extends the horizons on the perspectives we have concerning a topic, especially one as disputed as the American West. I have really enjoyed this course so far because it involves a deeper analysis of sources, looking at their nature, origin and purpose – which is part of the reason I wanted to study history. It’s affirming to know that I get to build on something I really enjoy doing here at uni. Plus, the fact that I will get to use some contemporary sources to help me understand the views of the time and why the history of the period has been historically recorded in the way it has, is challenging me as and giving me a better understanding of a period I have a keen interest in.

Challenges and building upon my interests are two really important attributes of my uni experience and hopefully I will be able to better these opportunities now that I have submitted my application for the career mentoring programme! You may recall me saying that the application was ‘kind of cool’ last week – however, as I went into editing mode it became weirdly difficult. People say that we are our worst critics and this is definitely true. I could have gone through my application for hours and hours pulling it apart and picking holes in it and then still be unhappy with it. However, it was necessary to just take a step back and consider that processes like this are like little learning curves. I’m going to have to complete an application form in the near future (aaaah!) and this form is a good place to start, I guess. I did do a little bit of research on how to make an impact with an application form and it is quite incredible the lengths people go to to make themselves stand out. I just wanted to be happy with what I’d written and to be aware of the bar I’d set for myself as an applicant – I need to make sure I’m what they’re looking for on paper and it person and I hope that it’s okay. So, in keeping with the little affirmation theme we have going here I will mention one of the little quotes I found when I was researching: ‘you are the best at being you and you should sell the skills you have’. As tacky as that sounds, it is quite valuable, I feel, to recall such a claim; I can only do my best and my best will get me somewhere eventually.

Before this post turns into some form of positive mantra session, I feel it necessary to write about the easy-going portion of this week’s programme! My mum and dad came to visit me this weekend and it was just lovely! We took a drive up to Ambleside for a little bit of time out, and it was so relaxing – perfect to bring me back down to Earth while I’m moving into exam stress mode. We walked one of the footpaths through the village up to some really stunning waterfalls. It was amazing to see something so beautiful just tucked away in a little forest. Listening to the water and just stepping away from the desk for a while was really beneficial and reminded me that there is a world outside of Lancaster campus. It seems silly to say that, really, but it’s so true! When you’re at uni it’s so easy to forget that things go on outside of these hallowed grounds (!) and just get a little wrapped up in things. My parents are definitely the best people to remind me of this and they have definitely offered some good advice to get me through the exam period! My room is covered in pink Post-It notes with positive affirmations and I have a little book of funny sayings and more affirmations to make me giggle and to realise that while things may seem tough and the workload seems to get heavier each day, I can still do it. It’s about enjoying what I’m doing here and to try and fulfil my potential. Sometimes it’s necessary to say ‘I can do it’ but more than saying it – actually believing it.  I hope you’ve all had a lovely week. Thank you for reading!
History Hugs,

Eleanor :0)