A Quick Look Back on Trinity

Me and my friends before a formal
dinner in the sunshine

Trinity! Finally a normal one. This time last year we had been packed off home, booted out of Oxford at the end of Hilary rather unceremoniously and I was sat rather forlornly at home, in front my laptop finishing up the last of my essays for the term. It was all rather anti-climactic and I was disappointed to say the least. 

This Trinity was very much in Oxford. I think most people came back even if they didn't have specific permission (tales of sub letting and Airbnb bookings for those refused accommodation by college abounded). I actually did have permission to come back because I had an exam at the end of term and I couldn't have been more relieved. 

This term felt pretty much like the others but with better weather and more to do. The pub was a familiar reoccurrence and I filled up my time with being able to actually get into libraries and cafes to work in the day. It was also much more pleasant to see my friends and meet new people because I could go for a proper coffee, or get drinks in the evening and sit outside in the sunshine. 

  In terms of workload, I was told that second term of second year was the hardest and after that it was plain(er) sailing. This was definitely not true for me. Other people (previous tute partners) said they didn't find it that hard but with a combination of Disciplines essays and normal tutorial essays I did find myself cracking a bit under the strain come 5th week. All the same I ploughed on. The plus side of this term was that tutorials were finally in person which mean that I got to go to Christ Church for an hour and a half each week to discuss topics like chivalry and the Crusades. Apart from getting occasionally stopped by porters and asked to prove I wasn't a tourist in disguise I really enjoyed the experience and am really hoping in personal tutorials can continue next term, even if it means actually getting out of my pyjamas.

 

The Benet's Netball 

The rather unwanted cherry on the cake was my take-home paper at the end of term. It comprised of a 9 day online assessment of 3 questions, each 2,000 words. It sounds like a fairly simple task but I found the questions were meaty and with three days per essay I started to loose my mind over possible arguments and avenues. Nevertheless after a few hiccups I successfully submitted my first real final, closed my laptop and took a big sigh of relief. 

In terms of mental health, think just the exhaustion of the year made it a pretty dull term for me and I popped home a couple of times to refresh myself which was very much needed. I also had friends come to visit and went to visit friends which was nice. I found it lifted the spirits to get out of Oxford and experience something new with a friend from home it isn't involved in the Oxford bubble and all that entails. And to have friends come and visit, which means carving out time and accepting not doing any work that day is really rewarding and fuels you up for when you need to start on the next week's essay. Lessons-wise I think I've learnt to accept when I'm not doing well and seek help sooner rather than slip into denial and allow it to get worse, be kinder to myself and fit in time for nice rewards.

My friend who came to visit looking
around Merton

What I'm looking forward to next term:

• Taking on the Editor-in-Chief role at the Oxford Student newspaper!
• Starting my thesis research and reading 
• Getting to grips with my paper on Ming Chinese art
• Building in time to do nice things, making a list and checking them off
• Hopefully going to a ball as things get more back to normal