The End

The final term of university (as apparently with all other ones) has flown by almost without me noticing. The intermittent deadlines have aided this speedy time-flow, and whilst precipitating no periods of complete stress in which everything is due at once, I’ve encountered many periods of less extreme stress. I’m not sure what is better or worse, but one thing is for sure: this time next week there won’t be any more!
Again, it’s difficult to see whether the end is a good or bad thing. As alluded too, it will be admittedly pleasant to be shot of the deadlines; however, in another sense I feel profoundly sad that my time here is coming to an end. The longer one spends studying, the more interesting the ideas studied become. The opportunity in my modules to delve into what I consider to be some of the fundamental issues of our age – race (Ethics and Literature), gender (Contemporary British Cinema), and mental illness (my Extended Essay) – has pushed me into realising the importance of study to my life, and the lives of others around me. My final term has engaged me like no other, in a way convincing me that my studies in philosophy aren’t yet over.
I’m also manifesting contradictory feelings about leaving Bristol. On the one hand I feel to have come to a natural period of change, and am ready to leave this place on a high note. But this feeling is also shrouded in nostalgia for the place – after spending three years of my life here, making friendships which I hope will transcend Bristol it’s strange to think of being somewhere apart from it and them. Friends differ in their plans: some plan to leave and some to stay, but I know even upon coming back things will never quite be the same.
In fear of pouring more emotional torrent onto the page, it’s probably best I abruptly stem this flow of cheesiness and depart from the Star Student Blogging community. But, in all seriousness, coming to the end of university life is proving emotional. My time at Bristol has been exciting, challenging but ultimately extremely rewarding, and however much I know it’s time to head off now, there is certainly a part of me which doesn’t want to close the book just yet…

Max