Reflections on how term went, things happening at end of term, plans for the break.

The pace of this last term definitely picked up for me in the last couple of weeks. My assessment for Interpreting Plays is happening at the end of this week, and rehearsals for Choreography (for which the assessed show is next term) are fully underway. This is quite often the way with the Theatre and Performance course as any assessment which requires practical group work requires you to fit rehearsals in during the day, unlike an essay that you may work on at any time by yourself. This is where I believe the hard work of Bristol’s Theatre and Performance course comes in, as juggling two different sets of rehearsals can be challenging, especially when members of your group (including most likely yourself) have other commitments to maintain (such as people studying joint-honours courses and extracurricular activities). This for many people is an important reminder that your studies must come first, as at the end of they day we are at university to get the best degree we can, and although there is huge merit to getting involved with societies, you must be careful with the balance.

Because of this workload, I’m planning on going home for the Christmas break and taking some time off just to take a bit of a breather from university work. It is very important (to me at least) to get some rest and take the time to ‘calm down’ after the rush of a term of university. Luckily our department does not have any exams, however I have an essay, two work files (effectively a written log and reflections of your practical work) and a show to perform that are all due in the exam period after the holidays. This term I do believe I have maintained my target of keeping my extracurricular engagement down slightly, and focused on my academic studies, but still had fun in the process. I’ve really enjoyed my modules this term and sometimes it’s easy to forget that you should be enjoying your studies at university; we are all here because we love our subject and want to specialise in it, and there may be some work that doesn’t interest you, but it’s worth getting through it so you have time to focus on what you really want to do and achieve through the university experience.

Jamie