June 12 2008: Month-Long Break
Filed under Life & Travel & Uni/Work
I’m finding myself facing over a month of nothing but work (and one short weekend away) after having completed my last exam today. Finishing exams sounds more impressive than it actually is, considering that I had only two exams in the first place as my other subjects were marked with essays and other assessment pieces rather than exams, but allow me to indulge in an “YAY, NO MORE EXAMS!” type of euphoria.
In any case, I’m going to be working pretty much on a full-time basis over the next month (yay, dosh!). I haven’t got much else planned (more about that weekend away in two weeks!), but I figured I’d:
- Get started on some reading for my next unit of Chinese, so that I don’t spend hours hunched over Chinese texts with a bilingual dictionary in hand the night before an essay is due.
- Read more novels and non-fiction! I’ve really not been reading much over the past two months as I’ve been caught up in university work, so it’d be nice to immerse myself in the lives of others for awhile, whether imaginary or real.
- Catch up with all my different groups of friends. During term time, I really only see my university friends on a regular basis - other friends tend to placed on a back burner due to time constraints. Time to start scheduling myself in for dinners, coffees, a movie and some shopping…some one-on-one quality friend time!
- Start researching for a trip around China that I plan on taking at the end of this year, if all goes as planned and finances work out! Travelling around the perimeter of the entire country by crowded Chinese trains over the course of one month, reaching such farflung regions as Xinjiang and Haerbin.
- Job-hunting for next year. Like I said to Jem, my parents are adamant that I get a job once I graduate at the end of the year. I’m equally as adamant that I want to travel first. Thus, this results in my applying for jobs overseas as it combines both desires adequately.
Mmm, busy times ahead.
China’s a big country to try and get around in only one month, isn’t it?!
Reply: Well, hence the perimeter only. :P You can probably do the east coast (where all the main cities are) in two weeks, and everything else in another two weeks. Probably give myself five weeks to be on the safe side, but it should be enough time.
Nellie on June 12 2008 #
I think everyone’s in the same boat - not seeing friends outside uni during the semester. I swear to goodness uni just kills a social life. We gotta catch up the week after next… sucks that I still have exams!
China sounds good - and cold at that time of year! Lucky, you are fluent enough in Mandarin. Mine isn’t that much different than the standard we were at many many years ago in that hell hole!
Reply: Isn’t it bad. :S It’s alright in the first two, three weeks of a semester, but after that, there’s just no social life to be had! I’ll see you soon anyway. :)
Mish on June 12 2008 #
Harbin is so beautiful! if you go at the end of December you’ll get to see the AH-mazing ice sculptures, but be prepared to freeze your ass off…I know I wasn’t :P
I never see my close friends during the uni term either =( especially because most of them are in different majors (everyone drops out of bio!). but break is wonderful in that you can catch up again. have fun!
marilyn on June 13 2008 #
I can’t wait to travel! Working overseas sounds like a great idea, but I think if I ever suggested that my parents would get mad at me. Too expensive, they say.. THAT’S WHY I’LL BE WORKING!
Yay for no exams :D
I have mine next week :(
Shen-Shen on June 13 2008 #
[...] for four days over the weekend. Also, in addition to the four plus days I’m at work during my month-long holidays from university, as well as an average of two nights a week helping my parents with their cleaning/ironing gigs [...]
Jingwen » Blog Archive » The Internet Hates Me on June 27 2008 #