I did it! I completed the first half of second year without losing my mind...well not completely anyway! I can't believe I'm now half way through my degree. Where has the time gone? I've proved a lot to myself so far this year...turns out that a work smarter, not harder mindset actually works and it has made me more successful in the work I've produced.
I sat two exams as part of my first semester and I hate exams. Hate them. They just aren't my thing and I don't ever perform well in them, but this time I HAVE! I've managed to get a 2:1 in both exams which is massive for me! Clearly something has finally clicked and it's about time too!
Hard work really does pay off.
For Creative Writing last term, I had to write a 15 page play and an essay on my reflective process to accompany it. I love script writing and have done for a long time, but writing one that was such a short length required a lot of skill, time and patience. Completely unaware when I threw myself in to it, I started writing about matters that were very close to my heart and so found this to be really helpful. I wrote it all down and drew a line under it...literally. Even now, I'm in shock at the incredible feedback I received from both my peers and guest actors who were invited in to read out everyone's scripts. I was in most shock though, at the lovely comments my tutor gave me with regards to the premise of my script and the hard work she clearly saw had gone in to it.
I chose to approach my script in a stylised manner as I wanted to see how clever I could be with the use of the stage, set and lighting. This paid off because I was awarded with a 1st!
I'm so proud of what I have achieved so far this year already and although there is ten times more stress and struggles to come, I know the mindset I need to have if I want to come out on top!
Outside of the classroom, a lot has been going on with regards to the running of my course.
Due to a lack of applicants or more accurately, the numbers the University wish to hit not being met with, as of September no new students will be joining my course. This means that the English with Creative Writing degree at London South Bank University is going to cease to exist once the current First Years graduate.
This is of course devastating news as it means the degree that I graduate with is one that cannot be continued to be shared with others.
My peers and I were informed of this news by our Creative Writing Tutor and this caused us all to have many many questions we wished to be answered.
Last Thursday, a meeting was held between the Head of our School (Arts and Creative Industries) and two other members of staff who have contributed towards this decision. All students from each year of the degree were able to attend along with our Tutors and the floor was open for us all to ask the questions we desperately needed answers to.
Being told about this out of nowhere sent us all in to despair as we instantly panicked that finishing our degree would be near on impossible due to the possibility of not having staff (if they were to leave for new jobs or be made redundant) and also causing us to not have access to the resources we all desperately require in order to graduate.
In this meeting we were shown a PowerPoint, detailing facts and figures of the reasons behind stopping the course. The phrase "student experience" was repeated throughout, however not a single student in the room had been asked about their experience. We were spoken to as though the staff members leading the talk knew the course better than us, which of course is not true.
We all left the room feeling much clearer on the reasoning behind why our course has to close and to be honest, this is something that we cannot prevent, no matter how upsetting is.
However, we all left the room STILL feeling angry and STILL with questions unanswered.
The most important thing for me was to know whether I would have my current Tutors (who have been there since I started my degree) by my side until I graduate. The answer to this was "we cannot guarantee anything". I cannot express how frustrating hearing this made me!
My peers and I NEED security. We NEED to be guaranteed support. We NEED to be guaranteed guidance. Most importantly, we want it to be guaranteed that all of that comes from the staff who know us best! They know our talent and our ability. Next year (the year that counts as 80% towards the final grade of my degree) is the year for hard-work, creativity and determination, NOT the year for getting to know people who don't know me, my peers, or what we're capable of.
Here's to hoping something about our precious futures can be guaranteed soon.
If you would like to help towards ensuring some kind of stability for my peers and I as we go in to our final year, please can you take a moment to sign our petition:
https://www.change.org/p/london-southbank-university-save-english-literature-at-london-southbank-university?recruiter=937928131&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial.pacific_post_sap_share_gmail_abi.gmail_abi&recruited_by_id=69bfef40-35e5-11e9-ae22-e1f5373a6938&utm_content=fht-14325018-en-gb%3Av5&fbclid=IwAR3nE6Ild59njlwv_m02zsEXAD6zsxMj-HznaUE4Gk4Zdeb4DU-k1ezbqH8
Thank you!
Dotty
X
I sat two exams as part of my first semester and I hate exams. Hate them. They just aren't my thing and I don't ever perform well in them, but this time I HAVE! I've managed to get a 2:1 in both exams which is massive for me! Clearly something has finally clicked and it's about time too!
Hard work really does pay off.
For Creative Writing last term, I had to write a 15 page play and an essay on my reflective process to accompany it. I love script writing and have done for a long time, but writing one that was such a short length required a lot of skill, time and patience. Completely unaware when I threw myself in to it, I started writing about matters that were very close to my heart and so found this to be really helpful. I wrote it all down and drew a line under it...literally. Even now, I'm in shock at the incredible feedback I received from both my peers and guest actors who were invited in to read out everyone's scripts. I was in most shock though, at the lovely comments my tutor gave me with regards to the premise of my script and the hard work she clearly saw had gone in to it.
I chose to approach my script in a stylised manner as I wanted to see how clever I could be with the use of the stage, set and lighting. This paid off because I was awarded with a 1st!
I'm so proud of what I have achieved so far this year already and although there is ten times more stress and struggles to come, I know the mindset I need to have if I want to come out on top!
Outside of the classroom, a lot has been going on with regards to the running of my course.
Due to a lack of applicants or more accurately, the numbers the University wish to hit not being met with, as of September no new students will be joining my course. This means that the English with Creative Writing degree at London South Bank University is going to cease to exist once the current First Years graduate.
This is of course devastating news as it means the degree that I graduate with is one that cannot be continued to be shared with others.
My peers and I were informed of this news by our Creative Writing Tutor and this caused us all to have many many questions we wished to be answered.
Last Thursday, a meeting was held between the Head of our School (Arts and Creative Industries) and two other members of staff who have contributed towards this decision. All students from each year of the degree were able to attend along with our Tutors and the floor was open for us all to ask the questions we desperately needed answers to.
Being told about this out of nowhere sent us all in to despair as we instantly panicked that finishing our degree would be near on impossible due to the possibility of not having staff (if they were to leave for new jobs or be made redundant) and also causing us to not have access to the resources we all desperately require in order to graduate.
In this meeting we were shown a PowerPoint, detailing facts and figures of the reasons behind stopping the course. The phrase "student experience" was repeated throughout, however not a single student in the room had been asked about their experience. We were spoken to as though the staff members leading the talk knew the course better than us, which of course is not true.
We all left the room feeling much clearer on the reasoning behind why our course has to close and to be honest, this is something that we cannot prevent, no matter how upsetting is.
However, we all left the room STILL feeling angry and STILL with questions unanswered.
The most important thing for me was to know whether I would have my current Tutors (who have been there since I started my degree) by my side until I graduate. The answer to this was "we cannot guarantee anything". I cannot express how frustrating hearing this made me!
My peers and I NEED security. We NEED to be guaranteed support. We NEED to be guaranteed guidance. Most importantly, we want it to be guaranteed that all of that comes from the staff who know us best! They know our talent and our ability. Next year (the year that counts as 80% towards the final grade of my degree) is the year for hard-work, creativity and determination, NOT the year for getting to know people who don't know me, my peers, or what we're capable of.
Here's to hoping something about our precious futures can be guaranteed soon.
If you would like to help towards ensuring some kind of stability for my peers and I as we go in to our final year, please can you take a moment to sign our petition:
https://www.change.org/p/london-southbank-university-save-english-literature-at-london-southbank-university?recruiter=937928131&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial.pacific_post_sap_share_gmail_abi.gmail_abi&recruited_by_id=69bfef40-35e5-11e9-ae22-e1f5373a6938&utm_content=fht-14325018-en-gb%3Av5&fbclid=IwAR3nE6Ild59njlwv_m02zsEXAD6zsxMj-HznaUE4Gk4Zdeb4DU-k1ezbqH8
Thank you!
Dotty
X
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