Time passes by so fast! I cannot believe it‘s already been a month since the second semester started. Unfortunately, for this month we are still under lockdown restrictions but I tried doing something new and different to motivate myself.
Choosing electives
In this semester, we are able to choose two electives from four courses. Before making your final decisions, it is important to check carefully the requirements of the dissertation that you are allocated because some of them require us to choose a specific course in semester 2.
Going to the library
Although England is still in a national lockdown, the library is open to us. It is more productive for me to change to a different study place because I feel occasionally drowsy and lazy to study at home. Whereas, we have to book a study space online in advance, which might be inconvenient due to high demand…so BOOK AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE!
Starting to prepare for my dissertation
We were told our dissertation topic allocation at the beginning of semester 2. I know we only start writing our dissertation in the third semester but preparing in advance is not a bad thing, isn’t it? On Blackboard, we can see some recommended readings for our dissertation topic which is a good opportunity to do some early research to better understand the topic. Having good time management when doing a dissertation is really important. Having a clear plan mapped out for your dissertation progress would keep you on track to the deadline.
Exercising
I’ve been doing a 30-day exercise challenge to keep myself active during this last lockdown period. After searching on YouTube, I’ve found a yoga instructor who does a 30-day yoga challenge. At first, I find it quite difficult to keep up with the challenge as after months of staying at home, I’m not used to doing intense exercise. However, I persisted and continued my challenge, after a week it has become easier for me to complete the daily challenge. Starting a new exercise could be hard, but once you keep on trying, it’ll become easier and you can get the hang of it.
Attending Career Services’ virtual events
I’ve been attending Career Services’ zoom events to get to know more about graduate programmes and how to network. They have provided me new insights into the Asia job market and useful advice on what to do during a networking event. I recommend anyone who is feeling confused about their future to join a career service’s event just to see if anything provokes your interest.
