Monday
On Monday, I get to have a bit of a lie in as I don’t have my History seminar until 1pm. I finished some of my reading for the seminar before grabbing some lunch at The Link, one of the campus cafés, which I love working in! With some time to kill before my seminar, I sat by the lake near the Spring Lane Building and tried to spot Long Boi (our celebrity duck) – but no luck today. Though I did see some of his friends.
Then I went to my Comparative Histories seminar, which looks at Commemoration. I chose this module as I’m particularly interested in the idea of memory, remembrance, and how we commemorate as a society. It also links very nicely to my dissertation topic. I finished my seminar at 4pm, and after having some tea, I went and met some friends for a catch-up at the pub.
Tuesday
On Tuesday, I spent some of the day doing some reading for Friday’s seminar. I then met up with my friends to play some football. I’m part of James College Women’s Football Club (JCWFC), and we train every Tuesday from 5pm until 6pm. It’s nothing serious (which is fortunate as I’m no Jack Grealish). College sport just allows you to get some exercise and socialise. After football, I headed to the library to change up my study space to get some more reading done.
Wednesday
On Wednesday, I read a couple of journal articles in the morning, but had the afternoon and evening in York. One of the great things about studying at university is how flexible it is. I can work when I want, and shift my time around depending on how much work I have to do, and if I have any other commitments. Another thing I love about York is how the city changes around the seasons. I had a look around the Christmas market with my friend, had a much-needed hot chocolate and mince pie, and then felt the need to ride the carousel.
Thursday
On Thursday, I spent most of my day reading for Friday’s seminar. I then had a meeting with my supervisor to talk over some ideas and plans I have for my dissertation. I am researching and writing on AIDS commemoration in the UK, mainly focusing on the community project, the ‘UK AIDS Memorial Quilt’. Despite its obvious hurdles, I’m really enjoying researching this topic, as it combines a lot of elements of history that I enjoy. That’s the great thing about dissertations: you can look at absolutely anything, and so you can really allow yourself to pick something you are genuinely interested in and will enjoy.
Friday
On Friday, I had a 9am seminar for my special subject module, which is ‘Rebellion & Revolution: The British Civil Wars’. I would like to call myself a public or modern historian, but for my final year, I picked an early modern module. I studied the Stuarts for History A level, and was intrigued by this module as it really filled in some gaps, things I hadn’t been taught before, mainly about the role of women and gender. After my seminar, I spent some time doing some reading for my dissertation, and then seminar reading for Monday. Then I relaxed in the evening, ready to start the weekend with seminar reading/prep and meeting with friends!
I enjoyed reading about your week. I seems wonderful and makes me want to attend U of York even more.