Today is 18th December 2009. It is the last day of the first term of my MA in Publishing at Oxford Brookes University. Whoa. Seriously...where did this semester go?? It's really hard to believe that it has been 12 weeks since I met everyone, sat in my first MA class, had my first marketing assignment (!). Sometimes it feels like it's been months, years...and at others (or for other things, maybe) it's really hard to believe we're already finished one term. I am 1/3 finished with my MA. WTF!
And, to be sentimental...of course, I really have fallen in love with a bunch of people here. I'm still so in love with the course and of course England. It has been one of the busiest, craziest and drunkest 12 weeks of my life...but I wouldn't change any of it.
Tuesday we presented our editorial projects and my group was voted into 3rd place by the judges (lecturers and a guest judge from Palgrave Macmillan)! We were really surprised and really excited! We had no idea we'd win anything, but we did bring cookies :) (It was a proposal for a student cookbook...c'mon!). Tuesday night was fairly lovely as well...dinner at Jamie's and drinks at Copa. Enough on that though :)
Wednesday we had our last marketing lecture EVER! We had a guest speaker on PR and it was probably my favourite lecture of the term. I forgot how much I really like PR and I'm thankful for the speaker for reminding me I have alternatives besides editorial! Wednesday night was the FABULOUS MA Christmas party at the swanky Randolph Hotel downtown. 3 course meal and dancing the night away...with the lecturers. Let me just say that seeing our production lecturer get down to 'Dancing Queen' was priceless and worth the 35quid pricetag!
Thursday we had our Production exam which I think went fairly well...but to be honest, no one cared much about after the party! Not that I didn't try (I can hear you mumsy!) but it wasn't a huge exam and some of the questions had appeared on our exercises a couple weeks ago. I know this is boring...moving on.
Today we presented our design projects. My group met this morning to get a nice version printed out in the media centre and then had a team breakfast. This is probably the part I'm most excited about...When my group first met waaaaay back in Sept/October, we realised that no one had any design skills. Fail. But 12 weeks and many hours in the TONGE later and our book is AMAZING. I am so proud of us and of it that I could not stop smiling all morning. Afterwards a bunch of us went to the pub for lunch and drinks and then Bri and I went to the city centre for some last minute shopping.
Busy, busy week...great culmination to the busy 12 weeks I've been having. I head to the states on Monday morning and while I am definitely getting more excited (especially for certain things: MEXICAN, FRIENDS, KITTEN, Yes, you MUMSY!) but also sad that this term has come to a close. Next term we'll be back (most of us, and a few new additions), but we won't have everyday together like we did this term. We've got electives next term. So instead of 4 days a week with the same people, I'll have 1...it will be a HUGE change. Sigh. Growing up is hard.
Leave you with a lovely pic of Bri and me at the Christmas do
xxx
