Second year debut

Hi, I am Zoë. I’m new to the student blog gang.

Where has the time gone? I’ve been back in Bristol two months, working full-time in September before my studies. It was a good shout easing myself in with a month’s buffer beforehand; second year has definitely hit with full force. There’s more reading, more writing and no more “it doesn’t count!”. As ever, my units are broad: I go from a Middle English Grammar lecture, to a seminar about the Labour party in the 1960s, to a group discussion philosophising on the theme of Race and Justice. And – as a true Liberal Arts student – I love it.

I am busy outside the classroom. I was elected Arts Faculty Representative last March and my role is now in full swing. I have attended my first Senate, trained my first Course Reps and will chair my first Committee in the coming weeks. If this wasn’t enough student representation, I also ran for and won the position of NUS Delegate for the University alongside five others. I will be heading to NUS Conference in spring to vote on behalf of the institution. I am not sure how I fit the campaigning in with my job, degree and part-time repping, but first year has been fundamental in equipping me with time-management and a passion for grabbing any opportunity that comes my way.

So, looking ahead, what’s on in the run-up to Christmas? More essays, a Free Education Demo in London, a Women in Leadership Conference, an imminent deathly cold that will get me after weeks of not having our heating on because we aren’t in halls anymore, fundraising for a pond in the Philosophy Garden, more essays and, most importantly, planning for my year abroad! This is the month we make our three choices and in a few weeks we will know. I can’t wait.

This time a couple of months ago, I didn’t expect to be doing half of this. If there’s anything this peek at Second Year has taught me, it’s that uni’s still got the ability to surprise and inspire me.

– Zoe