I feel like I haven't sat down and just blurted out all my feelings in quite a while and thought seeing as I am now home for Christmas it would be the perfect time to do a university update.
The last update I did was just after my first week as a second year and that seems like forever ago now, so much has happened, both good and bad but its been a good semester and it's terrifying to think that I am now half way through my degree! Take me back to first year!
In terms of my course I have been loving this year, the modules I have are great and really interesting and I am actually enjoying doing all of the work I have to do. I have completed all of my assignments for this year, which I am hoping I have done well in! Annoyingly we don't get the results for most of them until February, which seems forever away! Most of my modules are double modules so I carry them on next semester but I do start a new single module next semester which I am so excited about as it's the aspect of law I think I want to practice in. Anyway it's going really well, I love my group of friends I have on my course and they really have helped me survive so far this year!
If you haven't read my Second Year So Far post you won't know that I didn't have the easiest of moving in days this year, it was the most stressed I have ever been it was just doomed from the start. This year I have really struggled in my housing situation, the people who I'm living with didn't want to live in a house and wanted to live somewhere where the bills were all included, (understandable Oxford can be an expensive place to live) so we've ended up in halls again this year. Granted they are so much nicer and everything and we are living with who we want to and not strangers but I don't know I feel as though its holding me back. I long to be independent, have to pay bills, arguing over turning the heating on, having to be a 'grown up' and I feel living where we do I'm not getting that and I know it's only a small thing but I never wanted to really live where we do and as much as I love having my own ensuite again it's just not what I ever imagined student life to be.
Anyway moving on, alongside living where we do the dynamics of who I'm living with has changed dramatically as well. Last year there were 6 of us in a flat, me and three other girls and two guys. Myself and the girls chose to live together this year but about three weeks in things didn't feel the same and it's really had a toll on me personally. One of my flatmates spends all of her time at her friends accommodation so she basically doesn't live with us. One of them is my 'bestie', if anything we've gotten closer these past few months and then the third one is being really two faced and pitting us off one another. It, at times, has been a really hard place to live and it was affecting me as a person, more than I even realised. So when I had the opportunity to go home for a whole week I took it and it made such a difference, even my closest flat mate realised. That was in October. Things started getting better and as semester came to an end they have gotten ten times worse. I went home for four days and two of my flat mates didn't even realise. It's really upset me and has affected me so much, I guess when you choose who you live with life doesn't get easier.
Anyway I am now back at home and have never been more glad. This year I have really missed my mum and I think I've basically seen her in person at least once a week since I went home in October. That's definitely not a habit I want to keep up but it's something that I definitely needed. I have so long off for Christmas. I finished on the 8th December and came home on the 11th December but my lectures don't start back up again until February which is insane! Some people are so jealous and honestly, I wish I had less time. As much as I love being at home and spending time with my family a month is a long time to not do anything and plus all my friends at home only have two/three weeks off so after a while I have nothing to do. Luckily I can transfer between work but I'm not guaranteed work at my home store for the entire period I am at home.
Despite this year, so far, has been a rollercoaster I am excited for what next semester brings and maybe a month off will do me some good (it definitely means I'll plenty of time for blogging!). I've just come back from a night away in London with my mum and I am currently curled up on the sofa with a hot chocolate watching some Christmas films. I love being at home.
If you've managed to read this entire post I salute you. I really should do updates more often so then they won't be as long! Maybe that's a new year's blog resolution.
I hope you are all well and keep an eye out for my next post!
