I’ll come clean and admit that I’ve barely looked through the enrichment week activities on Canvas. I may have briefly glanced over them whilst simultaneously watching whatever mind-numbing shite was on TV at the time, and I can’t help but feel my time is better spent absorbed in the TV. It’s good to have time away from work. Stress can very easily build up. For my own sanity it was good to step away from the assignments, lectures, and study group tasks for a bit of therapeutic me-time.
My reading week is great so far. I’ve travelled to visit friends in Manchester where we went to watch Black Midi perform at the Ritz. We then went to Leeds where I saw The French Dispatch (which I highly recommend if you haven’t seen it already). Before finally going to Sheffield to spend a couple of days with family, and most importantly my two cats (in fact as I’m typing this, they’re both curled up on my lap).
It was good to step away from the assignments, lectures, and study group tasks for a bit of therapeutic me-time
It is a well needed week for relaxation. I doubt the university wanted reading week to be used for socialising, but after committing a large portion of your life to working it’s important to get things back in balance. It’s called an ‘enrichment’ week and I suppose I’m technically enriching myself in other aspects of my life, primarily the social parts.
Reading week is worth it. I also use the time to get back on track. It’s a free week to sort my life out. I spent a whole day working my way through the festering pile of laundry that had begun to get out of hand during a hectic fortnight of lectures. If you're behind on work, you can use the time to catch-up on those tedious recorded lectures.
Last year my assignments were due in after the reading week, so it was impossible to relax and take my mind off work. Gratefully this year is different, and more effective. Assignments were submitted prior to reading week. I can finally relax and prepare myself appropriately for the onslaught of work before Christmas... with a mind that is clear, fresh, and ready...
