Hilary in 3...2...1...

Hilary Term starts this Sunday January 15th. (In case you forgot, Oxford goes by Terms and Weeks; the former being Michaelmas, Hilary and Trinity, and the latter starting on Sundays!). It's been exactly six weeks of nice, quiet and much-needed break since the end of Michaelmas. Part of me is itching to dive back into the insomnia and existential crises-inducing bosom of academia...but most of the time I am dreading the beginning of term and cowering in fear.

The reason why? Well, according to the term's lecture lists and my various syllabi, I should be having EIGHT seminars a week this semester, plus another EIGHT tutorials spread out throughout the weeks. As a standard of comparison, may I point out that during Michaelmas, I had a measly six seminars a week, zero tutorial, and I still felt like bursting into tears of unworthiness and frustration every time I realised how far behind I was. The more you learn, the less you know. And the more you read, the even more readings you have left to do! (I am convinced that reading lists magically grow longer at night, every night.)

All this to say that, oh fee-fi-fo-fum, this upcoming term ought to be an interesting one! And by interesting, I mean it driving me madder than a bat and, oh dear, (finally?) blinder than a mole. (My poor eyesight has never thanked me for my choice of studies. Oops.) Hopefully fencing and yoga will keep my mind sane and endorphin levels high, because otherwise...actually, I really really don't want to know what would happen otherwise. Bah, humbug!

Thank you for reading, and here, have a picture from Matriculation, back when I was young and naive and carefree, merrily skipping down the sunlit Meadows with nary an idea of what the terrible future held...

Ah, the innocence of youth!