Throughout my christmas holidays of 2010 I imagined the possibilities 2011 had to offer. My studies at The University of Aberdeen were coming to an end and a chapter of my life was coming to a close. Or so I thought… As I lazily listened to music one evening (obviously just to distract myself further from the coursework and exam revision that I should really be getting on with), I wrote “2011: Getting Things Done Edition” in which I described some of the goals I had set myself for the new year.
“So, nothing huge here. No life changing goals or anything, just a few positive uplifting goals to keep the rest of 2011 interesting.”
I say “a chapter of my life was coming to a close” only because my expectations of finding a student placement program that satisfied the requirements set by The University of Aberdeen were, well, low. I was sure I would be a graduate of 2011. “Or so I though…”? Well, what’s happened? where am I now? I believe the best way to put it is The Intermediate Chapter, an interlude that separates university lifestyle from ownership of a degree. Simply put: I am currently working full-time as placement student. The fact that I got this placement rules out much of the uncertainty I had towards 2011 – I now know where I’ll be spending the rest of 2011, both job wise and location wise. It’s a funny situation to be in, like the interlude at a concert that connects two songs together while certain band members retune their guitars, I feel like I am tuning my life before the next chapter starts. Only once The Computing Science class of 2012 march through Elphinstone Hall will I realise that my time to start a new chapter has come. Until then, regardless of working full-time, I am still a student at heart.
So now that my uncertainties are cleared up, let’s look at some of goals I had set myself.
- Learn to Drive. As mentioned previously, I can drive. What has changed since 2010 is that I’ve had a lesson. A single lesson. Yes, just the one. A small, miniature, tiny, microscopic achievement. Or failure? This is definitely something that needs to change within the coming weeks.
- Healthy Snacking. Although I dropped Graze (only because I realised it’s actually quite easy to go to the shops and buy nuts), I have maintained quite a healthy snacking lifestyle. Gone are the days of Haribos and chocolate – they’ve been replaces by dried and fresh fruit along with an occasional sweet.
- Maintain a good fluid intake / Continue Drinking Green Tea. As I write this, I’m enjoying a delicious teapigs green tea! Especially since having started my (office) job, I have been drinking vast amounts of green tea – along with plant of water, it’s basically the only drink I consume throughout the day. My fluid intake has been very high and I definitely feel the health benefits of keeping my body at a good level of hydration.
- Learn the Basics of Sign Language. I am still very eager to start learning this, but have simply not found the time to do so. Staying on top of my things to do list!
- Surf / Wind Surf. No / No. Although I won’t be going (wind / ) surfing this summer, I will be going SUPing. When my family told me what they’ve been up to, I too had no idea what they were taking about. SUPing, or Stand Up Paddle Surfing, is apparently a “an emerging global sport with a Hawaiian heritage”. It looks fun and I can’t wait to try it in a couple weeks!
Frankly, I have hardly had the chance to cross out any of my planned out goals. My Getting Things Done approach followed me into 2011 and I have simply been, well, getting things done. My dissertation was finished and achieved a high mark, adventures with friends and family took me to new places and a spontaneous job application veered my life for the better! 2011 has been a fantastic year so far, but there’s no way I am slowing down just yet. Hardware needs to get soldered, core strength should be built up, sign language would still be a nice addition to my knowledge, a drivers license must end up in my wallet and adrenaline should be enjoyed! Hello rest of 2011, I’m looking forward to meeting you 🙂
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