University of Aberdeen Blog

So after four years in Aberdeen I am now into my final week here. I know it sounds like a cliché but it really has gone past so quickly; I don’t think you can truly appreciate quite how short four years at university are until you get to the end of them. It’s quite a bizarre feeling to be finished, everyone is really excited about the end of exams and essays but not looking forward to leaving all their friends and having to be what we have now termed as a “proper grown-up”. I unfortunately (or fortunately in some senses as it means I get to avoid being a “proper grown-up”) am not yet done with essays and exams as I am heading down to York next year to do a Graduate Diploma in Law. This does also mean I still get to enjoy the three month long summer holiday which I have come to love as a student. This year I’m going to spend it temping in Edinburgh so I can hopefully save up some money to help with another two years of being a student.

For now I face the mammoth task of packing up my flat and transporting it back to my (significantly smaller) bedroom in Edinburgh. Quite how impressed my parents are going to be by four years worth of lecture notes, essays, text books, Freshers’ Week freebies, and all the other things I just can’t seem to part with, I don’t know!

I also have to say good-bye to the city which has been home for the last four years. I’m not quite sure what I will miss most about Aberdeen, the beach is certainly a close runner, as are the stovies from the Old Toon Café on the university High Street. I’ll also miss being able to escape to the Catholic Chaplaincy common room for a cup (or several cups) of a tea and a gossip, playing croquet on King’s College lawn, attending mass in the ancient King’s College Chapel and walking to classes down the cobbled streets. But most of all I’ll miss the people who I’ve come to know over the last four years. I know we’ll all still see each other, but it’s not quite the same as being able to pop round the corner for afternoon tea or to watch a DVD.

Karen

I have been keeping fairly busy these past few weeks. While I thankfully don’t have to deal with exams I do have to do a fair bit of reading and researching for my PhD thesis. And contrary to exams there is no end in sight. When I am not busy reading up on state-building and issues of sovereignty I can either be found at the gym trying to shape up for summer or at the Old Town House earning some extra money working as a student ambassador. None of that is going to change during the summer as contrary to people with exams there is no end in sight for me just yet. I will however be flying back home to Luxembourg for all of July, so I will have some time off to recharge my batteries in the sun.

Of course, researching and working only happens during the day. In the evenings I am being kept busy by my social calendar. On Monday some friends and I went out for dinner and a movie (we saw Iron Man, which I highly recommend as one of the best superhero movies made so far). On Tuesday I cooked for my sister and her boyfriend and then we watched Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (in preparation for Indy 4 next week). Wednesday was the highlight of the week with me attending a performance by the Buena Vista Social Club at the Music Hall. The concert was absolutely amazing! Yesterday some friends and I tried a nice Hungarian restaurant (Goulash at the Adelphi) and then went to see The Witches of Eastwick (the musical), which was quite good fun despite being performed by an amateur company. And tonight I am off to meet some other friends for a nice evening of wine and wit J

Then tomorrow morning I am off to the gym again, followed by my weekly food shopping trip. The rest of the weekend will be spent meeting various friends. I might have a lie-in on Sunday morning though. I have a feeling that I will need it. Not that I am complaining about my busy life. I am having a great time over all. I just occasionally need a quiet moment to relax and just do nothing at all. Thankfully, next week will be slightly less busy J

Until the next time, be well in all things.

David

During my four years at Aberdeen I have played a fairly active role in the Debater, including serving as the President this year, a position which I finish in couple of days. The last few weeks of the year tend to encompass a few competitions, the first of which, the “Granite Gavel”, happened last night.

This was a new competition for this year which builds on the tradition of friendly competition between the University of Aberdeen and Robert Gordon’s University (RGU). We also have Granite City Challenge whereby any sports team that has a rival at RGU takes part at various locations throughout the city. All the sport is followed by a big awards party in one of the Unions. So far Aberdeen has won every year, and touch wood that will continue!

But back to debating. Last night’s competition saw two teams from RGU take on two Aberdeen teams. I was unfortunately drawn to speak on the opposition, which is often difficult when you are strongly in favour of the proposition. The motion for the debate and the positions that people are speaking in were drawn fifteen minutes before the debate, which is the standard practice in competitive debating. The debate was fairly lively and I’m proud to say that my partner Alex and I won it for Aberdeen.

Next Tuesday we have the final of the Debater Cup, which is our internal competition. This one is an individual speakers competition rather than a team one, which can be a bit more nerve racking, but fingers crossed I will be just as successful.

Karen