In a new weekly feature, recent Her.ie recruit Mary is sharing her journey through the very grown-up world of juggling a career with further education.
Looking back over her first semester and forward to a thesis, Mary is learning some lessons along the way about time management, the trials of being a born crammer, the importance of sharing the stressful moments… and the reason why “mature student” is probably an oxymoron.
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Freedom!
I’ve talked about this moment for so long, I can’t believe it’s actually here.
Yes, I’m free!
I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet to be honest.
We finished our last exam on Tuesday evening and there was a sense of bewilderment and sheer exhaustion as we all sat looking at each other in the pub afterwards.
Disbelief reigned supreme – were we actually really finished all of our exams? What on earth are we going to do with ourselves now?
And yes, yes. I haven’t forgotten (as much as I’ve liked glossing over it this past while) that there’s still a long road ahead to September and handing over a bound thesis.
BUT… the freedom, the sense of relief, the relaxation that comes after finishing exams is like no other feeling.
I went home in a bit of a daze after, as we all bid farewell to each other and promised to meet up later in June.
These people had been a part of my life, twice, three, sometimes even four times per week.
And now, we were wandering our separate ways, heading back to our lives and the real world – and it all just felt a bit surreal.
Arriving back to my house, notes and books were scattered everywhere. The joy at tidying them all up and shoving them in a bag in the back of my wardrobe to ‘be sorted out at a later stage’ was immeasurable.
I can’t tell you how good it feels right now. My friends both in and outside of work had stopped asking me to go to things with them as I always had to refuse.
Now? I’m free as a bird people.
The project for the summer won’t write itself but hey, there’s no need to think of that just yet.
I deserve a break. I feel like I’ve walked to hell and back and come out somewhat unscathed.
So it’s the weekend and though I may be working, I can revel in the knowledge that on Monday morning when I lie in bed enjoying my day off, there will be one big thing missing from my life – guilt.
And the feeling of that weight lifting off my shoulders is pretty darn amazing.
