And so it begins. The spring term has officially started and the University is back to its usual mood - buzzing with a sense of anticipation and excitement. In hindsight, there is something to be said about the slightly overly critical tone in my writing over the last couple of articles - or is ‘post’ a more accurate description? It might have been the festive season failing to seep in - or rather sinking far too deep - nonetheless whatever intonation I adopted over the last few weeks wasn’t in its entirety unjustifiable - there was - and still is - an overarching sense of frustration at the lack of guidance with the end of the autumn term. 'Class done, term over - NEXT!' It somewhat felt being left in a half-forgotten queue while being under the distinct impression the rest of the University continued to move at a steady pace.
While this feeling has not entirely abandoned me, the start of the new term has ushered me forward and helped me to move on. And for all my comments, complaints and assessment of University, postgrad studies and student life, I don’t think I fully realised just how much I’m enjoying my degree until early this week. The sense of anticipation was truly admirable - I was suddenly really looking forward to it.
This term I have two modules, the first of which has commenced early in the week. An incredibly different atmosphere from last term’s single module. I got to meet all the other part-time students in my degree which was particularly nice - and who were all equally puzzled by the sudden change in propensity from last term - but the majority of faces in the lecture were that of strangers - other part-time students enrolled in a series of Management postgraduate degrees. Not sports-related at all.
Nothing unexpected but I was so enthralled last term with a full-on sport-only class I’d forgotten not all of the modules were going to be sport-specific. How could they be? Not that I'm suggesting the business of sport is not sufficiently complex to render a full degree on sport-related modules alone, but rather understand that principles of Business, Management and Research are all fully applicable to sports regardless of its peculiar modus operandi.
This strictly theoretical module, however, was a significant change from the reality I’d grown accustomed to in the last 3 months. Neither students nor tutors hold a particular appreciation for sports (how odd!). Neither football, nor rugby, boxing, nor baseball, basketball nor American football illustrated any of the examples cited in class; instead these were populated by current economic or political topics. Even students behaved differently.
Does this make for more or less interesting lectures? Too early to make a proper assessment, even if I did leave class with a very distinct impression than when I first started the MBA. A breath of fresh air or a bucket of ice-cold water? Only time will tell!
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