Over the past few weeks, I have spent some time on reflection and evaluation of my time working towards my MA. It has been a very steep personal learning journey. Some of the modules filled me with joy, and others filled me with dread.
2024, in particular, felt incredibly disjointed and erratic, possibly due to my home situation. Moving house whilst partaking in an MA left me frazzled. Only in the past three months, after an intermittent break in my studies, have I come to an equilibrium and finally feel that I have a direction.
The intermittent break was a natural time to think over the evaluation question. I am glad I took the break. I feel more grounded and less panicky about moving on- a step back from the MA was good for me. I have spent the past four months thinking about and working towards clarity.
I have thought a lot about my most and my least successful modules on the MA. This reflection and evaluation process has helped me to focus and really think about where I want to go next. For my two least successful modules, I felt like a rabbit in headlights, startled, unsure, and underconfident in the work and the outcome.
My most successful module in terms of grades, which I incidentally enjoyed most, allowed me absolute freedom of creativity and excited me about the discoveries I was making. Throughout the MA I have learnt that I enjoy research immensely and hope that research will be a fundamental part of my future. I have realised that to do my best I need to reach for what fills me with energy. Stop worrying about what will happen in the future as it significantly impinges on everything.
I have surprised myself with the academic writing side of the MA. Being diagnosed as dyslexic a month before starting in 2023. For many years I avoided writing tasks.. I have come to realise I can write, and if I am writing about something that interests me I actively enjoy it.
Am I dreaming?
Before my intermittent break, I considered researching the subconscious, specifically dreaming. I love dreaming and being in the subconscious world of dreams. I decided against this study as I mostly thought about the visual result and how to imagine my dreams in an immersive experience rather than the process. However, this could be something for a future project.
Magpies
This poem has variation as you travel around the British Isles (Roud.)
I see magpies on my dog walk and always, without fail, say good morning to the singular and count if there is more than one; a slightly silly and rather pointless action, but something that many people do. From this simple sight of nature, I decided to base my research on superstition. This leads back to my best module- the short 4-week self-initiated project where I asked the answerable question,’ Am I in charge of my own destiny? It also follows on from some of the myths and stories I discovered in Histories and Futures in my search for the illusive Rydosaur.