Menu
Gerard Atkinson
  • Home
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • Home
  • Contact
  • Blog

The Final Fortnight

26/4/2015

0 Comments

 
It has come down to this.

It’s nearly over. We are into the last two weeks of the MA/MBA program. This week will mark the final week of lectures and internships, and the following week will be the last exam week of postgraduate study (possibly ever, though never say never). And then we will be done with classes, done with assignments, done with late nights and lost weekends studying.

And yet two weeks from now is so far away. There’s still much to do, and the SMU MA/MBA program makes sure you are working at full pace up until the very end. Final papers, projects, and presentations are yet to be delivered. Throw in a few exams for good measure and there’s no chance to take your foot off the pedal and coast.  

Not that I would anyway; the whole situation reminds me of a quote from the Cynic philosopher Diogenes of Sinope about nearing the end of a journey:

“What, if I were running in the stadium, ought I to slacken my pace when approaching the goal?”
Picture
Jean-Léon Gérôme, "Diogenes sitting in his tub", (1860)


That quote has always stuck with me as a reminder to work hard until the very end, whether it is in school, employment, on stage, or on the sporting field. The temptation to ease off at the finish is great, but it is then that we can trip ourselves up. Not only that, in entertainment we often remember the finale more than anything else. More reason to go out in style, putting in our fullest effort until the last.

And after the last? Well, that’s still an open question. There’s no job lined up yet, not for lack of trying. It’s a tough market, and all too often you are beholden to the schedules and resources of employers. Idle speculation does not help, you have to try and wait it out without panicking.

Still, looking at the calendar, the space is completely blank after graduation. No classes, no meetings, just a white void that trails off into the future. It’s a scary feeling.

And somewhere in the midst of all the uncertainty I am starting to look back over the last two years. It has been an amazing time. The experiences, the friends, the things I have learned. Truly a once in a lifetime adventure.

But there’s not really time now to get nostalgic and dwell on these things. There’ll be time for that in a fortnight. Right now, the final set of work awaits. I have to remember the lesson of Diogenes, and begin to run even faster. 

After all, the finish line is in view.

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    The Blog

    Observations on music, coffee, and the occasional controversial thought.

    Archives

    January 2019
    December 2018
    December 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

    Copyright © Gerard Atkinson 2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from the owner is strictly prohibited. 
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.