The umbrella

Somebody told me quite recently that you will never have such a good overview of your subject as you do right before finals start. Nobody quite sees how it all fits together, or can explain everything quite so well, or knows so much of the primary literature for all the bits of the subject together (obviously there are specialists) as a finalist.

I was already aware this was true to some extent - I certainly found the amount I knew before 2nd year exams was phenomenal, looking back over my notes for some cross over work makes me gasp slightly!

However what I also think you get with that, is a strong realisation of which parts of the subject you love, and which you detest. Clearly I've already got some idea - I picked my major after all ;-) But mainly I did lots of modules with the intention of figuring out later what I liked and what I would actually revise for etc. I've already ruled out a couple of useless modules (one, irritatingly that prevented me from going to some 2nd year lectures I'd mainly slept through the first time around - they've just got a MUCH better lecturer and he's so good and clear, and I missed all the ones in autumn term because this module seemed more important).

But some bits, that seemed ok-ish but not inspiring I am getting really into now that I'm bulking up on primary literature and case studies. And this one module that I took because it seemed alright at the time is just going to be so much work to get a good grade out of (very disparate, concept-driven course, they could ask us anything) and all the extra reading is just boring me.

*shrugs* C'est la vie!