Joy in the End

Posted November 15, 2022 by Johnna Purchase

I have managed to freak out most of my friends when dropping into casual conversation the fact that we only have four weeks of class left. To me, this signifies fewer 10%-assignments, most of my due dates crossed off my list, and a chance to focus on my final projects and research papers. As an English major in undergrad, I am used to working on large-scale analysis that brings together research and original thought so final projects are where my brain is happiest. And, I finally know not just something but almost a lot-of-something about my course topics. It’s a time for celebration! 

My friends are less than convinced. The looming deadlines that all seem to cluster around the same two days, the uncertainty that maybe we don’t know as much as we think we do, the will-they-won’t-they arrive in time ILL requests for research papers, I will admit it can be a stressful time. With Thanksgiving Break disrupting this final sprint to the end and the whispering guilt of needing to work on projects instead of enjoying time to truly rest, finding joy in the last few weeks of the term can become even more difficult. 

However, I am going to continue to focus on my enjoyment of final projects rather than letting the uncertainty and pressure of the end stress me out. I’m going to remind myself that I get to write a final publishing history and reprint pitch for one of my favorite books growing up (A Wrinkle in Time); that I get to finally put together all of the little pieces from my Archival Access and Use course to make a single, complete, encoded finding aid; and that I get to dive into my favorite world of writing research papers, especially since this paper on female political participation in the founding of the People’s Republic of China allows me to build on my research about female political participation in India from coursework last fall. This is exciting work!

As we continue to sprint toward the end of the term, I hope that you, too, can find moments of joy in the work you have left to accomplish and a feeling of satisfaction as you cross each remaining task from your list. Breaks are coming, the term is wrapping up so try to find purpose and peace knowing how much you have learned over these past fifteen weeks!