Plans for 2010
And so another year has passed and I sit here in my closet-sized bedroom wondering what on earth is to become of 2010. Of all the twnty-four years of my life thus far, 2010 has the potential to be the most important and significant year yet. Not only do I graduate this year, but I hope to embark upon a Masters course in Victorian Studies, get a full-time job and self-publish The Powers that be trilogy. My decision to self-publish has come in part from my desire to have a physical book to show for my four years of work, but more than that, so I can share my work with the world. Though obviously my first two books are still available to download via RGPublishing, the uptake on the part of the people close to me has been - how shall we say - less than prolific. Not one to be set back by this lack of uptake, I am still just as intent as ever on getting my work out there. Not just this, but I'm hoping the self-publishing effort may well inspire me once more to take up the pen. It really has been too long...
So what of other plans for this new year?
Well as I've already alluded to, I hope to embark upon my Masters in Victorian studies this year. I've already applied to one course, and am currently in the process of acquiring academic references to support my application. I'm also working extremely hard to try and achieve a first in my English degree. Obviously English being English, this is actually far harder than it might be were I doing a science-based subject. With science if you know it, you know it, and so scoring highly is fairly straight forward if you put X effort into areas A, B and C, but with English putting in the same amount of effort doesn't necessarily equate to a similar grade. Put simply, scoring about 80/100 in English is pretty much unheard of, where as scoring over 80% in engineering say, is actually an attainable target. The consequence of this is that though I'm currently getting A grades, I can't sit back and say that if I put in X amount of additional effort I can guarentee myself a first as my housemate Tom for example was able to do with his IT degree. As a result I must admit I'm stressing out a bit about doing as well as possible with the time I have left on my course.
And then there's the thought that in a few months from now it will all be over and I'll have to... get a job.
Does it get any more stressful? Probably. But for twenty-four year old me, at this current point in time, this is pretty much as stressful as it's ever been. If it wasn't for the fact I love English so much, I certainly wouldn't be here now. I've even managed to add to my list of 'things to do' the reading of further Victorian Literature to help expand my knowledge of the subject not only for my Masters, but also for my future research. Seriously, I really do think there must be something wrong with me. Surely no normal person would choose to read Melmoth the Wanderer?
And yet these are the depths that I am exploring at present. Yes it's official: I'm an English geek. It's The Castle of Otranto at present, and then it will be Carmilla for some more vampire-related fun. After that it's a few books I've been loaned and/or bought for Christmas and then the Vic' Lit' resumes with some Du Maurier and some H.G.Wells.
Fun fun fun.
Fingers crossed, this will be an awesome 2010.