It’s been a long week, and once again I’ll be working right through the weekend just to keep up – so today I don’t have any weekend reading links for you, and will refer you to the much more thorough job done by Rogue Classicist’s daily Thelxinoe posts!
I’m swamped because it’s the end of term for most of the undergraduate modules – and while I don’t actually have to mark all of the exams (which is a relief!), I do have to go through every piece of work and verify it, which is ridiculously time-consuming.
However… it’s happy work, because my students have made it to the end of their modules! So I’d like to send huge congratulations this week to all the OU students who’ve reached their summer break without collapsing, throwing their laptop out of the window or saying inexcusable things to family members who interrupt an Important Thought. Well done all! It’s not been easy or straightforward to make it through this year – but you did it, and I’m so proud!
Let me refer you once again to the Kassman Essay Competition (for OU Classics students at Levels 2 and 3) and the Global Undergraduate Awards (for undergraduates who’ve achieved a top mark in an essay). If anyone needs help or advice, feel free to give me a shout: I will certainly help – although maybe not immediately…! Here are some links you might find helpful, if you’re interested in taking part in either competition. And if you know of anyone else who might be eligible, please do pass on the information – a lot of people don’t find out about these competitions! The Global Undergraduate Awards closes for entries on Tuesday, though, so if you’re interested, now is the time to look into it!
Entering the Kassman Competition: winners’ stories
Undergraduate Awards: a success story
Undergraduate Awards: a Judge’s view
If you’ve finished your degree and are considering an MA, I’m happy to help with that too! I did a little audio recording for people starting the OU Classical Studies MA (module A863) a couple of years ago, and you can find that and lots more resources on my MA page.
I’m also busy this week because I’m trying to pull together some new things. The most urgent is a Masterclass for a big Children’s History Conference next week. This is a whole new level of interesting, since I’m not in the Children’s History Society, don’t research children, and don’t actually know what an online Masterclass is supposed to be. I have absolutely no idea at this point where my plans are heading – and that’s far more fun than it ought to be!
Other things are going on too. I can’t talk about them yet because they’re not sorted, and because I’m still in a minefield of funding and technical details… but at some point I’ll be inviting people to take part in various initiatives which will range from ‘niche and interesting’ to ‘crazy and brilliant’. It’s going to be an exciting summer!
Speaking of which… if you’re attending the JACT Durham Summer School in July (which will hopefully be happening in person rather than virtually), I’ll see you there, because I’m lined up to do one of the evening talks! If you’re interested but unsure whether it’s right for you, here are some thoughts from OU students who’ve attended Summer School in the past.
Should you go to Summer School?
That’s all from me for this week, since I need to go and dive head-first into a massive pile of books – but hopefully I’ll be a bit more organised next week! If you’ve just finished your exam or final assignment, I hope you can manage to give yourself an indulgent weekend with cake and pampering and other nice things, because you deserve it!
Classical Studies Support 
And well done to you , too, for getting your fantastic students (and your own very good super-self as well) through such a challenging year 🥳🎉🎈🎊👍⭐️🏅👏😊👌
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