My Degree Has Come to an End

My time as an undergraduate at Manchester has come to an end. I had my last formal teaching last week and handed in my final assessments today. I have completed my degree. And now all that is left is to receive my final results and graduation. 

These last three years have absolutely flown by. There have certainly been challenging moments, most certainly starting in the middle of the lockdowns and spending my first year online. But I have also had an amazing time, making wonderful friends and meeting some of the most inspiring people. I will most certainly be staying in contact with these people who have inspired and supported me. 

I have also learnt so much, both academically and personally. My love for archaeology has only grown and I now feel confident that this is the career path I wish to pursue. And this is not the end of my involvement, either with academia or these amazing people. I will be speaking at a conference with my amazing supervisor on the findings of my dissertation and also attending fieldwork run by another of my lecturers. In terms of studying, I am also hoping to be attending the University of York in the autumn, where I will be completing a Masters degree in Material Culture and Experimental Archaeology. This is an area of archaeology where we try to unpick past technologies (and sometimes experiences) of making things. The puzzle-solving area of archaeology, and the chance to look at objects in a lot of detail, is something I really love and I cannot wait to start. 

These three years at Manchester have also helped me develop my interest in archaeological textiles, which were the topic of my dissertation. I will also be attending a training course on these this summer, and I cannot wait to see what new avenues for exploring these will emerge in my next academic steps.

Beyond the academics, I have fallen in love with Manchester. Before moving, I had my reservations about living in such a large city. But this fabulous city has stuck its claws in deep. The kind people who are proud to show themselves, the greenspaces, the fabulous networks and even the air feel my heart with joy. This is a city I will most definitely hold dear. And I have a couple of months after my assessments are due before I need to move out of my accommodation, and I have many plans of what to do in that time. This is a city of revolution and quiet change, of marches in the streets and the quiet scratch of pens in the library. This is the city where I became an (actual) archaeologist and learnt that beavers might giveth, but also taketh away.