An end of an era

The last time I wrote a blog post I was just before one of the hardest and most important aspects of my degree. My dissertation is something I have mentioned multiple times here, but just before writing it, it has changed just a bit more. I ended up writing a feasibility study on the recruitment of participants for testing the anonymous peer-support app called MeeTwo. Due to the fact that we did not obtain enough participants even after contacting about 200 schools, we had to change our plan and investigate this aspect of the research process. I spent days and days researching, writing and editing this piece of work and I can say without a doubt that I have never put that much energy into any piece of work before. I haven't got my results back yet, but I really hope it was worth it. I think this entire process tested me on a lot of levels that I haven't really had issues with previously, but I made it through mainly with the support of my amazing friends and I am very thankful. 

After the dissertation stress was finally over at the end of March, exam stress quickly came along and replaced it. I thought nothing could be worse than reading the same piece of work over and over, but I was wrong. Studying for exams, for me personally, is one of the hardest things, because quite frankly, it's unbelievably boring. Spending hours just reading papers, making notes, making study cards and going over the same material over and over always discovering new things that you don't yet quite understand. It's frustrating. At the end of May though, when all the exams were over, all the stress disappeared, the tiredness from the previous months hit me a little too hard. For at least two weeks sleeping about 11 hours a night helped a little, but my mind was still too exhausted to function. Now on the other hand after a month of trying to relax I am finally able to say I'm not tired all the time. 

The more troubling issue now is what I am going to be doing next, which is actually something I have not fully decided. For now, my plan is that I will be taking a year off, finding a job in my field to get some valuable and much-needed experience and then continue studying in the field of psychotherapy. 

I would like like to use this space to thank a couple of people who helped me in the past few years. I would like to thank David, for always being there for me no matter how terrible I act. I would also like to thank Emma, for being the greatest friend anyone could ever ask for. I would like to thank my brother for supporting me and honestly telling me when my work was terrible. Helen, for being the best dissertation supervisor anyone could ever ask for. My parents for supporting me financially and emotionally through this rollercoaster of a degree. All my other friends, for being my wall and supporting even my stupidest decisions. 

All of this would have not been possible without the Kellner Family Foundation, so thank you for providing the necessary financial support for my dreams to come true.