Four Month crunch to the Light

Today marks an interesting stage of my education as I start to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Today, I arrived at school and handed in my final two papers for the last two modules that I will probably take in my Master’s course. I am aiming for a Distinction for my efforts of course but I suppose a Merit will do. I also paid for the last term which started this week. The way I see it, my time in school is coming to an end. With classes being over and papers handed in, some would say that I have it easy for the months to come. In some ways they would be right, but for some reason I don’t think so. 

Academically, there is only one thing left on my plate and that is the dissertation. I have four months to come up with 20,000 words and I must make sure not to quote or paraphrase too much so as not to be accused of plagiarising. I have never done something like that before. I have usually needed the external routine set by classes to keep me motivated and productive, but it seems that I will now have to make my own schedule for the next four months. If I stay indoors studying for four months straight, I will probably have a meltdown, so I need to properly balance time with friends and exercising. Overall, with a good plan, I do not see the paper being a problem. 

Where the anxiety truly lies is what comes next. Most people have the luxury of going home after their studies but I have no interest of going back to live with my parents. Within the same week, after I hand in my final thesis, I will be kicked out of the apartment I am currently living in to make room for the 2012-2013 students. I don’t have the funds or the job to really know where I will be and what I will do.

This means that, while I’m finishing my academic life, I need to be preparing for my working one. Preparing my CV, searching for jobs and applying for them is an undertaking in itself. As a foreigner, I also have visa issues to deal with. 

Thus, the next few months are entirely on me. How well I do in my thesis, what job I find and where I end up is no one’s responsibility but my own. I have to be out of here in September and officially begin a move away from my academic life. This is a large step that seemed to be crunched into a very short span of time. What to do?