“It’s good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.”
– Ernest Hemingway
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Awwh, Hemingway, you insightful man, you! I do love this quote. I’m definitely one of those people who strives towards goals and sometimes it’s too easy to get caught up in reaching them, rather than taking time out of the day to enjoy the act of getting there and living in the now. And often it’s during the journey that we grow and learn the most about ourselves! This seems particularly apt at the moment due to being in my final year of university. All this time I’ve been so intent on one goal – getting a good degree. But this quote has reminded me to take a step back every so often just to revel in the experience of being a student (possibly for the last time ever) and enjoying the company of university friends, living in London and the act of learning, that feeling when your mind expands and feels enlightened because of new knowledge. It’s so easy to take that for granted! For instance, I’m currently reading Atonement by Ian McEwan which is set around World War II and one of the characters mentioned that females could go to university but not get an actual degree qualification! Education is taken as a given in this country now and it’s easy to forget it wasn’t always that way!
So if you’re having a busy Wednesday, make sure you take a minute out to stop and smell the roses. 😉
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Blogs-Of-A-Bookaholic 
It is better to travel in hope than to arrive…At least that’s what I tell myself on my morning commute. 🙂
I graduated from Uni in…{checking CV}….1998 and I’m still a student. Learning somethin’ new every day!
Hahaa that is so true, sometimes the travelling and looking forward to something is better than the thing itself. Good luck applying that to your morning commute, LOL.
I didn’t realise you went to university, that’s awesome. 🙂 What did you study? Yes, I hope I can stay a student in mind at least. There’s always new information to uncover!
I spent four years studying computers – came out with a BSc…learnt so much stuff that I’ve forgotten most of it. 🙂
Ahh, cool! I think if I hadn’t of come across psychology I might have gone in the computer direction.
HA. So accurate. 🙂
I love this quote! I am really starting to realize how fast my life is flying by, so I am trying to stop and smell the roses as often as I can :). Great post Book Buddy.
Glad you liked it, Cindy! Time does seem to go by a lot quicker these days, it’s unreal.
Thanks you, enjoy the roses, tehee. 🙂
You know, it’s really true too what you say about enjoying your time and friends at uni. I studied engineering for two years at university and was so stressed out that I quit after second year, and honestly when I think back I hardly remember anything about those two years except for the stress. I don’t remember much about my classes or the people I hung around with or even the campus itself. The only thing that I really remember is a happy memory of skipping classes to go and play darts at the local bar with my friends. I should have stopped to smell the roses a lot more during those two years. Maybe if I had, I would have completed my degree.
I never knew that you went to university, you kept that one under wraps, missy! 🙂 Wow engineering, what an interesting topic to choose! I’m sorry you didn’t get on with it and that your memory is mostly of the stress it caused. Those moments with friends are definitely the highlights.
Your first two years at university actually sounds very similar to my own, I spent sooooo much time stressing over every single assignment and even contemplated dropping out as well. It got the point where I had to accept that I couldn’t do everything perfectly and that I just had to do my best. I’m so glad I stuck with it because third year has been much more enjoyable and I’ve made a couple of really good friends.
I’m sure in your case it probably happened for a reason, who knows what could have turned out differently if you’d decided to stay. 🙂
It was a hard decision to make. I was one of those people who finished high school having no idea what I wanted to do next. I didn’t have one subject that I excelled at that would point me in a particular direction, but I was really good at maths and sciences (and english). I went to a talk about women in engineering, and thought what the heck. The problem is that engineering is a major career, but I was still old fashioned enough that I wanted to be a mom, and not just any kind of mom. I wanted to be the kind that could be there every day for my kids. Then when the stress became so bad that all I did was cry over my textbooks every night, I said enough!
I was talking about it to my youngest son, Daniel, tonight because he is kind of in the same boat where he’s not sure what he wants to do. He’s taking a year off to work and save up some money, but he has to apply for uni soon, so he has to decide. At first he wanted to be a history teacher, but the jobs in teaching are kind of scarce right now. He has also always been really interested in psychology (specifically the criminal mind), but he thought he had to have a lot of science for that, and he didn’t keep up on his sciences in his final years of high school because he was busy taking history, law, and math courses. I told him that he should try to take something that really fascinates him because it’s so important to try and get into a field that you actually enjoy and that you can see yourself doing every day. Looking back now, I should have been a librarian or at least worked in the publishing field. That would have been a job that I would have loved to go to every day. We looked online today, and he can get a bachelor of arts in psychology which could lead to many different careers but doesn’t need the sciences. So, I think he’s going to look into that. My older son started out in computer engineering technology and switched after first year to an electrician’s course instead once he found what he excelled at and what he didn’t. Now he is really happy :). It’s sure a tough decision isn’t it?
I’m sure it was and I can totally relate to that because I have never had any idea what I wanted to do either. Luckily in the last two years at school I took psychology classes and discovered not only that I was good at it but that I also had a passion for it! I’m not sure what I would have done otherwise. It’s interesting that you mention going to a talk about engineering because that’s never really been a career path I’ve been aware of! Just think if you had done English with your love of books, you would have aced it. 🙂 I think it’s great that you knew where your priorities were and there’s only so much stress you can take before you have to say enough. It’s so difficult because half the time we have no idea what kind of jobs are out there other than the mainstream ones and everything is so competitive these days.
Ahh, I feel for Daniel, it’s so damn hard to choose! It’s funny that teaching has become so difficult to get into because I remember when everyone was going back to get qualifications to teach because there was a shortage. Ohh how things change. It’s interesting that he’s thinking of going in the psychology direction. I’m doing a module on eyewitness testimony this semester and I have to say it is absolutely fascinating! I also have a friend who is working at a prison and she love it. Being interested in a topic definitely helps! As far as I’m aware you don’t necessarily need sciences to get into psychology, I think they will take most people because they approach the course as if you have never studied it before. 🙂 I’m sure the courses differ between the UK and Canada but if Daniel or you have any questions about psychology I would be happy to help! It’s a really interesting topic but there is a LOT of reading. It’s not that science-ey either. This year I have to learn about the brain but everything else is mainly theory and research based.
You would have made an AWESOME librarian or publisher, but I’m sure you’re just as awesome at your current job. 😀
Awww, thanks Book Buddy :). I will let Daniel know what you said, and if he has any questions I will definitely pick your brain. I think the worst thing about not knowing what you want to take at uni is the cost involved. I don’t know what it’s like over there for you, but getting a university education here is extremely expensive, especially if you are living on campus. So, if you start out in one course and then switch to another, it can really add to your debt. Bryan has a student loan that is creeping higher every year, and I am just crossing my fingers that he will get an apprenticeship quickly after he graduates this year because he will have to start paying it off right away.
Eeesh, yes, university sure hurts your bank account! Fees didn’t used to be that bad over here but they’ve put them up HUGELY in the last few years and now they just keep rising. Guess which year they put them up? The first year I begun university. Talk about bad luck!!!! The people before me paid a third of my amount, hmmph. From what I’ve heard though America is even worse (so I presume Canada probably is as well) so I really feel for you guys. Sad times.
But yes, definitely, if you have any questions feel free to shoot them my way. 🙂
Something tells me this won’t be the last you’ll be a student. You’ve got a thirst for knowledge girl, and I’m sure it will continue long after you graduate from uni.
Hmm, intriguing assessment, you could be right! Thanks, I honestly don’t know what the future holds, I guess we’ll have to wait and see. 🙂