By Charles Hue Williams

The Importance of Time 

Time is the most valuable commodity in existence. It can’t be bought, it has no allegiance and it needs to be respected…or it will screw you over! 

SCA is doing a marvellous job of teaching me the power of time through a process of duality. I am simultaneously learning how valuable time is, whilst also being robbed of every second. 

I know that the projects have been specifically tailored to challenge our concepts of time, with the expectation of tight deadlines and all nighters on the horizon. I didn’t think however that I would see the cresting sun so soon. 

This week I have realised I need to quickly come to terms with the rules of time and how to utilise them. To develop the knowledge of when to prioritise and identify what to let go. To realise when there just isn’t enough and maximise what you have to work with, even at the expense of sleep and sustenance. 

It is obviously still early doors for the course, with briefs set to get tougher and their importance due to rapidly rise. On the back of the previous students’ advice and at the request of our faculty we need to give it our all from the get go. Is this really a fair request however? This year may be comparative to a race, but is a sprint the best option for cross country? How can we be expected to keep up the pace? 

Five briefs across a multitude of teams and interlayed between daily tasks certainly gets you thinking about how, where and when are we going to get it all done? Hard work may beat talent but it also requires time. The temptation with a burdened schedule to slack on some briefs or choose a simpler option is tempting but would it really be fair to ourselves? Would you choose to recuperate and save yourself for when it truly matters or keep your foot down on the pedal and hope you reach a petrol station before the tank runs dry? 

We are encouraged to not settle on ideas and to avoid cutting corners to save on time but is there truly enough time to achieve this, without sacrificing a healthy lifestyle to some extent? Is it an acceptable excuse to promote a simple idea on one project as you’re already maxed out on another? How do you avoid looking complacent to one team, knowing that you’re giving another all you have? If this is the point at which we’re encouraged to socialise with the year, build an understanding of others’ work ethics and gage potential creative partners, is such a heavy workload giving us the best chance for positive self representation? 

I have quickly come to terms with the idea that this year will be totally consuming and that I shouldn’t fight, but instead embrace it. A literal embodiment of eat, sleep and live advertising. The irony however is that we have barely started any actual advertising. If this course was a book, at this point in time we would still be making our way through the introduction. The easy read. The alluring entry that entices you in, building excitement for what’s to come. This particular book however happens to be on quantum mechanics and in the introduction we have already managed to uncover the principles of string theory. With that rate of development in mind, I would therefore expect to have learnt the meaning of life by the time I reached the end of the book. 

I have to admit that the intensity of the course, although intimidating and overwhelming is certainly exciting. The coverage we are already accessing is impressive and only alludes to the development we should all have achieved by the end of our SCA experience.