In December I returned from my first term at the University of Birmingham slightly hyperactive, exhausted and hungry, but nonetheless extremely happy with life and regaling the beauties of Brum. I am studying the beautiful subject that is BA English and have made some fabulous and dear new friends. University is such a bizarre experience though, for various reasons...
a) You are leading a double life
I am aware that this sounds like you have just woken up and found yourself in The Matrix, EVERYTHING YOU KNOW IS A LIE, PANIC etc etc. But, seriously, you are living two very different lives and yet the transition between the two is remarkably smooth. One minute you are sitting in your tiny student kitchen with a friend, eating stuffing on its own straight from the oven of an evening... and the next minute your mum has cooked you a full roast dinner and you are at home, surrounded by family and the cat is sitting next to you, with a slightly suspicious expression, as he has not quite remembered who you are just yet.
b) Here is your comfort zone.
And here is you. You have been unceremoniously turfed out of the life you have lived for the past eighteen-ish years. In my case I am lucky enough to be very close with my family and have happy relationships with them all. The sudden absence of adults as figures of authority proves to be a bit of a shock. In the first few weeks of university, I seem to remember that the very sight of an adult, from a gardener to a librarian, was comforting to me. When our shower broke and the maintenance man came to fix it, myself and two other flatmates stood (in a slightly un-washed fashion) in our corridor in our pajamas positively beaming at him. BEHOLD, here is an ADULT who knows what to do and will save us hapless students. It almost got to the stage where we were going to offer him the contents of our fridge (some questionable cheddar and a bottle of white wine, one third full) as a thank you. Thank you, Mr Maintenance Man, for being an adult and saving our immature asses from total disrepair. Thank you.
Thank you.
c) You have to make an attempt at being an adult
University is a strange, exciting half life where you technically become an 'adult' living with 'other adults'. In my mind, becoming an adult involves having to become serious. Here we encounter a problem: anyone that knows me is aware that I find it difficult to take many things seriously.
Therefore, reader, with a little help from Jane, you can see my problem. And you can imagine how the very notion of doing my own laundry (THE NOTION!) would faze me. And let's not even go into cleaning the bathroom...
d) Suddenly you become some sort of culture vulture
Week 4 of university. Somehow I have joined Wine Society, attended a mildly terrifying Jazz society 'jam', have spent a great deal of time in the fabulous Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and also find myself debating whether I prefer Ella Fitzgerald or Nina Simone. I actually have something to talk about. Coming from a town where it's one road in and one road out (oh the blessed A14...), this is like a breath of fresh air! I can have interesting and informed conversations with people! Well, unless I've been to wine society where they become slightly incoherent... But compared to the classic Suffolk "OH did you hear about that old lady who fell off her mobility scooter last week and landed on a CAT" style conversations, this is just fabulous.
So there we have it.
My musings on my fabulous first term at Birmingham University. Just some final insights:
a) You are leading a double life
I am aware that this sounds like you have just woken up and found yourself in The Matrix, EVERYTHING YOU KNOW IS A LIE, PANIC etc etc. But, seriously, you are living two very different lives and yet the transition between the two is remarkably smooth. One minute you are sitting in your tiny student kitchen with a friend, eating stuffing on its own straight from the oven of an evening... and the next minute your mum has cooked you a full roast dinner and you are at home, surrounded by family and the cat is sitting next to you, with a slightly suspicious expression, as he has not quite remembered who you are just yet.
b) Here is your comfort zone.
And here is you. You have been unceremoniously turfed out of the life you have lived for the past eighteen-ish years. In my case I am lucky enough to be very close with my family and have happy relationships with them all. The sudden absence of adults as figures of authority proves to be a bit of a shock. In the first few weeks of university, I seem to remember that the very sight of an adult, from a gardener to a librarian, was comforting to me. When our shower broke and the maintenance man came to fix it, myself and two other flatmates stood (in a slightly un-washed fashion) in our corridor in our pajamas positively beaming at him. BEHOLD, here is an ADULT who knows what to do and will save us hapless students. It almost got to the stage where we were going to offer him the contents of our fridge (some questionable cheddar and a bottle of white wine, one third full) as a thank you. Thank you, Mr Maintenance Man, for being an adult and saving our immature asses from total disrepair. Thank you.
Thank you.
c) You have to make an attempt at being an adult
University is a strange, exciting half life where you technically become an 'adult' living with 'other adults'. In my mind, becoming an adult involves having to become serious. Here we encounter a problem: anyone that knows me is aware that I find it difficult to take many things seriously.
'Follies and nonsense, whims and inconsistencies do divert me, I own, and I laugh at them whenever I can.' Jane Austen
Therefore, reader, with a little help from Jane, you can see my problem. And you can imagine how the very notion of doing my own laundry (THE NOTION!) would faze me. And let's not even go into cleaning the bathroom...
d) Suddenly you become some sort of culture vulture
Week 4 of university. Somehow I have joined Wine Society, attended a mildly terrifying Jazz society 'jam', have spent a great deal of time in the fabulous Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and also find myself debating whether I prefer Ella Fitzgerald or Nina Simone. I actually have something to talk about. Coming from a town where it's one road in and one road out (oh the blessed A14...), this is like a breath of fresh air! I can have interesting and informed conversations with people! Well, unless I've been to wine society where they become slightly incoherent... But compared to the classic Suffolk "OH did you hear about that old lady who fell off her mobility scooter last week and landed on a CAT" style conversations, this is just fabulous.
So there we have it.
My musings on my fabulous first term at Birmingham University. Just some final insights:
- avoid revolving doors
- homesickness is horrid, but you do get over it
- do not mix drinks
- never eat a combination of boiled fish and bacon
- never leave your underwear hanging around accommodation... leads to speculation... #pantswatch
- buy a cactus
Until next time :)
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