Monday 14 March 2005

Untitled Thoughts of A Uni Student

You can spot the new ones a mile away. The fresh faces, eager to start classes anew, slightly apprehensive as the wander around, files and clean notebooks in hand, trying to find their lecture theatre. Those dressed to the nines, trying to make good impressions as they first arrive. Some come with friends in tow, their own personal little support groups as they prepare to face the new and challenging world of university. It's a world apart from what they've grown up to. High school was nothing compared to this next step.

University life can be daunting at times. Melbourne University was no different. Like I said earlier, it was nothing like high school. Not the slightest. Classes could be rescheduled, shifted around to your preference, no one was breathing down your neck making sure you were on track with your assignments, or your school work, or anything at all! You could choose to skip a lecture and no one would be the wiser. There was no one telling you what to do or what to say or how to dress, and you could lose yourself in the sheer diversity of university students. There was almost too much to comprehend, too many people, too many opportunities to do or say or indulge in whatever you chose to. It is a smorgasboard of opportunities.

University is amazing in that sense. Some say it is where you discover who you truly are. It is the stepping stone in self-discovery. Many times, as I walk through Union House, I am just struck by the freedom students get to explore their chosen passions in life. There is a niche for every single individual, should you look hard enough.

I am constantly amazed by discovering what my university sometimes offered. Free dance classes for beginners. Different sports, from the generic to those less heard of. An art gallery, with opportunities for those who were interested to learn. The Rowden White library, the infamous library where students were banned from studying in. Student politics, student bodies, clubs and societies. There is something to be said for a club called Friends of Unnatural Llamas. Quirky.

Various lectures on various subjects, usually something to do with world events; a response to the politics that went on in the world - an attempt to question and discuss and perhaps, the desperate hope that the future would be different. That we would make it different. Theatre. And that is only the tip of the iceberg, a mere hint of the different activities and courses where anyone could choose to pursue, in between their academia.

My university experience goes beyond academia. True, one does go to university to pursue a degree, but there's more to learning than books and lecture theatres. Undoubtedly, that is one of the most interesting parts about university, when you learn about subjects where you are truly passionate about. However, it is the people you will meet, the experiences you will have, the debates you will engage in, the lessons you will learn outside the classroom that truly will define your university experience.

Nevertheless, sometimes, I realise how jaded I've become with uni life. With studying. Sometimes, when I spot those new faces, still caught up in the excitement of going to uni, I wish I could be like them once again. Excited about the process of learning, bright eyed and bushy tailed, instead of blearily stumbling out of my bed on automatic at the sound of the alarm after several snooze attempts. Sometimes I wish I could shake myself out of this rut. I love what I do, but at the same time, it's starting to take so much effort.

Yeah. Uni does that to you too.

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