(no subject)
Whilst I don't really use Livejournal that much anymore, I thought I might as well do a sort of "well that's all over"-type post regarding my first year at uni. Which has nothing to do with the fact that I'm really bored and am trying to put off revising for my last exam.
It's not completely over yet, but after my final exam tomorrow I'm gonna go home on Thursday rather than hang around for two weeks doing not much (I've found the last couple dull enough even with revision to be doing). A good time really to look back on it a year which promised much and delivered a lot, however most of what was delivered was a load of crap.
That last sentence was a bit harsh really- some of the spring and most of the summer term has been tolerable and dare I say it slightly enjoyable. However it has taken a long time to get over the first couple of months spent here which were frankly a nightmare.
Right from when I was placed to live in St Peter's Court, a good 25-minute walk from the campus where 90% of freshers reside, I knew things would be tough since it would be hard to meet people etc. However I probably didnt prepare myself well enough for what lay ahead. Tha flat I was put in had a couple of Chinese guys- nothing against Chinese guys but international students are always going to be cliquey- and a cannabis-smoking pikey who basically got himself drunk every night and had no regard whatsoever for the people living around him. Basically this whole situation threw me entirely- I was so unhappy that I basically lost the confidence to speak to anyone new in the first few weeks, and consequently I spent the entire first term without getting to know anyone either at SPC or on my course. SPC, being a new place, had no jcr set up or anything and so I didnt get to play sport which would have helped me immensely in getting to know people.
I just really felt that I didnt belong at Nottingham, like I wasnt a proper part of the uni. This may sound a silly point but every other person here has a top saying "Nottingham University-Lincoln Hall-Tommy" or "Nottingham University-Football Club-Cyril" etc. These people belonged at the uni- i didnt. I was pushed away in a corner where it seemed noone cared.
The pikey did move out in mid-November but I continued to have issues with my other flatmates regarding noise, cleanliness etc long into the new year. Even into January I was contemplating jacking it all in- something I look back on now and am so glad I didnt do. That would have effectively meant postponing my life for two years. When I came home I didnt go out much to see others, mainly because it upset me to see how well others had managed to settle in and make new friends etc. Whilst I had old friends here to call on when needed, I didnt really want to intrude if you see what i mean.
I must stress that things have got better- in a way I've simply learnt to tolerate certain things that when I was new here suprised/disturbed/upsetted me. I've also belatedly got to know people both on my course (although only really cos Laura's friend 'adopted' me after she introduced us!) and through the CU which has been an enormous encouragement. Again belatedly, I've really got into a church here- its so good to have people who know who you are come and talk to you and ask how you are and things. Having said that, I've still been looking forward to coming home more than anything else these last few weeks- even Forest in the playoffs (never a red card, I don't care what the FA say).
Anyhoo I've been jabbering on for ages now, really should go and do something productive. I think a fitting summary, if I really need one, would be that it's been tough, it's been different to what I thought and hoped, yet I've got through it and I'm incredibly proud of myself for doing so. I will enjoy the next four months, and hopefully when I come back in September i can build on the good stuff I have found here and make a fresh start with the other.
Apologies for making you read that if indeed you have, i just needed to get a lot of thoughts out of my head and onto a computer screen. I may well delete this post in a bit anyway.
It's not completely over yet, but after my final exam tomorrow I'm gonna go home on Thursday rather than hang around for two weeks doing not much (I've found the last couple dull enough even with revision to be doing). A good time really to look back on it a year which promised much and delivered a lot, however most of what was delivered was a load of crap.
That last sentence was a bit harsh really- some of the spring and most of the summer term has been tolerable and dare I say it slightly enjoyable. However it has taken a long time to get over the first couple of months spent here which were frankly a nightmare.
Right from when I was placed to live in St Peter's Court, a good 25-minute walk from the campus where 90% of freshers reside, I knew things would be tough since it would be hard to meet people etc. However I probably didnt prepare myself well enough for what lay ahead. Tha flat I was put in had a couple of Chinese guys- nothing against Chinese guys but international students are always going to be cliquey- and a cannabis-smoking pikey who basically got himself drunk every night and had no regard whatsoever for the people living around him. Basically this whole situation threw me entirely- I was so unhappy that I basically lost the confidence to speak to anyone new in the first few weeks, and consequently I spent the entire first term without getting to know anyone either at SPC or on my course. SPC, being a new place, had no jcr set up or anything and so I didnt get to play sport which would have helped me immensely in getting to know people.
I just really felt that I didnt belong at Nottingham, like I wasnt a proper part of the uni. This may sound a silly point but every other person here has a top saying "Nottingham University-Lincoln Hall-Tommy" or "Nottingham University-Football Club-Cyril" etc. These people belonged at the uni- i didnt. I was pushed away in a corner where it seemed noone cared.
The pikey did move out in mid-November but I continued to have issues with my other flatmates regarding noise, cleanliness etc long into the new year. Even into January I was contemplating jacking it all in- something I look back on now and am so glad I didnt do. That would have effectively meant postponing my life for two years. When I came home I didnt go out much to see others, mainly because it upset me to see how well others had managed to settle in and make new friends etc. Whilst I had old friends here to call on when needed, I didnt really want to intrude if you see what i mean.
I must stress that things have got better- in a way I've simply learnt to tolerate certain things that when I was new here suprised/disturbed/upsetted me. I've also belatedly got to know people both on my course (although only really cos Laura's friend 'adopted' me after she introduced us!) and through the CU which has been an enormous encouragement. Again belatedly, I've really got into a church here- its so good to have people who know who you are come and talk to you and ask how you are and things. Having said that, I've still been looking forward to coming home more than anything else these last few weeks- even Forest in the playoffs (never a red card, I don't care what the FA say).
Anyhoo I've been jabbering on for ages now, really should go and do something productive. I think a fitting summary, if I really need one, would be that it's been tough, it's been different to what I thought and hoped, yet I've got through it and I'm incredibly proud of myself for doing so. I will enjoy the next four months, and hopefully when I come back in September i can build on the good stuff I have found here and make a fresh start with the other.
Apologies for making you read that if indeed you have, i just needed to get a lot of thoughts out of my head and onto a computer screen. I may well delete this post in a bit anyway.