Make new friends, but keep the old
A very strange week. The end of my career as an undergraduate student and the beginning of that as a postgraduate student. And I am feeling the conflict between the desire to hang on to the old and the necessity of embracing the new.
As of Friday I am a "Master of Physics", as qualified by the University of Oxford, and our parents gathered to watch the ultimate of all school assemblies; the graduation ceremony. Conducted entirely in Latin, with a procedure almost as challenging as finals themselves, it was a satisfying end to four years of undergraduate life. It was followed by the usual Friday night out at Filth, an event of much Hughsie fun.
This week has also been my first as a graduate student of Merton, and the Fresher's week activities are underway. I am now living in a house on Mansfield Rd (at the Holywell Street end), and my room is very nice: at least as larger as Main Building 44, and with brand new fittings and en suite. Although my wish of being closer to the centre of the city has been satisfactorily fulfilled, my new location is going to take some getting used to. My new locals are the Turf and the King Arms, a trip to the Royal Oak or even the Lamb and Flag involves a northward rather than southward trek, Jericho is now further away, and Ali's is no longer my nearest kebab van.
The Freshers' week is underway, and the Merton graduate students seem like a very pleasent lot, of a wide variety of nationalities and ages, but not averse to pubs and parties. But with the presence of the old Hughsies in Oxford this weekend, going to the freshers' events has been fairly hard, and I feel that I am not throwing myself into it as much as I really should.
Making new friends requires effort. It was one that had to be undertaken when arriving at St Hugh's as I knew nobody in Oxford. Now I know several people in Oxford, and several more in easily accessible London, the urgency and fitting in at Merton seems less. Last night hanging out with Hughsies in the Three Goats' Heads was much more enjoyable and relaxing than the making of smalltalk with strangers that I had spent the earlier part of the day and evening doing.
But I know that getting to know people here will be important, and I wish I had more movitation for the task. I will kick myself up the arse to go to all the events this coming week and endure the numerous conversations about academic affiliation and geographical origins. They will pay off. Seeing Hughsie's come for graduation and then leave again was sad, but will hopefully serve as a reminder to look forward, make the effort once again, and experience some good times at Merton.
All this strife already and the academic stuff is yet to come!