I write this blog from my new bedroom at Warwick University. Yes, after all those open days, application forms, personal statements and results, I have finally gone to university. The process of applying is complete. Actually living the university experience has now commenced. I’ve been at the campus for just under 36 hours; they have probably been some of the most memorable hours of my life.
Once I knew Warwick was definitely where I would be studying, I immediately joined the Politics Facebook group. With all the technology that exists, it would be a chance to meet people on my course, who clearly have similar interests and are in the same boat of moving away from home. The logic went that chatting online would make it easier to communicate in person. While there was of course lots of banter and simply bizarre discussion, the chat was often very motivational, containing much support for people as we faced the trials and tribulations of becoming an adult. The time between results day and moving away suddenly become far less isolated. I also tried to do some packing in advance. There would be regular updates on the group chat about the levels of packing, the quantity of items people were taking, how they were categorising different items. Sainsbury’s elephant bags worked a treat for me. In went kitchen stuff, stationery, clothing, books, bathroom bits and other random stuff. By packing in advance, the day of departure suddenly became far easier. Instinctively, I knew I would wake up early the day I moved to Warwick. Why wouldn’t I? This was a significant day in my life as I left home, properly lived independently and began a new academic course. I spent much of the early morning musing in silence: both about the logistical factors that would come into play and my emotional thoughts. Moving away from home was going to be difficult; there was little point pretending otherwise. I was pleased to think about this, for it meant I factored in difficult points of the mental journey. The morning of car loading seemed to go by in a daze. Breakfast and packing the car now seem incredibly unmemorable events. They just took place without any proper recognition. Before I knew it, we were off on the journey to Coventry (the city is, strangely, far nearer than Warwick the town). I spent much of it looking out of the window at landmarks I wouldn’t be seeing for a couple of months. The difficulty that created was consoled by the fact they would appear (hopefully) rather snowy and wintery by the time I returned home in December. To ease the potential for arrival chaos, the university staggered the arrival times for people, which were pre-booked. We arrived by the university an hour early, so explored the local shopping centre I would be frequently using throughout my time there. It had literally everything including a copy of David Cameron’s autobiography, which I purchased for half the recommended retail price! It was reassuring to see the availability of different shops for whatever needs I had during university. After a bit of touring, here came the important part. We drove into the university, my arrival pass to hand, where my bags were very helpfully placed in trolleys dragged along by brilliant Warwick students. It made the whole process far easier than having to carry ten or more bags by hand. Meanwhile, I went to collect my key, was directly to the room and then suddenly inside. The room does what it says on the tin: it is a typical university room. There were plenty of shelves for books (big tick from me) with a chair, desk space, wardrobe, pin board and bedside table. Immediately we unloaded the items - first the books - and my room suddenly felt more homely. It was more cosy, more intimate now that my items were in it. The standard items which made the room generic had (figuratively) gone out of the window. Now there was space for my personality to be represented. Following the unpacking, we all decided to explore the local area, so I could begin to get my bearings. Once I am aware of the key routes somewhere, my directional skills are generally fine, but this takes time. It is not a natural instinct. So we sat for lunch on a wonderful bench, watching the world go by as other people arrived. Despite the volume of people arriving, the process never seemed hectic on campus from my end, something which was a real relief. We were aware of many activities taking place on the central campus to welcome students and reassure them about life at Warwick. This suddenly became apparent with loud music, lots of stands, plenty of bags, free items and a mood of optimism and renewal. I was given a code for free Domino’s pizza, make eligible for a free National Express journey (thank you very much indeed) and able to win a Blackwell’s gift card competition. The opportunities within the ‘Welcome Fair’ were broad enough as to please though of all interests. The afternoon before my family departed back home consisted of a student talk about starting university. The panel members were excellent, discussing studying, helpful tips and tricks, how to enjoy yourself and fond memories they held about their time at Warwick. It was immensely helpful to see the experience other people had enjoyed and know that moving university is both tough and immensely rewarding. The slightly tough part was evident in a trip to Tesco’s, which was absolutely packed with people. I’ll admit I found it stressful, both knowing that my family were soon to leave and that I would be doing all of this shopping alone rather soon. Thankfully, that was soon calmed by unpacking the food and having an evening picnic. I knew the time for my family to depart, the last time I would see them until mid-December, was close. Seeing farewell was a challenge indeed, but I thankfully knew how I would be spending my evening. I intended to spend time in the kitchen, meaning I would hopefully bump into fellow flat mates and have a discussion with them. They would be the ones I was sharing my kitchen with after all, so it would be a good idea to get to know each other. This turned out to work, with all of us eventually ending up in the kitchen and chatting about life and how we ended up here. With endless mugs of tea, it was a brilliant way to learn about my flatmates and see how great they all were. That evening, I went to sleep (where I was only interrupted by people singing happy birthday at 10:30pm) reassured at the people I was living with and the university life generally. This morning I didn’t rise until 7am. I see that as quite late but imagine, given some of the partying that would have been taking place, that was a very early (or late!) time to wake up. Personally, I don’t drink and have never been a nightclubber. As this, stereotypically, is an intrinsic part of the university lifestyle, I was intrigued to see how it worked for non-clubbers like myself. Following breakfast, where I made myself a packed lunch, I headed out for a general campus explore, to see what was going on. This again allowed me to collect my bearings and see the campus wake up. Thankfully, it is relatively easy to access wifi throughout the campus, meaning I was able to communicate with fellow politics members about potentially meeting up. After trying to arrange a time and place to meet, some of the group stumbled across each other in the central plaza area. Meeting online had been so hopeful for meeting in person, as we had already been speaking for a month. While putting names to faces was sometimes tricky, it was very rewarding to see everyone in person. Much chatting took place, especially at the ‘Dirty Duck’, the university’s flagship pub! In the evening, we returned to the central plaza area, where more discussion took place. At times, I can find big groups quite intense. That might be something to do with my hearing. But eventually, the discussion, on a one-to-one basis within the wider group, became far more insightful and manageable. People had different stories to tell about what had led to their political interest, where they came from and how they hoped to use their time at Warwick. I know I am still in the early stages of university. I have only been there for two days. As I have written before, there will no doubt be many bumps along the way. But with the level of assistance provided by second year students, and the range of conversation - both with my flatmates and fellow politics undergraduates - I doubt the weekend could have got much better. Only time will tell how my university story develops, but I am pleased to say it has got off to a brilliant start.
1 Comment
Chris Wood
23/9/2019 21:31:20
I found your blog so interesting Noah I can't wait to read more of your adventures. And your discussions with fellow students,you are incredible. X
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