Semester 1 in a nutshell

All the good stuff:
– Orientation was a wonderful event that pushed me to get to uni. Made friends even before getting to the first class with no butterflies in my stomach.
– Realized the fact that uni is much more open and exposed compared to high school (and that feels great).
– I loved the exam environment, actually. It wasn’t that stressful as I thought it would be. And getting good marks was just the icing on the cake. I liked the Royal Exhibition Building too. Often, I would look up from my exam paper and admire the intricate architecture. Look around to see if anything’s happening. Sigh and get back to the paper.
– Chem lectures were quite memorable due to the fact that the excessive use of the word ‘Zumdahl’ by one of the lecturers prompted a student to start stripping for each time it was said. Ah, that was amusing.
– By now, I have been to not just Parkville but also Burnley campus. Some of my friends asked where that even is! It was a small campus, mainly for hort students.
– I had my first formal speech that came out quite successful. I usually have those frights, stage frights maybe when there’s lots of eyes starting at you, but this one, I could manage.
– Dissecting a rat for bio prac. It was simply fascinating. It was the first time I dealt with an animal that way and I did it happily.
– Group assignments were quite tedious. In my group of four, I was the networker, having to make appointments with each individually. I still cannot believe that we never had a discussion where all of us were there. Always, one of them would be missing. However, I’m glad to announce that we did work pretty hard and it was worth it.
– It makes me wonder that I never got lost aroung uni, even without asking anyone for directions. And that feelig when u find a toilet or something similar that none of of ur friends found..that’s like a huge discovery!

All the not-so-good stuff:
– Walking all the way from Melbourne Central to the uni on Labor Day, It wasn’t that I couldn’t do it(although I was fairly tired when I reached there) but I was getting late! Got to my seat with few minutes to spare..
– Falling for the article in Farrage that non-union members were being kicked out from the toilets in the basement of the union house. Jeez, How could I fall for that?
– Climbing all the stairs of Redmond Barry till the 10th floor. I can still recall my friends panting behind me, stopping for a few seconds in between to get a gulp of air. I pledge to never do that again (however the idea of getting stuck in a lift allows me to have second thoughts).
– The incident in the System garden where I tried to ask a lady sitting next to us for directions and respectfully asked, “Are u busy?” And she goes, “Yes, I’d rather not be disturbed right now.” Well, that was a slight surprise since I haven’t got that kind of answer before. We then found it all by ourselves.
– Submitting my assignment in the last minute. And I literally mean, last minute. It was due at 1 and it close to 1. The thing was that I completely forgot about it! I was uneasy after that wondering I would get marked for it. As soon as I got back the assignment with marks on it, I could give out a sigh of relief. I learnt a lesson that day: never keep things until the last moment.
– Lost my new USB at the Burnley campus. I wonder who could be having it now…they will suffer.
– Getting iodine splashed on my lab coat on that last chem prac. One student informed me that iodine spots cannot be washed away but with a little bit of optimism, I washed it and they disappeared.
– Realizing the fact that I won’t be able to see the friends (that aren’t in my course) that I made during lectures and tutes. It is possible that we can make time and catch up but then as the joy and excitement of the next semester starts and we begin to make new friends, will the memory of the old friends vanish slowly?

And of course, writing this blog and sharing my experiences with other students is a comforting feeling.
(on a random note, THE SIMPSONS MOVIE is out in precisely 2 weeks. I simply can’t hold my excitement…just needed to let that out)

Till next time