I suppose this is my last chance to post as a first year (Victoria)

The dux of my year group was a psuedo-friend of mine who scored something like 96.3. Every year at our presentation night the previous dux makes a speech about school and uni or work or whatever so this year was his turn.

People walked out. It’s enough that he spoke for twenty-two minutes in his horribly grating voice but then he went and added horrendous content. The speech jumped between blaming all mental illness on a lack of faith in God (not Allah, or Buddha, but his God in that Bible) and showing confronting photos from is brothers car accident (to emphasise how it affected his study) and informing the students under no uncertain terms that the HSC is the most difficult thing they will ever undertake and if it was difficult for him it will be for you. (Keep in mind he worked ridiculously hard over ridiculous hours for an atar at least fifteen points above what he needed for his Bachelor of Theology.)

It’s funny, because his brother, the one who had the accident, gave my favourite dux speech of all time two years earlier. It was funny and lighthearted and part of it was rhyming. None of it was offensive or confronting, yet it managed to put over how much hard work was involved both in the HSC and in uni.

I guess what I want to say to y’all, whether you’re in school, about to start uni or on the job hunt, is that nothing is more difficult than maintaining a friendship with him.

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I suppose I should put in something of a goodbye here. I was going to have a nice goodbye post reflecting on my first year of uni, similar to Simone’s but not in blotter form, but I decided it had already been done. I passed uni with an average of 75.125, finally found a job and am of sound physical and mental health. I engage in douchey hipster activities, but allow this because  still was heartbroken over the Jonas Brother break-up. I just spent a week straight in the Tom Hiddleston tag of tumblr during a lovely Christmas week with the family. Generally well adjusted to uni life.

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On a final note, I’ve had a blast writing this and am hoping to keep up a personal blog in the new year at Breakfast at Audrey‘s. Check it out to see if I manage to keep it up.