it’s okay to slow down (entry 02)

it’s been 7 weeks since the first tutorial i went to in march, and since then, i’ve been to another twenty something. i like to think i’ve settled in well to university life- i attend class, watch lectures, answer questions and even managed to submit four assignments on time! i like coming to university, i like having to be somewhere and having something to study. i love learning, i love the subjects that im doing and i love the campus.

however, these past few weeks have been incredibly tiresome. travel time is intense, the hours are gruesome, and paired with working & playing sports, it feels like i have no time for myself anymore. my body is tired and my mind is too.

a real benefit of going to the university of melbourne is the amount of awesome opportunities, theres always something new to apply for or to attend. it can be quite overwhelming, to have so much to do, but also quite pleasant. i never thought i’d ever be able to be here, so i want to be able to truly experience it.

alas, i think it may just be near impossible to experience everything.

i found myself starting to stress about these extra activities, more then i was stressing over my classes. i was concerned about missing particular opportunities and the effects it may have on my future. i was staying up late to complete countless applications, joining heaps of clubs & societies and signing myself up for various activities.

i was so caught up in what i could be missing out on, that i forgot to focus on what was actually happening. i attend one of the top universities in the country! i have a beautiful girlfriend! the sun is out! the flowers are blooming!

ultimately, i decided to delete those unfinished applications and resign my interest in a couple of those clubs, societies, and activities. i want to focus on just living, on making new friends, failing quizzes, laughing & speeding through lecture slides 10 minutes before the tutorial (like all good uni students do!)

i am content with letting these opportunities pass me, because more will come when i am ready.

i think the main point of this post is to serve as a reminder that maybe its okay to just live- its okay to just attend, its okay to just listen, and its okay to just be present. good things will come to each and every one of you because you are all good people, good things will come to me because i believe that they will. i hope that you all remember that life isn’t a race and that university is not a competition- its a journey (incredibly cliche i know, send me an angry hate letter!)

you got this guys! i hope you all enjoy this much needed mid-sem break <3

lots of love, charlie