So Long, Farewell

Last week, brings an end to my second year journey, and also this lovely blog community, ‘Back For Seconds’. It has been a crazy year indeed, but it was so worth it. If I can summarise my second year life, it was a rollercoaster, yet again, both emotional, and physically.

I can strongly remember how much I wanted to give up in the first semester, because of my left wrist recovering from surgery. But I kept at it, with keeping faith and hope ahead, and of course, leaning on support from my loving mother. I remember having to go through a loss during the first semester, but healed eventually, as time goes on. It was a hard first semester of second year, but the experience and lessons I had learnt was worth it.

Second semester came along, and boy, I was anxious and nervous about recital preparation. Anticipation can be a blessing and a curse as a music student, but it depends whether you’d use it for good, or for the worse. There has been times when I was super worried, stressed, or wanting to break down. But it settles down when there’s always support in hand from your friends, and loved ones. A hug, and speaking out always counts to recovery.

Second year has been a challenging journey. It is slightly different from first year, indeed. It feels like I’m going up the pyramid ladder each year in my undergraduate degree. First year problems, correlates into second year, but you have new challenges that you can possibly solve, and you can think more logically than first year. That’s pretty much it.

Through my final exam of second year, which was my recital exam, shows how much I have improve tremendously as a performer. Today, I’m mostly looking back how much I have enjoyed my performance, the positive things that I did, my journey of achievements, improvements, and historical knowledge that I had learnt. This is always important to look back on the positive things, rather than mostly the negative things such as mistakes, stumbles and such. It’s always important as a music student to look for these things in a positive way.

I still have dreams of becoming a music therapist, but I think I have changed my mind a little bit. I’m going to be more open minded, and experience other pathways in the music industry. I’m planning definitely working with a community orchestra to work on my ensemble skills, accompanying for fun in concert class, maybe do some arts administrating in the summer, or teaching even! Seeing how much knowledge I had learnt through our MCM’s career advisor and its program, ignite lab, as open up my mind entirely, about how to be more involved in the music industry. Hearing stories from other musicians in a certain pathway is so knowledgable, and so inspiring. I would highly recommend for all types of music students to be coming to these events! Plus, free food when doing connections too! Double bonus!

If I have any advice to give to second years of 2017, I would be saying, this will be a great opportunity to be developing knowledge about career pathways in the music industry. This would be going to career development seminars, developing connections by going to career events (ignite lab), and talking to more music students around MCM/VCA whenever you get the chance to. It’s also a year that some things change again, but not too drastically. So, if something happens, make the right decision and choice based on your past experiences in life as a music student. Be smart, wise and nice to others. Being a music student is being a part of a huge loving family, please don’t forget about that.

Before I make my final farewell, I would like to say a huge thank you to the director of this blog community, Ariana. You have opened me up to loving blogging, welcoming my journey into both blog communities, First_Year@UniMelb, and Back For Seconds. I secretly hope there’s another series for third years. I’m hoping it would be called, Three is the Magic Number. Get it? Haha! I hope the readers understand the reference. It’s from the phone company that it used to exist called 3, or Telstra that used to have that slogan? They have that catch phrase at the end of the ads saying, “Three is the magic number.” Boy, I don’t think kids nowadays understand whenever I say three is the magic number during when I teach swimming. Ah well. Any ways, I also would like to thank my blog partner, Bella! Great girl to work with, especially when we’re also involved in UniMelb Adventures! And finally, the readers! From what I have heard from Ariana, I’m so thankful and privilege to be sharing my thoughts as a music student, and my journey so far as a undergraduate student! Thank you readers for reading through all my blog posts for the past two years! Wow! Two years! Apologies that I couldn’t write as much, comparing to first year. Second year was a very busy year, and there was a lot that happen this year such as new curriculum changes, the shift between two versions of Bachelor degrees, recovering from my wrist surgery, and so on. But, I’m more than surprised that I managed to survive second year. Another new year’s resolution being ticked off. Yes, that was one of my new year’s resolution, surviving second year. Maybe that could be your new year’s resolution, second years of 2017! Haha!

Thank you ever so much for giving me this opportunity! Have a good summer break!

-Nicole