The Adventurer’s Kit

After my previous blog post, Censorship, I’ve had a little revelation about which way I want to move my blog in. Nothing drastic’s changing, but I’m finally coming to terms with the idea that I’m not being as honest and open here now as I was when I first started blogging; and I want to start being comfortable with sharing ideas and feelings when I write.

So, I’ll start by saying university is hard. And I don’t just mean the work, but of course that goes without saying- I mean, why was it that I chose Physics again? I very recently got my first exam result back, and I just scraped a pass (pass = above 40%), which is without doubt the lowest score in the history of my education. The question, am I upset about that? Yes and no. No, because I spent the entire first term of my first year of university doing absolutely nothing but messing around with this brand new city (London) that I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to live in; and you get out what you put in. The grade was what I expected and frankly, what I deserved. I have no regrets in having spent all that time having fun, because, quite simply, I had fun. The ‘yes’ comes from my intrinsic and nurtured ambition to work hard and do well in things- I can’t ever be unmoved by a bad grade; I’m prone to overthinking and self-loathing, at best. Bad marks are disappointing; that’s why they’re bad and they span from doing no work. So, if I’m really doing no work on something, that’s fine, but I best be doing no work well. (Haha!)

The hardest part however, is not hard in the conventional sense. No matter how excited you are from moving away from your hometown and your parents, even if you felt slightly suffocated from being in the same place for too long, it doesn’t make it any softer when you’re faced with the reality that you are now alone and you’re going to have to do this alone. I loved my first term at university- everything was new, everything was an adventure, but I’d be lying if I said I never felt lonely, or if I said I never missed my parents. Because I did, a lot. As a child, I very very rarely got homesick, I loved to travel (I still do), and was moderately-to-highly reclusive (I still am), so I wouldn’t say I was easily worried about being on my own. However, after properly leaving and moving into a brand new place, you finally realise the value of a family home (and in fact, how much you want to create that environment again when you’re older). Little student rooms aren’t close to a good family home. The more time you spend away, the more you forget about the things that might of bugged you there. “Distance makes the heart grow fonder.” So, naturally, you miss it. And I realised that those little chats that I had with my mum at regular intervals, or just knowing she was around, was a really lovely part of my life. Missing all of that doesn’t mean that I don’t want to be here– I very much do, I still have a fantastic time- but there is no shame in admitting that sometimes, in those odd moments, it can be difficult.

I found the best way to carry you through some of the trickier days is to find out your own idiosyncrasies of the world. You should get yourself a little adventurer’s kit made up of the stuff that you love/you have discovered/just keep you going. Treat this as a case study: here’s my survival guide!

1. Oreos

The oracle of biscuit. These are more dangerous than they are safe. Packed with calories, packed with heaven. A friend during my course induction found out I’d never tried Oreos, and got me hooked. On one of those nights where you just don’t care about that diet you’re on, pick up the Oreos!

2. Spotify

People have moral issues with the revenue Spotify generates. Yes, it’s better to buy from the artist directly. But you’re a student. Better isn’t an option. “Feasible” is your new word. It’s feasible to listen to your heart’s content of music on a free spotify account when your only source of income is borrowing the government’s money later to be taken out of your paycheque + interest as it somehow leaks into paying rent (excessive in London), drinking (or eating chocolate, depending on your preference [I’m the latter]) and buying donuts between lectures.

3. Diary

Get yourself one of these creatures. I never picked up a hand written diary until uni. Some people swear by their phones, but I forget to check my phone calendar and I learn by writing down. The amount of times I’ve saved myself from double booking simply by taking a few seconds to write down and check my diary, I can’t count on my fingers.

4. Mini-fridge

My room came with a fridge in it (beautiful!), and we have no shared fridge space. It’s perfect that way! I can store all my peculiar eating habits at an arm’s grab away (please note: bad for weight loss) without comment, judgement or theft. Anything that’s in a public area is fair game. That’s no.1027 of the unspoken university rules.

5. Wake-up Lamp

Missing lectures is like breathing. You just have to do it occasionally (don’t tell the parents). But collateral damage like awful sleeping patterns, mind-eating guilt and low self-esteem is prominent. The best method to avoid the demons is to buy yourself a wake-up lamp. It’s a hefty price, but if you find that you physically can’t get up in the morning and you’re sleeping through important lecture time, it is a degree saver. You set it for a certain time and it gradually comes up over half an hour, a little bit like the sun. I can vouch for the fact you feel a lot nicer about getting out of those covers.

6. Dressing Gown

It gets cold. This is not good.

7. Posters

I have friends who try to do university accommodation without decorating their rooms, but I wouldn’t recommend it. I found that by putting up posters I felt so much more homely and happier- it genuinely had a positive effect on me and made the nights nicer to stay in with. Try any way possible to bend your accommodation rules on this one, without surrendering your deposit. You can put up cushions, throws, cuddly toys, Newton cradle’s, you name it. Even a lamp with a homely tint goes a mile!

8. Laptop

Self-explanatory (especially for us guys! *cough* blogger)

9. Layers

Whether you care about fashion or not, you’re going to care about the cold (if you’re in England). Layers are a fine way to plan for any freak weather forecast (again, it’s an England thing). If you do care about fashion, it’s a good way to change things up and try out new looks. If you care about the temperature, it’ll keep you perfectly snug.

10. Travel Kettle

You can put this little guy in your room, anywhere, and he makes you tea. Don’t walk all of the five metres to the kitchen when you can boil up then and there. You think I’m crazy, but you will not regret this. Leaving your room at 7am is a chore. This guy will be your constant and loyal friend. Buy that loyalty from Tesco for- like- a fiver.

And, with that, my adventurer’s kit is finished. Some of these things are specific to me, but a lot of them really helped me out. I love uni in the sense that it gives you a good chance to get down to living for a while. You’ve worked hard at school, everyone’s on your back about what job you’re going to get, what age you’re going to die, all that blah-de-blah. You just say “no, stop. I’m universit-ing.” Embrace your inner student. In a closing statement, this is about the most honest I’ve been on this blog for over a year. Carpe diem, harp harp blah blah!