Tuesday and Wednesday…of Bowling and Maths tests!

On Tuesday evening, against my better judgement, I must admit, I went on the Atomic society bowling trip to Leamington Megabowl. We hadn't been told that the Megabowl was – shall we say – a bloody long walk from the bus stop! I had unfortunately decided to wear my snazzy black ankle boots and therefore my feet were killing me after 30 seconds…d'oh!

We had booked two games of bowling, and after the guys on the reception desk had panicked at the sight of such a large group (we had estimated 30 but it was closer to 50) we got started. I should point out that I am utterly crap at bowling, my excuse is that my arm is at the wrong angle, or something…so the first game I finished with the spectacular score of 29!!! I did pick up a bit in the second game, getting two (yes, two) strikes!! OH YEAH!!!
My score was 89…a little bit of an improvement.

Kudos to our teammate Jamie for beating our teammate Matt (enter wicked grin here) and much applause for Suzanne for her unprecented skilfulness! I send my apologies to the Megabowl if the sheer force of Matt's throws have damaged the lane beyond repair….whoops!

So all in all, it was a great night out…however getting up the next morning (10am lecture) was less enjoyable. Especially as it was maths (sorry Stefan, nothing personal!)
We had a maths test at 12pm, which I think I passed…fingers crossed anyway! Finished off the morning with lunch in Cholo (mmmm, carbohydrate!) And then a bit of very naughty spending in the market place – but I maintain that 2 tops and a DVD for 15 quid is pretty darn good!

Signing off for today…
Helen

: 20 Oct 2004 15:26 |  Comments (3) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Sunday

Hi everyone!
Today has been a good day! I had the £5.95 Sunday carvery in Xananas for lunch, and it was goooood! Have to say, my mum's is better, but it was still pretty darn good!
Oh and the flapjack tower (which for complex reasons was minus the flapjacks and consisted just of chocolate brownies) is yummy!!! Mmmmm….
I finished my lab report, so I don't have to worry about that! Yay!
Better get on with washing (running out of socks! Ack!)

Bye for now,
Helen

: 17 Oct 2004 18:35 |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Something I wrote.

I thought I would share this with you all.

Going to University

I think it is fair to say that I was terrified about coming to University. I spent the summer getting more and more wound up about it. I have always been the kind of person that likes to feel comfortable, and after spending seven years at my school I felt really at home there. I had friends that I loved, and I was respected; I could be myself. It felt like after everything that had taken so long to fall into place it was being taken away so cruelly. I had to go off to some new, scary place, and build my identity all over again.

I coped quite well the first month or so. Before the exam results came out, I could kid myself that everything was still a long way in the future, and I could put it to the back of my mind. On A-level results day I finally broke down, it was suddenly real. I spent the rest of the summer energetically building a façade, though I don’t think it really fooled anybody. I was scared, and instead of putting my feelings into words, I held them deep inside, distracting myself with outings, parties and increasingly late nights as I didn’t enjoy those few moments before falling asleep when my mind was empty, allowing the fears I was so desperate to ignore to come to the surface.

It was made worse towards the end of August when my best friend left for her Gap year in India. The charity she was going with organises full 12-month placements, so the prospect of being without one of the crucial parts of my support system was an unpleasant one. This was another feeling I sent deep underground. I didn’t want to seem selfish by voicing my wish that she hadn’t gone, and asking the question: “why do I have to do this alone?”

By the time September arrived, I found small comfort in the tiny details that were falling into place. I enjoyed writing lists of things I needed, and beginning to build a little ‘home’ of my own to bring away with me. I remember being tremendously emotional throughout this period, any little thing could start me off. I began the process of saying goodbye to everybody. This was very hard, but by this time, I was beginning to rationalise my feelings using phrases like ‘ten weeks isn’t such a long time’ and ‘it will be over before we know it.’ The final week before leaving day was a strange one, as many of my friends had already left, I did feel rather alone.

_Arrivals day was less fraught than I thought it would be. I felt disconnected from everything around me. It didn’t feel quite real. When my parents left, none of us got emotional, which surprised me. I was almost envisaging myself clinging on to them screaming “don’t leave me, don’t leave me!”
The first week here in Warwick still felt unreal (even now I’m not sure if I believe it really happened.) But I was happy, I think. I began to make friends (which is something I hadn’t had to do since Year 7) and very slowly, I felt more at home._

The end of this tale is a positive one. I will never forget the crazy summer that I had, in the same way as I remember a bad dream, but I don’t believe I will think actively on it again. I am thoroughly enjoying myself, now I have settled in. The friends I have made don’t know me as well as my friends back home, but the prospect that one day the will is very exciting, and makes me very happy. Of course I miss certain people, but I am comforted by the fact that my diversionary statements such as ‘it will be over before we know it’ are beginning to seem true, as I can’t believe how quickly these first three weeks have gone.

The way I look at it, if someone as nervous and uncertain as me can cope with coming to University, then anyone can, and I hope that one day I can help my own children have a smoother ride than I did. This isn’t to say my parents didn’t try to help, but as it was as alien an experience for them as it was for me, there were no specific pearls of wisdom to be shared. It is one of my goals in life to have a book published, maybe I will entitle it: “A Guide to University for the Perpetually Terrified.”

Look out for it in the shops soon, folks!

Signing off for now,
Helen

: 15 Oct 2004 18:12 |  Comments (4) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Where did the week go?!

I can't believe that I am writing this a whole week after my last entry! Many apologies for not updating sooner, but I have been incapacitated by good old Fresher's Flu….man I felt lousy! Thankfully it has all but gone now, so I feel much more alive.

So what has been happening? Well, I've had my first two Chemistry lab sessions, which were good, I have always enjoyed practical work. I just keep everything crossed in the hope that I don't break anything!

I feel like I'm properly settled in to daily life here too, at last it has stopped feeling like I'm on holiday and about to return home. Perhaps its actually having to do some work!

Just as a random comment, if anyone is feeling in need of breakfast one morning, I highly recommend Cafe Library (I believe it used to be called Kaleidoscope?) I had a yummy brekkie in there this morning for only £1.50.

We in AV had the joys of a fire drill at 7.35 this morning…I thought it was my alarm clock going off, so I turned over to switch it off, and the noise didn't go away!!! It gradually filtered through to me that it was quite a lot louder than my alarm clock, so I stumbled out in my pyjamas, slippers and my big black coat…what a sight I must of looked all bleary-eyed and with wild hair! That would be a great source of candids for a newspaper article entitled 'Freshers – what life is like!'

My next-door neighbour and I continue to wonder who lives above us as they insist on playing Greek love songs at full volume, singing along, and presumably dancing – as there is some semi-rhythmic tapping on the ceiling above me – AT 2 IN THE MORNING!!!!!! Why, oh why, oh why?

Such is one of the mysteries of living in halls, others including:
"Who put that on my shelf/in my cupboard?" When a bottle of milk for example suddenly appears in your spot in the fridge.
"Who keeps moving the – ?" Fill in the blank! My most common is searching desperately for the lighter for the oven, which seems to periodically vanish off the face of the earth.
"Who was that singing/playing music last night?" Why will no one ever own up…there are 13 people in the corridor, and it must have been someone!!

I'm sure my experiences are diluted cos I live in Arthur Vick, I can imagine all the bathroom-related dramas in other halls!

Share your mysteries, maybe someone will have an explanation….

Bye for now,
Helen

: 15 Oct 2004 17:08 |  Comments (5) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Oh What A Night!

Well, last night was the Fresher's Ball, what can I say? It was like, totally awesome!!!!

I was one of the folks who arrived at the start…so I sat up in Cholo with a friend watching people arriving, including the ones who hadn't read the thing that said 'Formal Dress not required' who looked a wee bit uncomfortable! When Bjorn Again came on, we took up a position on the steps by the dancefloor in the Marketplace to watch…they were brilliant!!! It was a great atmosphere actually, and although the floor was packed it was generally good natured. This all changed later when the fantasatic Electric 6 came on, when the floor began to turn into the smallest but most energetic mosh pit I've ever seen! I lasted till the end of the first song, then after getting an elbow in my eye, and nearly being thrown right off my 3-in heels I made my escape, and stood in front of a convieniently strong looking male friend of mine for protection (thanks Matt!)

The band were great, and as a sidenote I thought the security guys did an excellent job, but why didn't they do an encore????? meanies :(

When at 1.00 I suddenly remembered I had a 10am lecture I decided to call it a night, though not before stopping off at the kebab van for a bit of greasy nutrition (seemed like such a good idea at the time!)

So the night was brilliant, and I can only dream of the kind of acts we'll get at our graduation ball in a few years time….
Next time, will someone please remind me to wear something that doesn't clash with purple, as it really didn't match my outfit last night…

Did anyone else wish someone would try a crowd surf from the first floor….that would have been funny…(joke)

So cheers to all you Freshers for making it such a great night.
YOU ROCK!!!

: 08 Oct 2004 14:53 |  Comments (3) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

A Good Day

Today is a good day. I'll tell you for why….

*I did some laundry, and didn't shrink anything. w00t!

*I got two cans of coke out of the machine, from one 50p

*I passed the first mini-module of my course!

*I failed another mini-module, but only just!

*I got a phonecall from my best friend down in London

*I don't have any lectures today

*I've just realised I can touch-type

*It's the Fresher's Ball tonight…can't wait :)

So…yeah, I'm happy! I went on a pub crawl with the Atomic Society on Tuesday, which was great fun, and I've now got an idea of the pubs to go to on other occasions (the Varsity rocks!)
I am a member of the Exec for Atomic too, not sure what my duties are quite yet, but there will be another meeting next week.

Bye for now…

: 07 Oct 2004 14:05 |  Comments (2) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

It's Monday…

Well, the title says it all really! I've just got in from 5 hours of lectures, which is a bit of a shock to the system after a summer of doing very little….dammit!

So what has been happening? I hear you cry(!)
Well, after School Dayz on Saturday, I didn't get up till noon on Sunday (I know, I know, I feel terrible….) but I did redeem myself by spending the afternoon working. I feel cheated that in my first week of a chemistry degree I get Physics and Maths work to do!
In actual fact, I really should get on and finish that…

Sunday evening was eventful, in as much as we had a fire alarm (don't know the cause) and as Murphy's law dictates, it was cold, it was raining and I was halfway through my dinner. After standing under one of my kitchen-mates' umbrella for twenty minutes we were allowed back in…no more interruptions thankfully. I watched a film called Little Nicky, which was very funny but a little odd, all devils and angels and hell and stuff, which was all too much for my foggy brain!

I had to really force myself out of bed this morning, can't believe how tired I am at the moment…hopefully my stamina will increase to a slightly more respectable level in the course of the term!

That's enough for now….enjoy!

: 04 Oct 2004 16:43 |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

General stuff…

Well, it's the weekend! We've made it a whole week….without starving, without running out of clothes, without setting fire to anything! Go us!

Last night I went to Soul Nation, which was great fun. I danced in the Cooler until I thought my feet would fall off, and then retired upstairs for a sit-down and a drink (need to work on my stamina!)

I did my first proper food shop today, and after getting completely lost in Tescos, I managed to stay within budget. I've never been renowned for my forward thinking, so it came as no surprise that the shopping was far too heavy to carry, and I swear that my arms are now longer than they were before. I guess I'll get the hang of it!

I'm planning to head to School Dayz tonight, got my faux-uniform all sorted, despite the fact that anyone in my old school that wore anything like that would have been whisked off to the Principal's office before you could say 'miniskirt!'

Yesterday was quite a hard day of lectures…at 11am I had to go to the chemistry lab and check the glassware against the inventory. It's so cool, we have our own lockers full of oddly shaped glassware….with equally strange names- a Buchner adapter, what the hell?!
Then, at 2pm we had three lectures in a row, yawn! We had to trek between the humanities building and the new Maths building in between them, which made the ten-minute gap seem very short indeed. Got back to the Hall at 5.30 on the verge of hypothermia – sorry I'm exaggerrating again, it's a bad habit – and ate a great pile of chips for dinner, mmmmm, comfort food!

Anyway, enough of my ramblings.
Farewell…

: 02 Oct 2004 16:19 |  Comments (2) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

The one with the textbooks and the rugby player…

Well, at least something slightly more blog-worthy to write this morning!
I headed to the union last night, but because I am without a Gold card, I stayed upstairs in Cholo with a couple of friends. While one was fighting her way through the croud of revellers around the bar (trying to avoid getting any of the evilly-purple coloured Fresher's punch on her white top) a member of the mens rugby team came and sat down beside me.
"Hello…" he slurred
"Hi," I say,
"Whats the time?"
"uh, ten to 10."
"What time is Score?"
"10 o clock"
"Is that in 10 minutes?"
"Yes…."
(points to women's rugby team) "Is that the mens rugby?"
"No…"
"Do they like men?"
"I wouldn't know!"
"Have you seen my team?"
"No, sorry"
(gets tearful) "I've lost them. I've lost my team"
"Oh dear, well if I spot them-"
"There they are, down there!!!!!!"
"Oh, good!"
"Are you coming to Score?"
"No,"
"Ohh, whyyyyyy?"
"Haven't got a gold card. Can't be bothered to pay."
"Ohhhh, nooooo. OK, bye" (runs)

It was hilarious, I spent the rest of the night wanting to run into him to see uf it was possible for him to get any more wasted, or whether we would find him curled up sleeping like a baby!

Today I have to go and spend a ridiculous amount of money on textbooks…a necessary evil, but I was unnerved by the fact that all are in the 'oversize' section in the library! I wonder if my back is ever going to be the same again….urg!

Enough already! I hear you cry.
Okay, okay, I'll quit, but I tell you I'm enjoying this blogging, this isn't the last you'll hear of me….

: 30 Sep 2004 11:38 |  Comments (5) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Day….um, 3!

Well, I actually had some lectures this morning, so I had to get up early. I had no idea what the noise was when my alarm went off, frightened me half to death!
I'm not sure what's planned for tonight, I have a library talk/tour thingy at 4:30, but apart from that, the evening seems a bit empty. Might go to the union if people in my kitchen are…

Wow, this was a boring entry!
Wish it would warm up in my room, my hands are freezing; anyway, enough with the irrelevant chatter.

More (something interesting hopefully) soon…

: 29 Sep 2004 15:53 |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem