Uni started on Monday, with a bunch of us, awkward with nervousness, waiting outside a classroom. Inside they blinded us with technical terms and room numbers, but we each made a friend or two I think.
Today was the first real lecture. We had to practise logging into macs, (and very spangly they were too) and then identify our favourite colours, music, food, and place, as well as significant events in our lives and memories etc. The point of this was to create a sort-of self portrait… apparently these things define us. Apparently by subscribing to social networking sites we are just adopting the “denim-boiler-suit mold of uniformity”, and in the process eliminating segments of our identities (there’s a phrase to throw into the next pro vs anti-facebook debate I find myself embroigled in).
So our first assignment is to create a digital, on-line self portrait in the form of a website. My mind was working overtime with thoughts and creative ways of presenting it and quite how definite I felt about my self-portrait not including what favour crisps I enjoy… I can’t wait to get started.
My lecturer also raised an interesting point by suggesting ‘the devil’ when my polish classmate was having trouble thinking up his favourite fictional character. I was a little incensed – why would anyone pick that as their favourite? And… fictional?!?! I think not!
Anyway… after our lecture was done we were exposed full-tilt to the extremities of freshers fair. I kinda had this mental image of a sedate line of tables, with people sat on chairs with polite clipboards offering entry to the lacrosse society etc. What I found myself immersed in was a full-scale sensory assault – loud pumping music, people on all sides touting their wares (“Free Pizza”, “S Club 7 Reunion night tickets” “Insure your computers” “Excuse me have you thought about joining amnesty?”), enough paper and leaflets being shoved into ones hands to forest a small area of South America, and a lot of meandering, overwhelmed freshers herded into a very small space.
I managed to dodge the very enthusiastic karate club members, secure a yummy bit of pizza, collect a lot of free pens and several free T-shirts, and get out with my life and sanity still intact – result!!
The choice and selection of clubs and societies really were overwhelming, and everyone had that perma-smiley, slightly artificial “yes come and join our club because it really is the best of them all and it will change your life” type sales pitch. I also felt sorry for the people who’ll be data-entrying all the hundreds of email addresses they collected…
I feel like a proper fresher though now, having navigated my way through the excitement and intrigue of that. (although my classmate was bemused today by my avoidance of the pirate pub crawl night, and the school disco party on Friday).
So all is well on the whole. And heres to exciting times ahead!!
You know, I’m still really disturbed by the idea of a lecturer suggesting someone choose the Devil as their favourite fictional character. It is truly wrong on so many levels.
Next time I see you – ask me about the man with the wooden spoon hands and the huge gingerbread head… it’ll all make sense then!