(Soon To Be) Bloody Stoodents

[SOTS]

I know there are a few people on here around the same age like Buttgammon and Fry (with his insatiable need to attend De Montfort because of their advertising) and surely a few others.

I was just wondering if anyone else on here is heading off to university in a few weeks like myself? Bit scary and everything.

Anyone? What useless degree are you studying?

[Neville Chamberlain]

If any of you lot are going to the University of Nottingham and getting a house in the Lenton area, could you please refrain from acting like total cock-ends out on the street every sodding night of the fucking week.

Thank you! And all the best!

[An tSaoi]

University is the worst thing in the world and it ruined my life.

[SOTS]

:(

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

University was the best time of my life.

[George Oscar Bluth II]

University is brilliant. I'll miss it. A lot.

[boxofslice]

Get a job!

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

University is now so long ago for me I can now only reminisce through imaginary gritted teeth.

That's right- 2 years ago.

[SOTS]

So basically, you're fine as long as you're not An tSaoi?

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Hmm, in my experience it tends to be about 85% of people who leave with great memories- amongst those, a few who also leave with a good degree, and about 15% of people who virulently detested it- the majority of whom left within the first year anyway, not that it stops them loudly and bitterly telling everyone about it (that isn't directed at An_tsaoi really).

[Neville Chamberlain]

I loved university, apart from the lectures and all that sort of stuff.

[boxofslice]

University is the worst thing in the world and it ruined my life.

I want to know more.

[Baxter]

So basically, you're fine as long as you're not An tSaoi?

This is true for most experiences as far as I can tell.

I do however want to hear the full story.

[The Widow of Brid]

I'd disagree with Neville and advise you to act like as massive a cock end as you want (for while pop culture loves to present tight knit groups of forty year olds who all met at freshers week) University is, in truth, pretty much the last spot in most people's lives where you can walk away from your entire social circle and start over afterwards if you want.

[Deadeye Dick]

Yeah, universty is - a few caveats aside - absolutely fucking boss.  I'm starting my third year fairly soon, but a few bits of not-exactly-wisdom/empty platitudes for you:

• Every fucker will tell you this, but do join any and every society that looks even vaguely interesting in freshers week.  At least half of them will be complete bollocks, run by wankers for the same, but some of them are bound to have some interesting, lovely people.  Outside of accomodation and your course, it's the best way to meet people, and they can come to define your time there - certainly, if I hadn't joined the student paper and radio, my uni experience would have been considerably shitter.
• On a similar note, if you find freshers week to be a terrible abortion of a event, don't panic: this is the only rational reaction to it.  They are inevtiably organised by people who have no actual idea what their fellow students are interested in, and only terrible people enjoy it.  Find the other people having a terrible time at whatever horrible rah-bar they've dragged you do, and get talking: these are your people.  It's once you get through freshers week that things actually start getting quite good.
• Are you in halls or in a flat?  If it's the former (like myself), then watch out for the ex-boarders.  They WILL keep you up at 4 in the morning with terrible drum and bass, unusually squeaky sex and a general contempt for those whose parents weren't fed up with by the age of 5.  If it's the latter, then identify and isolate the Flat Cunt early on - every flat has one, so make sure you're aware of who it is.  This will save time when you wake up to trashed furniture and no food in.
• Contrary to much of what I've said above, most students are in fact rather friendly sorts - some dubious haircuts and record collections, but mostly quite great.  Always stick to your own guns, but don't make everyone stick to your guns (gently luring them over is, as ever, highly recommended though) and allow yourself some nice surprises.
• However, if they're called Seb, they're just a weird dickhead.  Avoid.
• That bit in The Armando Ianucci Shows about the perfectly acceptable pasts sauce?  Commit that to memory.
• Despite what you may have heard, not that many students actually like the works of Ricky Gervais, The Mighty Boosh and other assorted Comedy Chat whipping horses.  Which is nice.
• Chance is, of course, one of the most greatest things in life.  University is a haven for it, so embrace the beauty of the sudden and the unexected (although not the 'random' - a student catchphrase that thankfully seems to be on the wane, but do be on the lookout still though), because it is through the things you're not actually that interested or bothered about you often meet the greatest people.
• Where applicable, get boozed.

That's as much as I can think of right now.  Oh yes, also make sure you befriend some of the medical students - if you can tap into that mammoth clique, you're sorted.  Where are you studying, out of curiosity?

[Neville Chamberlain]

I'd disagree with Neville and advise you to act like as massive a cock end as you want

This is fine, as long as it doesn't involve leaving pools of student sick outide the gates to my house!

This past August has been bliss!

[Fry]

I am excited to go to university. The university I am going to is not De Montfort. I will make lots of friends I hope. I think I am good at making friends.

[Still Not George]

Chance is, of course, one of the most greatest things in life.  University is a haven for it, so embrace the beauty of the sudden and the unexected (although not the 'random' - a student catchphrase that thankfully seems to be on the wane, but do be on the lookout still though), because it is through the things you're not actually that interested or bothered about you often meet the greatest people.

This is extremely true - ultimately a university is a thousand or so young people packed into close proximity. When you pack that many people together, you get two things as a result: diseases and awesome. Try to aim for the former, although trust me, within the first two weeks you're going to catch a virus that will make swine flu look like a headcold. Don't worry, chances are you'll survive.

[SOTS]

I am excited to go to university. The university I am going to is not De Montfort. I will make lots of friends I hope. I think I am good at making friends.

Where are you going to study, Fry?

[Fry]

Winchester, English and Creative Writing. Yerself?

[SavageHedgehog]

My undergraduate years were awesome. Masters? OK but I wouldn't particualrly recommend it. But that ends next Wednesday (well, I guess it really ends when the result comes).

[Backstage With Slowdive]

Does De Montfort still do those TV adverts in which it was suggested that graduates from other universities would give up and not bother with job interviews if they knew they were up against a DMU graduate?

"Bugger, I'm up against someone who went to the former Leicester Polytechnic... this Sorbonne degree ain't worth shit..."

[vrailaine]

First year started great for me, right up til Christmas... then I quickly slipped into a timetable of being a recluse for 6 days with a weekly heavy drinking binge on the 7th and over again, I think it's very easy to slip into a sort of lull like that without even realising if you're not doing any work on the side.

On the plus side, I done absolutely loadsa crap... I'm not sure how many activities and things are available to people who don't live on a farm but I always had mountainloads of options of things to do on most evenings.

Spoiler alert

Can only imagine it'd be even better if I could meet people.

[close]

[An tSaoi]

I want to know more.

It's a long story.

First Year was bad, and it never got better after that. For a start I was 17 and looked younger, so no entry to pubs/clubs for me. As a result I just couldn't go out for the first month (my birthday's in October). By the time I had a valid ID, most of the others had their own nights-out groups.

To make matters worse it felt as if everyone there knew everyone else. You know the way people say you'll be able to make new friends because everyone is new? Not so, a lot of the people in halls had gone to school with each other. The people who didn't know each other seemed to hit it off within the first few days, and I couldn't exactly muscle my way into any group. For a while I thought I had a few friends because we worked on a project together, but once that finished they sort of shut me out.

I told myself that I should wait until Hallowe'en to see how I felt. By Hallowe'en I still hadn't settled in. I decided that if I still hadn't settled in by Christmas I'd quit. By Christmas I still hadn't made any friends, at which point I just decided that there was something wrong with me and gave up. I sat alone in lectures for a month or two, then stopped going to lectures at all. I sat on my own in the common room before giving up and staying in my room all the time. I would get the lecture notes online, and leave only for food. I once went a fortnight without talking to anyone.

I became extremely depressed around Easter, went off the edge, and did something very stupid and badly-planned which only made things worse. I missed an exam, and had to do a resit. I was in a very bad mental state when I sat the resit and therefore failed, prompting a repeat of the whole year. No-one from my first First year seemed to notice that I didn't show up for all of Second Year, and even though they had my number and were friends on Bebo never tried to contact me. I didn't bother trying to get to know anyone in the new First Year.

My housemates that year were outgoing and popular, and liked nightclubs, which I quickly grew to hate. Eventually I didn't bother going out any more and stayed in all the time.

Then I discovered CaB.

I don't want to go back to Uni. I don't want to get a job. I don't want to meet people. I don't want to do anything. I have no point and no purpose. I hate who I am but I don't want to bother changing.

_{Blah blah shameless attention seeking blah blah blah never made good post blah blah blah why doesn't An tSaoi just fuck off blah blah blah.}

[Clone Army]

University is fun so long as you don't put up with any shit from people. If I'd have put a stop to my roommate playing the fucking Best of the Backstreet Boys compilation every day, all day, I might not have gone mad and spent the first year eating nothing but custard creams.

This equally goes for: Inviting your parents to stay for a week without informing the warden/me and leaving a bag of rapidly unfrozen chicken legs in your room.

Second attempt this year: Bristol

[vrailaine]

You can get into plenty of places at 17, besides were there not society events and things like that? They're pretty useful for getting the underaged people into places too cos they all come in a big pile to a pub.

Ever get therapy of any sort tSaoi?

[biggytitbo]

University. Pah!

[An tSaoi]

Ever get therapy of any sort tSaoi?

A bit. Didn't seem to do much except make me think about my problems rather than the tried and tested method of completely ignoring them. You spend X amount of time telling the professional what's wrong with you, only for them to say "Hmmm ... looks like you have Depression". No shit Sherlock. "How does this make you feel?" How the fuck do you think it does you stuffy old fart?

_{Never liked shrinks.}

[vrailaine]

Medication?

[biggytitbo]

Are you regular An?