Uniblog 12: Uni's over :(

Well, that's that. I've just finished my first year. No more labs, lectures, tutorials.  

I find that almost terrifying, weirdly. It almost feels like yesterday I was starting first year, and I was tentatively looking forward to freshers week. At last, I could possibly make new connections, finally leave who I was in secondary behind, and move on. Maybe even enjoy the year - I know, I was ambitious - and end up looking back at it fondly.

South Kensington

Instead, I almost feel like I've not changed, and all that's happened is I know a bit more chem. Not even that, actually - I don't know that much new chem, merely new ways of thinking about the stuff I already knew. That doesn't really count, right? So all this year's been is a massive stopgap, a way for me to have something to do most of the week. 

At a hiking society taster session in Hampstead Heath

I look back at Uniblog 0.5, and almost laugh. I mean, I wasn't wrong, really, I guess I achieved all that aside from the drinking, but I'm not that big on pints anyways. But surely you'll get that even if I literally got all that, I was hoping for more. I didn't get that in the end, instead what I got was something close but not quite.

Night time wintry lights from Chemistry Building

Okay, maybe I'm being overreactionary. I have friends, true, hell I've even joined too many societies. I've even been elected to a post in a landslide, no less. Even so...I'm not sure. And okay, it's because I'm at Imperial doing a STEM degree, the fact I even leave the house warrants a medal. If I cared that much, I should have done, say, archaeology at King's. 

I guess I'm just a bit worried about second year. That's one year closer to possibly becoming a lab drone, or even worse, an office drone. I'm not ready for that yet, I want to live whilst I still can. And sure, 22 isn't a death sentence, but I imagine things get way harder afterwards. I like putting minimal effort into things when I can. 

Staring down the road next to Imperial

But enough of that, here are some things I think about Imperial as a whole, in case you'd like to study there for some reason:

• Yes, Imperial is demanding. My personal tutor thought me not locking in after literally two weeks equalled procrastination. You probably need a decent work ethic and willingness to go insane to succeed.
• That said, it's not the end of the world. Maybe I'm just numb to it, but I've coped more often than not. And sure, I'm a first year, it might get worse over time, but so far it's been...okay.
• I guess it depends on your course, but I like the people doing my degree. They're alright, some of them are even my friends. And maybe I'm fortunate the gender balance is more even than on, say, physics, which skews heavily male, so if you want to do chem and that worries you, it shouldn't. 
• No idea what I meant by this, actually, but I like my degree mates. Thanks!
• Yeah, the material isn't straightforward, but that goes for most unis. The difference is probably the lecturers aren't necessarily the greatest, they sometimes tend to brush past certain slides or don't explain the material brilliantly. Not all of them, of course. But the learning is usually in tutorials and workshops anyways, so you just need to get used to it.
• Oh and independent reading as well. The library's alright for that, I suppose.
• I'd probably study at Imperial in any timeline, it just feels right for some reason. I don't actually regret that choice, it's more everything that came after.

In the library, late

As for things I'm aiming to do next year:

• Read a lot in the summer - I'm planning to write some revision posts, more framed around learning material for the first time and trying to teach you guys. Before, all my revision posts usually just existed to consolidate material, but now I want to read ahead, I think I should try and actually teach, see if that works better.
• Attend more society sessions. I wonder if putting my eggs in loads of baskets meant my grades suffered a bit in the first term, since I'd often go to societies instead of studying. But even after seeing my grades improve, the fact I'm more in disbelief than being quietly smug makes me think I still have a long way to go when it comes to studying. So maybe I should try out societies again, and not lock myself in my room?
• Write more uniblogs. Alright, I basically stopped this blog when I began uni, so that's why, but I feel like I could totally talk more about uni life than I'm already doing. And no, second year's not stopping me from writing as much as I have been - you should still expect about one post every three days on average. 

Quirky display by the main entrance

I'm currently on a four year course, so I probably have time to graduate how I'd like to. It won't be easier next year, what with no freshers and that, and I doubt the background humming of loneliness will ever go away. But it's worth a try, I suppose.

The sun prepares to set over uni

By the way, have you finished uni? Have you got any advice for turning 22? Do you have any questions about Imperial? I'd love your feedback and comments - you can leave a comment on this post, or even send me an email directly!