Fresher's Day #1

I'm suprisingly on top of this updating thing!

It's currently Tuesday afternoon and I have an hour to kill so I might as well update my blog to avoid a hugggge blog post later on. On Monday morning we had a Uni Smart lecture which was, to say the least, pretty weird. We had the Vice Chancellor (I still don't know exactly what that is) do the cliché of 'well done for getting here we're a really good University', then get attacked by a wasp, then say 'well at least I know I'm attractive' in a monotone. Then we had a talk from the Student's Union - and then it got a bit weird. A psychologist was introduced from Harvard who did a study called the Blood Alcohol Levels Study and he talked a bit out how he did this study showing moderate alcohol intake increased grades, and then he goes right into the mic: "but the study has a pretty long name, so we call it by its acronym - BALLS!" and then there was stripper music and I was convinced that he was actually going to strip, but he just took off his disguise and reverted back to his original accent, which was New Zealand. And then he gave a talk about "making the most of Uni life" which was okay but obviously written by adults trying a little too hard to be cool. But it went super quick, and then my halls went back and had lunch, and then straight away we went to do the campus challenge.

I don't have any pictures, but our block of Solsbury basically went around the campus (in our attractive yellow t-shirts) doing challenges (surprised) for a few of the societies. RAGS did a challenge on how many people could fit on a pile of balloons and we got like twenty people on them, and we got full marks out of 100! There was also Jitsu, which did a fruit ninja game where we threw sponges at someone while they tried to hit them with a stick. Then there was guess the tune played on the kazoo, catching and throwing eggs for the kickboxing society (hand eye coordination practise apparently) and a bunch of other things like a bouncy castle obstacle course.

After that we went back to the halls and relaxed for a while before dinner, and then we started ring of fire (sorry, mum!) and played that before a few other people in Solsbury came in an we had a mini kitchen pre-drinks party. Then my friend, her boyfriend and I went to the main 'show your colours' party, in our yellow t-shirts from before. I had zero experience of clubbing before University, but I had the most amazing time. This video should probably sum it up:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZrgUKmMDXg&feature=youtu.be&noredirect=1

But it was amazing, they had a really good band and it was so fun!

As for today, we've started inductions and things. I went to register, forgot my ID, had to go all the way back across Campus and back, and in twenty minutes I'm going to get my programme handbook before going to a BBQ (free food!) and then a city tour at 5:30, then a pub quiz and finally the carnival night!

I'll keep you updated, of course, and whether you're at Uni or not, I hope you''re having a great week!

(P.S - there's  building works opposite my room and it woke me up at 8am this morning after I fell asleep at 3:30am - yay!)

Paige :) xx

Moving in weekend!

HELLO.

I promised a blog post and here it is! Even though it's only been two days there's a lot to talk about, so I'll try my best to update you (mostly my mum, who I think is now reading this) on everything that's been going on! It's currently almost 1am but I'm not tired at all, so I might a well type this up while I have the time as Fresher's officially starts next weekend and it's going to be manic and probably quite insane so. Firstly, here is my dorm room:

I avoided the desk because it's pretty messy right now, and my bed isn't exactly stunning in that picture either, but there you go! I need to organize the books too but for now they're all stacked on top of one another without any order at all. I arrived on Saturday at about 2:00ish - they journey was meant to be three and a half hours but the traffic was pretty bad in Bath, so it was just over. The halls I'm in has seven people, and only one was there when I arrived, but three arrived almost exactly when I did. The two other guys arrived today, and I'm so happy that everyone is super nice. I always expect the worst in a lot of situations but all six of my 'flatmates' are nice and so are the five I've met from the halls next door - two of their people arrived today as well but I haven't met them yet! Yesterday I spent quite a bit of time with my parents shopping for kitchen stuff, but when I got back around 7:30 my halls and the halls next to us ordered pizza, which I didn't eat because I already ate with my parents. We went to the club pretty early, 10pm and that was a good decision because it got so, so busy that the five of us made the collective decision to leave and go back to the flat. We stayed in the kitchen and talked for an hour or so, which was really nice, and then went to bed. I didn't sleep that well, probably first night nerves, but it was pretty funny to hear the completely trashed people outside.

I woke up pretty early this morning (though it feels like yesterday, this day went super fast but because I did so much it feels like two days rather than one), so I could meet up with my parents before they left for home. I joined the others in the kitchen for breakfast and again, really nice people which is great, and then met my parents around 10:30. More shopping and then saying goodbye, which actually went pretty well. I miss them, but I'm already feeling quite settled which is really nice. I was expecting to cry but so far I haven't - mum got a bit teary though - but I think we were all expecting that!

I got back around 2:00 and at 3:30 the new guys moved in, and (repetitive) they were nice too. I missed the accommodation induction the day before so I went at 4:30 with one of the new guys (the other went out with his parent, I think) and we collected our library cards together too. Once I got back, one of the girls in my halls and I went to meet some people who had joined a book club group on Facebook for the Fresher's, and there were ten of us that turned up. It was really nice to meet people other than the ones in my accommodation and they were really friendly too! We ended up in a cafe and talked for almost two hours about Uni, our courses and books, and decided that we would each pick one of the six books from the Man Booker shortlist and meet up to discuss them at a later date.

This blog post is getting really long and also pretty boring so I'm sorry for that! Anyway, after we got back I had some dinner, rang home for a quick catch up and we went to a party at 8 (yeah, I know, super early) that was in the halls of a block further down where we stayed for a hour and a bit talking before we headed to a different party hosted by some Welsh people. As a result of this, they said we could only enter if we had sheep drawn on our arms. As a result:

The 'India' came from a guy who wanted to brand everyone with his home country, while the bright blue Wales came from a different Welsh girl in the halls. After we stayed there for a bit me and two others from my halls headed to the club, and after that we met up with another girl in our hall, came home (I just typed home subconsiously! This is my home now for the next year!), repeated yesterday's 'talking in the kitchen' and now here I am, finishing up this blog post and listening to the last two people come in. We came in almost an hour later than yesterday, but starting next week the main events are in a much bigger hall and it's going to be even more fun! So even though I haven't drunken much at all I still had a great time clubbing, even though I'd hardly ever been before now.

SO THERE YOU HAVE IT. Arrivals weekend over and done with. Bring on Freshers!

Speak soon and thanks for reading this huge blog post! :)

Paige x

One day to go!

Since my last blogpost I have had my accomodation confirmed, signed up for extra credit Spanish, decided I want to pick Sociology as my second course option because I am not going anywhere near Biology or Neuroscience, convinced my mum to buy me new clothes and looked at and tried to decipher the most confusing timetable I have ever seen.

In short, a lot has happened.

One of the most important things is that the events of Fresher's have been confirmed, and there are themes for every night that are:

Monday - Show Your Colours (free T-Shirt depending on your halls!)

Tuesday - Carinval

Wednesday - Safari

Thursday - Full Moon Party

Friday - Back To School

Saturday - Toga Party (with Nick Grimshaw DJing!)

Obviously those are the main events and between them there are awesome things like a BBQ, film night's (which I am unashamedly excited about because they're showing Startrek: Into Darkness and Life of Pi) city tours and the mandatory department induction things I have to attend.

I bought a wristband to guarantee entry to these events and avoid both queuing and paying at the door, which was a little expensive. But I'm sure it'll make it cheaper in the long run, so I shouldn't complain. At least, if anything, it means I won't have to stand outside in the freezing cold for too long, which is an obvious bonus.

I'm a little terrified about Fresher's because clubbing isn't exactly my idea of the best time, but I'm going along with it and hopefully there won't be too many embarrassing pictures on Facebook at the end of it. And obviously it isn't just clubbing, either, so I'm hoping I'll be fine.

I mentioned in my last post (I think) that I was really scared about making friends, but since I confirmed my place at Bath I joined the Fresher's page on Facebook for my halls and also for my course and have met quite a few people and everyone seems really nice. I've met a girl who I have a lot in common with and who is only two dorms down from me (+ doing Psychology as well!) and it's a lot less scary when you've talked to people before you're there and can reassure yourself that everyone is in the same position. So, if you're reading this and preparing for University/not sure where to start, one of the best things you can do is to join groups on Facebook for your University - your halls, your course and the Fresher's page in general. It really helps and everyone is asking the questions you're probably worrying about too!

Before today, I wasn't that nervous because it didn't really feel like I was going away. But this morning I woke up a little terrified because I'm actually leaving tomorrow. My parents are with me for the weekend (they're staying up on Saturday night at a hotel) but after that, I'm thrown into University life without much of a clue on how to wash clothes properly without shrinking and/or dying them pink and very basic cooking skills. And not quite sure how to actually make friends during Fresher's without looking like a socially awkward idiot. Hopefully I can bribe people with tea or something.

Hopefully I'll post a few times during Fresher's, and if not I'll definitely make a blog post when I'm crashing next Sunday from exhaustion. Hope this wasn't too boring to read!

See you soon and good luck to anyone reading this (ha) who is about to experience Fresher's or already is right in the middle of it.

(I'm just kidding, nobody reads this blog)

Paige :) x

Grades and Confirmations

Hi!

So, my first post is actually before I've enrolled properly at Bath, or am even in Bath. That happens on the 21st and 22nd September, and right now it's the 15th August. But this blog is for me to document my first year at University and that all starts with today, because today is the day I actually got confirmed into Bath (!!!) for my Psychology course. The next four years of my life have been decided and I'm really, really happy even though it hasn't really sunk in yet. My accommodation hasn't been confirmed, I don't know what halls I'm in and I don't know my timetable - but that's all to come in the next few weeks and right now I'm just super excited to have accomplished something I didn't think was possible.

I wanted to make this blog for a few reasons. One is obviously for me, to use it as a journal so I can remember my first (and maybe second, third and fourth) years at University, but the second is to maybe help other people who are going through or will be going through what I will be in the next year of my life. To be honest, I'm really scared as well as excited. The longest I've ever been away from my family is eights days, and this is a huge step for me, one that I'm already nervous about. I'll have to be completely independent and maybe this blog can help people who are also scared about University or want to go through it with someone. That sounds a little stupid (or a lot stupid) but I'm being honest from the start :)

So! This is my first entry to say I got into Bath, which I wasn't expecting AT ALL, and I'll post more when I know more, really.

Congratulations to everyone who got results today, whatever they were. I look forward to sharing the next year of my life with you guys :)

Love,

Paige.