I have yet to experience a crazier time in my life than first year uni. The fresher experience is hectic to say the least and expressing that time coherently is a difficult task. But as the saying goes, a picture speaks a thousand words, so I thought what better way to summarise the highlights of my year than in a few iphone 7 grade snapshots (..guys I refuse to buy a new phone until this one falls to pieces, so don’t try convince me otherwise 🙂
First day at the halls!
For some unknown reason, move-in day didn’t feel at all scary to me. Maybe it’s because I had completely dissociated from reality (as I often do) and simply come to terms with the fact that I didn’t know a single person in my hall. But it’s normal to feel anxious – however, keep in mind that although scary, starting university is such an exciting new step. Here’s a pic of me in my brand new room repping that grafton hall merch ..I’m a sucker for merch and was living for the ‘move in day aesthetic’.
Toga Party
As far as university initiations go, Toga party is the closest you’re going to get! If you’re in the halls, tickets are provided, but if not, I would recommend purchasing early as to not miss out! Also, don’t be fooled… togas are not as easy to make as they seem. I can’t craft to save my life, so if you’re anything like me, I would recommend sticking with something simple! I tried to be cool and make a skirt that my skill set definitely did not allow for … it may have fallen off (but it’s my own fault for thinking 2 safety pins would suffice!)
Lockdown after O week
Entering level 3 lockdown only a week after having moved into halls was definitely unexpected! I remember being out in the Chancery square and receiving a text from Grafton informing all residents ‘to return to their floor immediately’ – I honestly thought it was the apocalypse!!! But to be honest, those 2 weeks in lockdown were actually some of the best days I had in the halls; we watched Harry Potter (as we must!), wore matching outfits to the dining hall, and had a lot of uber eats. It was a great way to bring us all closer together!
First test – biosci 106!!
Okay so if there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I’m a very panicky student . Although you might not be able to tell from this picture, I was internally vomiting, and crying. My first test ever was fast approaching, and I was definitely stressed !! But it really helped having a big support system around me – in other words, I felt better knowing that I wasn’t the only person who was freaking out! For reference, the reason I’m dressed like a little librarian in this photo is because I went through a phase of thinking that if I ‘dressed smart’ – argyle sweaters, and cable knit jumpers – I would be smart. I know…it doesn’t make much sense, but I think I had lost all sense at that point in the year.
Last day of population health tutorials
I absolutely LOVED my pop health 111 group! Meetings weren’t so much a chore as they were a fun hangout. Despite many tears being shed in the general library because we couldn’t for the life of us figure out what the ‘cure for elder abuse’ was, we managed to scrape through the end of semester presentation and do super well! Meeting this group was definitely one of the highlights of my year 🙂
Mid winter christmas (lead up to exams)
This took place at the peak of semester one exam season. I was emotionally exhausted – and on top of that I had an EXTREME case of freshers flu! However, the mid winter christmas was such a good way to relieve all that anxiety; Flametree put on an epic banquet of food, and we all dressed up and got into the christmas spirit!!
Watching the Blood Moon
Witnessing the blood moon will always be such a vivid memory for me. I remember the hall emptying out into the carpark as we all took some time out from our strenuous chem 110 post labs to relax and stare at the sky – it felt like something straight out of a scene from teen wolf!!
……so there you have it; a small slice of my UoA first year experience! And if you’re in high school, I’m manifesting that one day you’ll get to make some great fresher memories just like I did 🙂