University Life Glossary Term #12

Interjectionary.

A comment from a student during a lecture that is laced with important sounding words in order to give the impression of validity to the interjection despite it having no validity what so ever.

"But your statements regarding the second part make it appear that the second doesn't aim to acheive the same hypothesis as the first.*"

(* Actual statement.)

The one I can't tell you about.

"I've become a bit of a professional at this."

I handed the cashier my money, as payment for my parking permit, accompanied by the small yellow application form. My comment drew the blunt non-response of a person who was facing up to a long day of processing forms and was seeking any moment, even 15 seconds or so, in which he could get away from the front desk and the stream of parking permit applications.

I have become a professional at this, I have had more first days of the university year than I can share with you without blushing. I can remember when a parking permit cost me $50, it's now almost three times that.

Sadly, all too much of my time on the first day is made up of chasing lecturers and course co-ordinators around to seek their approval to join their course. I'm a fence sitter, I'm completing a business degree, whilst still filling out my remaining course blocks with arts subjects. The prospect of majoring simultaneously in Marketing and Management would be easier, however that would mean studying more Management.

Don't study Management.

Each course co-ordinator is different, they all require different levels of pleading, although most are comfortable to have you, just so long as you are showing an interest in their course.

In the same cramped reception area where you pay for your parking permit, you can update your student card. Two competing queues snake and the cease to exist in their own. Students putting money on their card trip over the stray bags of haphazard, inexperienced first and second timers.

The girl manning the counter re-adjusted the machine to find space on my card to print 2006 without printing over all the other years I have collected.

Welcome Form to Return

No small amount of effort goes into getting yourself out of bed. No small amount of effort on any day, let alone a day which involves going to uni.

Sleep is the thing I miss most when the university year rolls around again. The opportunity to look at the clock and guiltlessly roll over and close your eyes. University removes all that.

Every spare moment is a moment you should, supposedly, be spending studying.

That book you want to read, you can't do that without feeling like you should be reading study notes.

That weekend you spend away with friends, you can't consider that without dedicating serious amounts of time to stressing about the work you aren't doing while you're away.

And that blog, you'd better keep procrastinating and writing that blog.

Welcome back to Treading Water 101.