Part of the welcome week is a two day event called Serendipity, where students set out their stalls for all the different clubs. And there are so many of them. It seems there is everything from medieval battle renactment societies, to acrobatic girls that stand on top of eachother. Some of it is in tents, some outside on the grass, some in the main hall we had out first meeting in where speakers on the stage were blasting out music way louder than is healthy.
Don't get me wrong, it looks tremendously exciting, but I feel like one of those people at a banquet who can't eat food because he's just been to the dentist. I can't help but feel depressed that I've waited years to have a social life and as soon as I go to uni- which seems like it's all about having a social life on steroids- I acquire a very specific health problem that makes socialising difficult. Then add in the fact that I am 41 and I do feel odd surrounded by young people, but also odd when I meet the occasional mature student; because I have nothing in common with them, either. They tend to be parents, I am not, they tend to live off campus, I live on it.
And then add the fact that I am thinking of changing my four year Chinese-Creative Studies course to a three year one that drops the Chinese and the year abroad because I don't really think I'm cut out to be a linguist. Shame not to capitalise on seven years of experience in China, but perhaps also wise to accept it's best to be done with it. My current thinking is I'll go for an English Lit-Creative Writing joint honours, if they'll even let me.
So right now, I'm in a dark place. I'll let you know if I find the light switch.
Just give it a go for a few weeks, I think you can still change things well in to the semester if need be.
ReplyDeleteYou have to desensitise yourself to the age-difference, either just imagining you're method-acting an 18-yr-old or alternatively just revel in your own uniqueness, which may well be fascinating to many people given the ubiquity of Jordans and Melanies (Spice Girl names from 1998 I guess..?)
Obviously the ear problem is terrible and horribly bad timing but it's the kind of luck you seem to have. After the first two weeks, things will settle down, it's not going to last much longer than that in terms of craziness.