Fresh Prince of Belle Vue...
Tis that time of year again. Freshers are back, pint-supping, freebie-grabbing, best clothes-adorning, in my way a-getting. There are more every year and they are looking increasingly fresh. I'm not sure how their teabag sized handbags contain their Union information, registration documents and lecture notes, not to mention the trees of leaflets that their hands are stuffed with when running the Parkingson/Psychology gauntlet.
Despite the welcoming atmosphere, fun, frolics and festivities of Fresher's week, I would not be able to face it again. If given a choice I would certainly not relive it. Granted, Durham intro week was mild in comparison, with formal dinners and matriculation in the cathedral performing the welcome duties. However it all seems very effortful and I would rather sit and observe from my armchair. And mute the freshers.
In 3 years' time they'll be getting fat anyway. In the shorter term (i.e. a term) they'll be househunting with the people on their corridors. And a week after they've signed they'll fall out.
Anyone know of any decent fresher-free haunts around the belle vue road region?
On the plus side there are some new postgrads about the place, and lovely they are too. Although it's odd to be reminded that you are moving on and should therefore be the next in line to submit your PhD, fresh blood is exciting. This strikes a happy balance between the enthusiam of the freshers and the armchair/laptop loving lifestyle that I currently adopt: the new postgrads might go down to the Fav sometimes. That will be nice. So long as it's not on one of their "urban chaos" nights or anything...
Moon.xxx
Despite the welcoming atmosphere, fun, frolics and festivities of Fresher's week, I would not be able to face it again. If given a choice I would certainly not relive it. Granted, Durham intro week was mild in comparison, with formal dinners and matriculation in the cathedral performing the welcome duties. However it all seems very effortful and I would rather sit and observe from my armchair. And mute the freshers.
In 3 years' time they'll be getting fat anyway. In the shorter term (i.e. a term) they'll be househunting with the people on their corridors. And a week after they've signed they'll fall out.
Anyone know of any decent fresher-free haunts around the belle vue road region?
On the plus side there are some new postgrads about the place, and lovely they are too. Although it's odd to be reminded that you are moving on and should therefore be the next in line to submit your PhD, fresh blood is exciting. This strikes a happy balance between the enthusiam of the freshers and the armchair/laptop loving lifestyle that I currently adopt: the new postgrads might go down to the Fav sometimes. That will be nice. So long as it's not on one of their "urban chaos" nights or anything...
Moon.xxx
posted by Moon @ 10:45 pm
8 Comments:
At 1:50 am,
Lord G said…
The new Postgrads thing is funny/odd. I remember you lot coming in, and I felt like I really didn't know anyone anymore.... When I was PG chair I also remember talking to a pretty new PG joining the ranks. She was off to see her boyfriend in Lincs or somewhere afterwards...
Freshers week/fortnight is also odd. At Leeds it is taken to extremes and can be annoying. I remember a sense of pride when the leaflet-hander-outers saw me coming and didn't offer one. Clearly it's time for botox, but not at fresher's week. At my old uni it was much more straight forward. Shed loads of ale/alcopops/nasty stuff were drunk, first year girls slept with hall reps whilst the first year boys got annoyed at being passed over, and the halls became fight scenes, love scenes, and places of general debauchery...
At 10:27 am,
Moon said…
That sounds much more like it. Male freshers look pre-pubescant, so not surprised that the oh-so-mature halls reps were preferable.
Yes Leeds take it too far, I reckon. But I'm trying not to feel too annoyed about the noise and festivities, as I know recognise that I am older and wiser than them. i.e. generally better!
At 6:43 pm,
Lord G said…
Yeah but don't you wish you were at a higher risk of STD's like them?!
PS. I was a most mature hall rep.
At 6:59 am,
- said…
What a good blog and comments. Excited lots of contrasting feelings in me about being back in Leeds.
At 10:18 am,
Moon said…
Thanks, Ak. Welcome back (again)! Sure it won't take you long to re-accustom yourself with the delights of Leeds and, more specifically, avoiding the Psychology leaflet gauntlet. ("Is this for me? Oh thankyou!!") It's probably a nice time to be returning: a fresh start at the beginning of a year, and some fresh faces.
Gaz do you still have your hall rep post on your CV?! I detect a sense of pride, there...
At 12:26 pm,
Lord G said…
Nah I do I feck. I dont think it was ever on there to be honest.
At 9:23 am,
frankien said…
Bless! and a handsome pg rep carried my suitcase for me on my first day!
as for the leaflet people, they always shout at me to smile when I inevitably scowl at them. but Ive never forgiven them for the fact that they once gave me a nasty papercut by thrusting their flyers at me.
At 2:50 pm,
Moon said…
Bastards. Did you resist also shouting "think of the trees!" (my alternative to "save the trees" which I think sounds a bit silly).
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