Ding Huang demonstrates the art of paper cutting
Laura Reynolds looks at the habits of exam-weary students
James Tompkinson discusses the benefits of using Facebook for revision
Laura Reynolds provides some tips to help you save
Forgive me then for arriving at university expecting only to learn about my own subject. Firstly, the degree of subject matter crossover within arts – and even between politics and science – can be enlightening as well as encouraging further research. Secondly, few people live entirely with course-mates, and students living on campus are exposed to an even greater variety of interests, passions, hobbies, etc. Thirdly, whatever your degree and chosen career, you are never going to have as much free time as you do now.
Being at university is the perfect opportunity to read more books, try courageous recipes, live a radical lifestyle, or even to wear bright trainers. Enjoy the opportunity to wear shorts all day and drink beer for breakfast while you can. After this come black shoes and 9 to 5, children and marriage, death and taxes. Life is certainly harder than the purgatorial existence of being a university student. And the time for experiments is now. Knowing that your own progeny may well be at risk with your cooking, perhaps it’s best to learn how to cook chicken, or not to mix cheese and fish, at this early stage.
As well as these ‘life lessons’ there is also the educational value, here you have not only the time, but other people with as much time that you can seriously discuss religious beliefs, liberal conservatism and the right amount of leg without prejudice. This is the time to become a pool pro or the Roger Federer of table tennis, it is important that you don’t waste your time with seemingly redundant activities such as studying or writing essays. Instead appreciate the opportunities you currently have: ask physics students about the Universe, philosophy students about greed, or business students about their hobbies.
Jokes aside, here you can make life-long friends, you can learn to appreciate (and filter) the old friends more, you are also in the privileged position of living away from home without being at home, a kind of ephemeral tourist within the campus city. You can be utterly ridiculous and still make it onto the homepage of the Wall Street Journal (as ex-YUSU President Mad Cap’n Tom did) or you can live a calm, Heslington village lifestyle of bike-riding and Browns’ sandwiches. One thing is for certain though, however you choose to spend your time here - you won’t regret it.
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