a taste of uni life

I'll be coming here to study every single day for the rest of my pathetic university life.

Orientation started two days ago, but today was the first day I actually attended as planned, instead of getting distracted with friends and Auckland city itself.
I have one word to describe my experience today, and the chosen adjective would be fast.

campus map of Auckland Uni

The University of Auckland campus is spread out on what would seem to be ...less than half of the size of Auckland city itself.
I know that when I have officially started university next week, and explored the city in much more depth, I will cringe at that awful estimation I just made.
Auckland city is probably bigger, so maybe an 1/8th?
I dont know.

It's exhausting getting from different parts of the university to another.
The campus itself is very beautiful though; I absolutely adore how it intertwines with the city's layout and how accessible everything is.
The campus is rather hilly, but I'm extremely thankful for this.
This would mean less guilt when I'm about to walk over to Starbucks for my deathly daily dose of over-sweetened coffee.

Following my year spent in a country that puts the definition of convenience to shame every day with it's trains and buses, Japan has set my expectations in public transportation ridiculously high.
Japan has also taught me never to be late out of the house; I can safely say it only takes me 20 minutes to get ready, all the while social networking, changing outfits for the third/fourth time, and putting on my make-up.

Multi-tasking bitches. It's a skill.

Clock Tower in Auckland Uni

It's only customary of me to make the wrong decisions all the time, and of course, first day of orientation at university and I've managed to screw things up yet again.

I hope you will all learn from my experience.
Because trust me.

Wisdom is not learning from your own mistakes but learning from the mistakes of others. 

Lesson 1) Do not bring too many books into university.

Sure, you may think at a high-school appropriate level like I do, and have somehow manipulated your stupid brain into thinking that by physically holding a book in your hand and walking around would directly result in instant knowledge gain.
I held a 1000page textbook(s), and other miscellaneous course books all around campus today, and had so much difficulty carrying these books that I eventually had to rely on the chivalry of my brother and another male friend for a good hour or two.

The information stored within these books would eventually be absorbed into you by osmosis.
I don't deny that at all.
I am drawing this conclusion because I know that  it is more likely than the chances that I'll find a boyfriend this year.
However, by saying that... I currently have no knowledge of anything regarding the history or philosophy paper I'm doing.
So perhaps, bring only the books you need for the day, and not all the books that you will be using for the entire semester.

Lesson 2) Do not join too many clubs.

Joining clubs may be fun. No; it will definitely be fun. It's also a good way to get to know people outside your faculty, and judging from the courses I'm taking, get to actually have some male friends in my uni social group.
However, joining clubs in uni requires time. Time, and money.
I neglected to think that perhaps I wouldn't have the time, or the money, and went ahead to sign up for at least five clubs.

Upon entering the quad, I was convinced to join ...
the Taiwanese Asian club or, TANSA (despite the fact that I'm not from Taiwan) 
the Dessert Club (even though I plan to join the gym at uni to lose all the Japan weight),
the Amnesty International Human Rights Group (because I'm doing law, and if you don't care about human rights, then why be a lawyer, really),  
the Kiwi Asian Club or, KAC (because it is my internal desire to  fulfill all the stereotypes about how Asians can only hang out with their kind.)
and last but not least, AUSA Auckland University Students...wait, I don't know what is stands for. =/

I had spent over $30 NZD in joining clubs.
I know that I probably wouldn't be able to commit to half of these, because of my crazy schedule and workload.
So thankfully the clubs I'm joining seem to be very considerate and understanding, and won't bite my head off if I miss a meeting or two, or all. ;)
But seriously though; walk around the quad, and slowly consider what you want to join, and pick one or two.
Not five. Because crappy decisions cost money nowadays.

Plus I'm not even 18 yet, so unfortunately, I won't be allowed to go to the night events of these clubs. >.< WHY are fake ID's so hard to get a hold of?!

Lesson 3) Eat something. 

When you hit a sugar low at uni, especially after all that lugging around of books, and rushing to get to  your course orientation on time, you feel absolutely drained to the core.
This would also prevent you from digesting any valuable information your lecturer has to give, because all you can see are dancing donuts and giant Kit Kat bars doing a strip tease on the desk in front of you.

Lesson 4) Get your bloody stickers.

It's important to listen to your friend(s)' advice, and get your university stickers on your ID card as soon as possible.
How soon? Soon enough so that the stall doesn't close by the time you arrive.

I dream of having all my lectures in this building...

Do not procrastinate and sit on a couch in a large air conditioned business building dreaming about how your life would suck as a Arts student but flourish if only you liked money more.
Get your bloody stickers.
It's important for bus rides and discounts.
It's important in general.

Obviously I make more mistakes than the four major muck-ups I've listed above.
But all in all, today has been really productive and fun.
I can see how the courses I'm taking all just..link, with one another. I'm growing impatient to start studying and getting back into a routine where I can manage my own time, and learn.

I'm extremely nervous to start university officially; but it's a good kind of nervous.
Not the kind where you stand there and wish the ground would eat you up whole, but the kind of nervous where you'd pressure yourself to do well enough, if not the best you can do.

I've realized that university truly launches you into adult hood.
I'm not ready for adulthood quite yet, but I have no choice but to really step it up, and stop being the whiny idiot I am for the sake of my future.

There are many obligations to fulfill at university, one being that we have now two new email accounts to check daily.
We also have to keep in daily contact with our tutors and lecturers via email, and frequently suck up to them for that security that the 10% of our GPA would be intact.

CECIL is the university email database that I've only decided to start checking today.
I have a total of 17 announcements, and 140 Resources that have accumulated in the last two weeks of enrolment.
Brilliant.
I've also managed to accidentally delete all my announcements from my lecturers.
As you can blatantly see, I'm off to a great start.

Another thing I've noticed at uni are just the vast amount of stereotypes concerning the faculty in which you are studying at.
Maybe it's just not at Auckland Uni, but at uni's all around the world.

Arts students will always struggle with employment, and will always be the laughing stock of the other faculties. (I being a live-in victim of the discrimination, having a brother that is a BioMed graduate, and doing a second degree in Finance/Accounting.)
Arts students also tend to be rather female dominated.
Yay for no activity whatsoever in the love life department! :D

"and following Hitler's rise into power.." Oh fuck this; I'm going to be a stripper.

 Law/Sci students lack a social life. I say this in confidence because I am doing a conjoint law degree with Arts, and by the looks of that huge big fat blue book full of nothing but incomprehensible crap, I am highly aware of the number of times I would have to say 'soz, can't make it, needa read my law book tonight'.

Engineering Dept have a huge male population. This would also entail that the few brave females that embark in this career direction tend to also go from geek to chic, resulting in their not only increase in workload over the years, but also an increase in love-life activity.  
Thumbs up for the few smart math/physics hotties.

Language students would always flock together and build the strongest of friendships.
(I'm rather envious of this, because I really wanted to continue with my Japanese studies at Auckland despite the faculty's strong advice against it.)

Being a first year student is scary, exciting, nerve-wrecking, and fun all at the same time.
I'm so happy that it's nothing like high school.
(although it may be awkward to bump into the few individuals you never wanted to see again upon graduation two years ago)
I hope my uni life would just be as fruitful as my time in Japan.
I definitely want to go on exchange again; question is how soon, and when?

I'm extremely aware that this blog lacks color.

My sincerest of apologies; I am exhausted, and all I really want to do now is skype with a certain somebody that lives 13 hours away from me.

Oh. I've also gathered a main point from all my lecturers today.
And that is.

Don't you dare miss a fucking tutorial. 

All my love always,

April