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Geek Culture / Fresh new college/uni runts

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Megaton Cat
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Joined: 24th Aug 2003
Location: Toronto, Canada
Posted: 8th Sep 2007 07:15
It's that time, when all the jolly kids leave for whatever school they wanted to get into. Or maybe Mom & Dad smack them around a bit until they get into a school. Whatever your reasons, how is stuff going for the freshmen and returning students here?

After 6 months of working a boring retail job to save money, I finally went to college for Art & Design. The college is downtown central here, and with it come all the great and anti-great things about being downtown. In between classes, we hop from bar to cafe to school lounge. The atmosphere is great. The hobos are plenty. This place is goddamn loud and finding a decent bathroom is not entertaining.

I met a cool hot girl on the train on my first day, and after a twisted relationship with a girl from work last month, it's nice to meet someone down to earth and a poor uni student like you. The group I run with at school are somewhat older than me, but decent. The reason being because many of the folks taking the program switched from another career or program. I guess everyone loves graphic design huh?? A friend just switched after 4 years of business at uni. The way people work is always interesting.

So yeah, share! Or don't. Be a loner. See if anyone cares.

p.s

I'm that guy who used to be Megaton Cat. I don't really know what I used to do in the game dev scene (after taking a long time off from dev and forums) but I think I rocked the level design scene!! Or something like that. Use the search function.

Agent Dink
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Posted: 8th Sep 2007 09:11
Hey man, long time no see, glad you popped your head in here to see us lowly scoundrels. Good luck with college, I hope it goes well for you. Maybe one day our paths will cross in the graphics design world. I hope to get into an art school soon, just have been lazy about it, though it is giving me an opportunity to save money... or try to. Too many awesome technology items out there I must own >_<

Dazzag
22
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Joined: 26th Aug 2002
Location: Cyprus
Posted: 8th Sep 2007 11:26
Is it FAF week already? Cool...

Cheers

I am 99% probably lying in bed right now... so don't blame me for crappy typing
Current fave quote : "She was like a candle in the wind.... unreliable...."
Fallout
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Joined: 1st Sep 2002
Location: Basingstoke, England
Posted: 8th Sep 2007 12:17
Never worked for me Dazzag. I guess I joined uni when roofies were big, so everyone was on their guard. Damn them!!! DAMN THEM!!!


SimSmall
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Location: United Kingdom
Posted: 8th Sep 2007 13:15
Can't say anything about me -- Uni doesn't start until the 19th... But I can guess what it'll be like:

Late night partying,
loading myself up with red bull to stay awake in lectures,
Eating nothing but baked beans and tinned spaghetti from Aldi,
and having a new girlfriend every night...

...The classic student lifestyle over here - but nah, none of that for me. I'm the sort that doesn't have friends.
Seppuku Arts
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Joined: 18th Aug 2004
Location: Cambridgeshire, England
Posted: 8th Sep 2007 13:31
Hey welcome back...As for my uni stories...I've still got another week until I start. Glad it's going well and that you're enjoying it - and hope you're not winding up too many stray cats in fights or spraying up too many dustbins like male cats do...otherwise I'll have you neutered.

Quote: "I guess everyone loves graphic design huh??"


I hear it's popular - I think some people believe it's a walk in the park (It's uni, nothing is a walk in the park - so they're delusional) and other just love doing it - a lot of people tend to love the art based course, whether that's visual, musical or written/Humanities (In my case it'll be written).

I shot the sheriff
Robin
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Location: United Kingdom
Posted: 8th Sep 2007 13:33
heh...still 4 weeks before my uni starts again

[center]
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Darth Vader
19
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Joined: 10th May 2005
Location: Adelaide SA, I am the only DB user here!
Posted: 8th Sep 2007 14:44
Hey Megaton! I've missed all your dry humour! lol


Jonny_S
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Location: United Kingdom
Posted: 8th Sep 2007 15:10
I have to go back in 2 weeks, I friggin hate uni...

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Seppuku Arts
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Location: Cambridgeshire, England
Posted: 8th Sep 2007 15:19
Johnny_S, You either picked the wrong uni or course mate, 'tis probably a waste of money if you're not enjoying it - uni is supposed to be both hard work a fun - if you don't have fun then the hard work may end up for nothing - or at least you wouldn't have had the proper university experience.

Besides what makes it so bad?

I shot the sheriff
Arkheii
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Location: QC, Philippines
Posted: 8th Sep 2007 15:30
Quote: "The reason being because many of the folks taking the program switched from another career or program. I guess everyone loves graphic design huh??"


Our uni's sister college is across the street, known for offering out of the ordinary courses like restaurant management, graphics courses, stuff like that. The students there are badly (but not incorrectly) stereotyped as the rich kids who flunked the main uni. So yeah I guess everyone loves restaurant management and graphics design more than accounting or computer science

Preston C
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Location: Penn State University Park
Posted: 8th Sep 2007 17:34 Edited at: 8th Sep 2007 17:35
Started classes at Penn State University, Hazelton Campus, for Computer Engineering, two weeks ago, and am moving into my apartment tomorrow night. It's a great, relaxed atmosphere.

Most of my teachers have a heavy, foreign accent to the point of idiocy though. Specifically my calculus teacher (who is also my course counselor). My classes are still fun though, the teachers are less uptight than high school teachers.

An example: on the first day of classes, my Chemistry teacher walked into the classroom ten minutes late. As he walked up to the blackboard, his foot smashed into an electric socket: breaking it and really screwing up the plug to the classrooms (outdated) projector.

He picked up the shattered plug, bent one of the pins a bit, exclaimed "Fixed it!", then casually spiked it at a wall.

On that note, most of my teachers could double as comedians. My Art History teacher could probably be Lewis Black's brother.

Except for one: my computer science teacher (who I have the misfortune to be his required Intro to C++ course, going to see if I can test out). His name is Pavel Azalov. Compared to any computer course teacher I've had in the past, he's no jokes, and he knows what he's talking about.

Hell. The man hails from Bulgaria, has taught in three countries in two different languages, and has started an international computer science competition.

It's awesome.

My girlfriend isn't so lucky. She started classes at East Stroudsburg university the same day I did. I don't know what they're doing over there, but they put her in Senior level courses as a freshmen, and completely botched her schedule otherwise. Makes me glad I reconsidered going there



AMD Opteron 185 2.6 Ghz | 2 GB RAM | 8800 GTS 640MB | Vista Home Premium
Megaton Cat
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Location: Toronto, Canada
Posted: 8th Sep 2007 22:55
I was thinking college was either going to kick ass, or be highschool 2.0. Good thing it took the ass kicking. You never really know what kind of people you'll get and if the courses will actually be any good. Friends who did graphic courses in other schools say they were pretty low quality in comparison, so I guess I got into a good place.

I also can't see how you can hate uni. You can hate highschool, because it's a 95% waste of time, but if you hate post-secondary education, then you picked the wrong hobbies somewhere along your life. I remember getting my hands on the new Fireworks 3 when I was about 13 years old, and I've been designing stuff ever since. Living in a large city where graphic design basically dominates street billboards, buses, trains, subways, and shopping districts it's kinda hard to live without getting involved in design and judging other design. A ton of the folks here in the program aren't even into photoshop. They just come in with art skills. Ironically, I came to hone those base art skillz, as I was only good at the computer aspect. Some good collaboration to come.

I guess I'm out of game dev. The reason I was so into for so long was because I loved level design. I just liked designing things, whether a logo or a giant piece of architecture. Couldn't really stand the coding aspect after a while.

Preston: Going to a dif school than your gf usually kills relationships...so get drinking and socializing.
Otherwise I hope you have fun...you sound like you're taking a bunch of everything. What will you be doing exactly?

Preston C
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Location: Penn State University Park
Posted: 8th Sep 2007 23:21
I won't know what I'll be doing with my degree until I get there...four years from now. Probably some kind of application programming, but plenty of time to think it over.

My current classes are English, Calc 1, Chemistry, Intro to C++, Art History, and Intro to Engineering, which is just a first year seminar. Seventeen credits total.

I have one computer science class each semester before I'll be accepted into the Computer Engineering program in two years. I'll be taking two in the third semester dealing exclusively with hardware. Intro to C++, C++ w/ Classes, Java, and Advanced Algorithms, all of which will be taught by Pavel, the hardware one will be taught by the Head of Engineering at the campus.

I could probably test out of three of them no problem (took the AP Computer Science test last year, all Java, scored a four on it, and have been working with C++ for years). I'll decide upon that after I tire of having to wait around for people still confused why their unclosed-block-commented program won't compile.

As for the girlfriend thing, whatever happens happens. I see her every weekend regardless, we're still pretty close distance wise, as she's commuting, and Hazelton is only a half hour drive from her house.

Socializing I can do, but I can't say I drink much, and I'm glad I don't. So many people I've known have been killed over the past year in drunk driving accidents, or by drunk drivers. The valedictorian of my senior high school class was killed in such a way three weeks ago.

I'd rather be the sober guy at parties rather than the drunk, just so I can make sure my friends make it home safely.

Enjoy your graphics design courses. God knows you're good at it.



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Dazzag
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Location: Cyprus
Posted: 9th Sep 2007 00:36 Edited at: 9th Sep 2007 00:38
Quote: "Never worked for me Dazzag"
I remember once on FAF week we got a bunch of cute fresher girls to come to a party. Things were getting interesting and people started with the illegal stuff. Good old Uni. Went a bit wrong when one of the freshers pointed out she was the head of the local young church goers association or somesuch, another said she qualified very young and was only 15, and another said their dad was the 2nd highest police officer in the country. I still didn't do too badly though

Cheers

I am 99% probably lying in bed right now... so don't blame me for crappy typing
Current fave quote : "She was like a candle in the wind.... unreliable...."
Dazzag
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Posted: 9th Sep 2007 00:38 Edited at: 9th Sep 2007 00:39
Quote: "I'd rather be the sober guy at parties rather than the drunk, just so I can make sure my friends make it home safely"
What's wrong with taxis? Personally I would rather be somewhere in the middle and having a good time.

Cheers

I am 99% probably lying in bed right now... so don't blame me for crappy typing
Current fave quote : "She was like a candle in the wind.... unreliable...."
Seppuku Arts
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Location: Cambridgeshire, England
Posted: 9th Sep 2007 01:14
Quote: "I'd rather be the sober guy at parties rather than the drunk, just so I can make sure my friends make it home safely"


Well, the sober one isn't always one to enjoy the party as much - alcohol loosens you up and enhances the experience and getting drunk is part of the partying scene - you don't have to get hammered or smashed because that takes the fun out of it, just enough to have fun...This may mean everyone getting a taxi or taking it in turns as to who is the designated driver. Me, I'm sober because I can't afford to get drunk (Meaning I buy one or two drinks and I'm spent ) But good thing with uni, is I'll have a student loan and a job - meaning I can party until I'm purple and study hard with a hangover the next morning. As personally, I'd rather be drunk and loosened up joining in with loads of fun, rather than trying to go crazy and mental with everyone.

Quote: "So many people I've known have been killed over the past year in drunk driving accidents, or by drunk drivers."


Bad/Careless drivers are one of my pet hates and that there is one reason why - if you're that worried about drink drivers - don't drink too much - so you have a clearer head to make judgements for your friends such as "don't drive" and call them a taxi. It's not nice hearing people's deaths - it's a similar situation in Cambridgeshire - a lot of young drivers are killed either by being drunk, by other drunk drivers or carelessness of drivers. Just make sure you and your friends are sensible - I mean you should worry or fear fatal accidents when you go to a party, it ruins it.

If you still don't want to drink, that's your choice, I'm just saying if you want to drink, you don't need to say no because you fear accidents on the road...But then how sensible are your friends? (I mean are they the kind to drive drunk? Well as Dazzag said, a Taxi is good, they don't cost much in the USA surely?)

I shot the sheriff
bitJericho
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Posted: 9th Sep 2007 01:22 Edited at: 9th Sep 2007 01:22
Quote: "If you still don't want to drink, that's your choice, I'm just saying if you want to drink, you don't need to say no because you fear accidents on the road...But then how sensible are your friends? (I mean are they the kind to drive drunk? Well as Dazzag said, a Taxi is good, they don't cost much in the USA surely?"


They're very expensive here, at least where I'm at. We're looking at 10-20 bucks a ride. Which may not seem like a lot I guess, but I wouldn't be able to afford that to go to work every day

That said, I don't drink and drive, walking home is no problem.

Dazzag
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Posted: 9th Sep 2007 01:23
Quote: "That said, I don't drink and drive, walking home is just as easy"
And don't forget at the end of the night there is beer skates. Get you back home in no time.

Cheers

I am 99% probably lying in bed right now... so don't blame me for crappy typing
Current fave quote : "She was like a candle in the wind.... unreliable...."
Seppuku Arts
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Posted: 9th Sep 2007 01:51
Quote: "We're looking at 10-20 bucks a ride. "


Blimey!...I thought £6 (about $10/11) from the Bus station to our house (3 miles) was expensive - Germany, it's cheap, 4 people, 60miles, 100euros. (25 per person) But $10-20 isn't bad when you're wasted out of your head on a party occasion and when you've probably spent 10x the amount on booze.

I shot the sheriff
Jeku
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Posted: 9th Sep 2007 02:09 Edited at: 9th Sep 2007 02:09
A taxi ride to the Beijing airport from my hotel--- about 45 minute drive, cost me 80 yuan which is about $10. In China taxis are very affordable

Megaton Cat
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Location: Toronto, Canada
Posted: 9th Sep 2007 06:33
Solution: Go drinking in China.

But seriously, why is it that every time some people hear "drinking at parties" they think getting plastered, alcohol poisoning, and vomiting in someones shoes? People need to relax, grab a beer, and watch less teen comedies.

Preston C
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Location: Penn State University Park
Posted: 9th Sep 2007 07:36 Edited at: 9th Sep 2007 07:53
It's generally beaten into high school students heads that that's what will happen to them when they drink. That they'll drink until that sort of stuff happens.

Now, a drink here or there is ok, it's nice grabbing one to relax with, but I don't make a habit of it. I won't be able to afford drinking during college either (my apartment and car insurance are making sure of that).

Although, taxis are fairly cheap around Hazelton. Only costs five dollars to make it anywhere in the city. But I'm not about to trust my friends to try for a taxi while drunk. They're sensible sober, but after a couple drinks they just get wacky. Before heading to college, I lived in what you could easily call the middle of nowhere. No bus system, no taxis, no nothing, so that wasn't an option.

The last reason I don't drink regularly is because of experiences around those that did, specifically my family, who has a history of snapping for no reason even after a couple drinks. Specifically those on my fathers side (who I take after the most).

Family history for those interested:


Oh, and I'm under twenty-one.

And my landlords a cop.

Pretty big stopper right there.



AMD Opteron 185 2.6 Ghz | 2 GB RAM | 8800 GTS 640MB | Vista Home Premium
Eric T
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Posted: 9th Sep 2007 07:50
Hey Megaton...

I'll be moving up to Toronto soon. I'm going to find, and then, ravage your body... WITH LOVE.

Dazzag
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Posted: 9th Sep 2007 08:26
Quote: "I'm not about to trust my friends to try for a taxi while drunk"
One day they are probably going to move away to other places and have to cope on their own you know... Plus no matter how drunk I've ever got I still have enough common sense not to do anything too stupid. You get a massively minority that may drink and drive, for example, and I've seen it, but they normally are people who don't deserve to add to the gene pool.

One time when I gave up alcohol for a year or two (shock and horror to some here I know...) I was designator driver boy. Especially as I had a company car/petrol, so it cost me nothing. I didn't mind as I normally control a conversion and am just as much of a laugh sober. But you get treated like a doormat after a while, plus drunk people are not so entertaining when you are not. When the topics start repeating after a couple of hours then it's time to go home. Which they don't like. So you end up listening to the same damn thing multiple times with decreasing amounts of hilarity for you. Drives a person to drink that does

Cheers

I am 99% probably lying in bed right now... so don't blame me for crappy typing
Current fave quote : "She was like a candle in the wind.... unreliable...."
Megaton Cat
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Posted: 10th Sep 2007 02:36
Quote: "I'll be moving up to Toronto soon. I'm going to find, and then, ravage your body... WITH LOVE."


I can feel the love already. Why you infesting my fair town anyway??

Peter H
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Posted: 10th Sep 2007 03:15
Quote: "Solution: Go drinking in China."

heh, actually, i think Russia beats them there.

When i was there public buses were about $0.50 or less a ride (per person), no matter how long you ride it (of course in your case you'd have to be sober enough to pick the right route).

actually i remember it being cheaper than that (like, $0.32) but i inflated it just in-case i was exaggerating... and of course it was in rubles not American dollars

One man, one lawnmower, plenty of angry groundhogs.
Jonny_S
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Posted: 10th Sep 2007 18:08
Quote: "Johnny_S, You either picked the wrong uni or course mate, 'tis probably a waste of money if you're not enjoying it - uni is supposed to be both hard work a fun - if you don't have fun then the hard work may end up for nothing - or at least you wouldn't have had the proper university experience.

Besides what makes it so bad?"


Oh its mainly just that I'm lazy :p.

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Kentaree
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Posted: 10th Sep 2007 20:07
Quote: "But seriously, why is it that every time some people hear "drinking at parties" they think getting plastered, alcohol poisoning, and vomiting in someones shoes? People need to relax, grab a beer, and watch less teen comedies."


Unfortunately, that's what it's like in my experience, copious amounts of alcohol, and people acting the maggot. Nevermind the effect is has on your wallet. Mind you, none of that stopped me at the time

Megaton Cat
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Posted: 11th Sep 2007 06:23 Edited at: 11th Sep 2007 06:30
I guess it depends on the crowd you hang with. I mostly drink now with work/gym folks. No one really shows up to work the next morning talking about how ol' Bob over there from the Auto Dept was taken to the hospital the other night to get his stomach pumped.

Though when you go with random 16 year olds from high school, someone always takes advantage of the anonymity to make an ass of themselves, and then be talked about in class the next day.

Though must admit I've never paid for beer...I usually just show up and it's there. So can't really agree with the wallet comment.
(At parties that is...not at bars)

Agent Dink
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Posted: 11th Sep 2007 07:00
Or, you can simply forget about drinking all together I simply don't understand the social aspect of it and why its "cool" and ugh...

No, I'm not saying this because it's been ground into my head from my parents and peers growing up. It's my own adult decision to see drinking as a pointless, potentially dangerous, waste of time.

Something I see get mentioned alot -

"it helps you loosen up at parties!" (or similar quotes)

Umm... never been to a party and not felt ready to have a good time before downing an alcoholic beverage or two.

ok, done ranting, I know it will fall on deaf ears anyhow.

Eric T
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Posted: 11th Sep 2007 07:10
Quote: "I can feel the love already. Why you infesting my fair town anyway??"


Random need for change?

I know quite a bit of people up in the area, and they've been begging me to try it out for at least 6 months, so I shall, at the end of this year.

Megaton Cat
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Posted: 11th Sep 2007 07:16 Edited at: 11th Sep 2007 07:18
Right on 'holmes. You got me on HeroineBook, so shoot a message when you do.

Agent Dink: Know what you mean Dink. Some people have had problems with alcohol, some simply haven't. It's a personal thing.

Fallout
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Posted: 11th Sep 2007 11:22
Quote: "And don't forget at the end of the night there is beer skates. Get you back home in no time."


I think I'm the only one who understands all this jargon Dazzag. It's wasted on everyone else. The rest of the TGC patrons are either too young, too innocent, or not British.

Beer skates, beer coat and beer goggles. All you need for an exciting night in the feezing winter and a quick journey home.


Dazzag
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Posted: 11th Sep 2007 14:08 Edited at: 11th Sep 2007 14:09
Yep, plus beer armour. I once jumped over a 3 foot wall in Anglesey to get to a new years eve party on the beach. Annoyingly it was about a 10 foot wall on the other side into a big thorny bush. Thankfully I was very very drunk. After regaining consciousness I found I was pretty cut up, but not in pain. Yay! Party on dudes (after relieving myself in the sea cos my back teeth were floating).

Ahhh. Aren't beer goggles great? Unfortuantly they don't do beer headphones though. I remember this fit as **** bird and I just honestly couldn't chat her up any more because her voice was like a foghorn. Ach. Heh, and beer coat? Yep. Many a nights as a kid I remember curling up in a field after we got lost from the pub (I lived in the sticks). Nice and warm no matter what time of the year

Stretching it slightly, but beer logic is also good. I remember on my 18th birthday celebrating with my girlfriend in the car after the nightclub (friends can stay on road, although you feel slightly guilty as it isn't your car.... I love cars....), then after we dropped her off my friends decided to kick me out. I remember talking to myself as I walked up this blind hill in the middle of nowhere, and basically convinced myself I was completely thinking straight ("Really, no you aren't!", "Yes I am".... etc) and to walk in the middle of the road just incase someone came over the hill in a car. I mean he would totally miss me right? Once my friends came back I managed to get a good solid punch to one of their faces as he frantically rolled up the window Good one that. Not so good when he admitted he had one of those "any moment now" brain anorysoms (sp?) a few months later. I was a bit drunk and said "What, like the bloke out of home and away?". I was asleep before he stopped crying. Sigh, I was a right git back in the day come to think of it. Practically a priest in comparison now... well not quite

Cheers

I am 99% probably lying in bed right now... so don't blame me for crappy typing
Current fave quote : "She was like a candle in the wind.... unreliable...."
Oolite
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Posted: 11th Sep 2007 23:10
Ahh, the good old beer coat, i'd be lost without it...or dead.


[Looking for work]
Seppuku Arts
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Location: Cambridgeshire, England
Posted: 18th Sep 2007 17:35 Edited at: 18th Sep 2007 17:37
Us English scum now start turning up to uni, I came to mine on the Sunday just gone - I've moved into halls and it kicks arse, my flat mates are pretty cool and we all get along just fine. Sunday night the streets of Derby were exclusive to the students to go out partying - we went as a group to check out the clubs (not much of a clubber myself, but it was all in the fun of it) had a few drinks and pushed through crowds of students. Went into Zanzibar, the big club they have there and bumped into a guy I had been talking to on the Student Union forums - I just kind of walked in, he noticed my Wacken t-shirt and said 'Dude you went to Wacken this year, it ruled!' - I yelled 'spiderschwein' and he yelled it back and at that point he asked me if I was the guy on the forum, which was a pretty cool situation.

In one of the clubs, one of our flat mates, Jamie got a bit drunk and thought pinching a girl's arse would be a good idea...she went mental on him, twas amusing to be a spectator I must admit, she didn't mind the rest of us, she just waved at us and said hi, we returned the gesture and she continued...strange girl.

I ended up spending £15 of the £80 that has to last me until my loan gets paid (which will also act as a little be extra cash while I look for a job) so I'm probably not going to go out partying for a couple of weeks, though I did find a bar for moshers in the town, so I may start going there.

Yesterday, we just enrolled and got our NUS cards and went to the welcome talks, we got our provisional time tables and this week's schedule. I later socialised with a class mate, who was another quite distinctive metaller and ended up having a drink with him and his flat mates. I also bumped into my friend from home, and also hung around with his flat mates, so getting to know people so far has been a walk in the park.

Today...pretty boring, I had nothing on my schedule today because the tutors were busy with returning students - I went to the uni with a flatmate just for the hell of doing something, he had to go to a lecture, so I toured the uni and after that it got very boring, I bumped into people I made friends with the day before, but in the end, I just headed back so I could find out how to get me laptop connected to the bloody internet.

So yeah, uni kicks butt at the moment, I hope any other first years on the forums are having a good time as well.

I shot the sheriff
SimSmall
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Posted: 18th Sep 2007 18:46
Being a second year-er as of tomorrow. Your first day sounds pretty similar to what I had, except I didn't have a friend deciding to pinch a girl's arse. Not a clever idea...

Your first year is genereally quite enjoyable until very late April... When the exams start. You get about one exam a week and then you get (depending when exams finish and re-enrolment starts) you get 18 weeks off...

18 weeks ... You always think the six week summer holiday from high school was ages, then you get one three times longer. What exactly do you do for 18 weeks? Well, the first week everyone else in my group was off (Presumably doing who knows what in Faliraki) I was having to prepare for a meeting with the British Computer Society about course accreditation... Six victims (two from each year) having to talk about the sort of stuff that's taught; pretty boring really... The 17 remaining weeks are filled by doing bugger all.

Then to the second year... I'm told it's pretty crap, relative to the first year, mostly because:
Half the people have dropped out.
The boring (but mandatory) module transforms into TWO boring (and still mandatory) modules
There's nothing really new to do... Anything/where to do/go, you've already done/been to.
And, your timetable's always worse

I'll discover if there's any truth to that tomorrow.
Dazzag
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Posted: 18th Sep 2007 18:59
Quote: "Today...pretty boring"
Dude, FAF week (we extended it to about a month at the time) is all about beer and bints! Not boring in the slightest. Just remember that around the 4th or 5th month a lecturer may start to get concerned...

Now go organise/join a pub crawl! Prefably a toga themed one. With birds that already have their back teeth floating.

Cheers

I am 99% probably lying in bed right now... so don't blame me for crappy typing
Current fave quote : "She was like a candle in the wind.... unreliable...."
Seppuku Arts
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Posted: 18th Sep 2007 22:47
Well today was boring because everybody except me had something to be getting on with, but tonight I'm heading straight down the pub and I might check out that Heavy Metal club tomorrow night, might be interesting...As for Toga? Well, if nobody minds me doing the improper use of my bed sheets then sure, but do I need to wear underwear...probably best actually, it's quite windy at the moment...

The only thing stopping me from going out too much and getting too wasted is money - perhaps I should have saved up a little bit more for all that.

Quote: "Your first year is genereally quite enjoyable until very late April... When the exams start. You get about one exam a week and then you get (depending when exams finish and re-enrolment starts) you get 18 weeks off...

18 weeks ... You always think the six week summer holiday from high school was ages, then you get one three times longer. What exactly do you do for 18 weeks? Well, the first week everyone else in my group was off (Presumably doing who knows what in Faliraki) I was having to prepare for a meeting with the British Computer Society about course accreditation... Six victims (two from each year) having to talk about the sort of stuff that's taught; pretty boring really... The 17 remaining weeks are filled by doing bugger all.

Then to the second year... I'm told it's pretty crap, relative to the first year, mostly because:
Half the people have dropped out.
The boring (but mandatory) module transforms into TWO boring (and still mandatory) modules
There's nothing really new to do... Anything/where to do/go, you've already done/been to.
And, your timetable's always worse

I'll discover if there's any truth to that tomorrow."


Tis good to hear about other people's experience of their first year - I'm sure the whole thing will have it's moments of boredom/stress, but make the most of those times and be optimistic is what I take to it - of course not to the extent where you're being unrealistic. As for exams, mine is entirely coursework based - so I'll be stressing over deadlines rather than cramming in revision, which is the way I prefer it because I prefer the idea of working my arse off and making changes on bits that don't sound right before handing in as opposed to working my arse off and finding something incohesive when it's too late.

If you've heard your second year is pretty crap, I wouldn't take any notice of it because you'll probably find otherwise - going in there with somebody elses conviction in your head is going to make you speculate on the 'crap' bits of the course, I thought 'Oh my god I'm crap at maths, graphs and all that lot' when doing AS Psychology and I got an E on the research methods section.

I shot the sheriff
Megaton Cat
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Posted: 18th Sep 2007 22:56 Edited at: 18th Sep 2007 23:53
I'm probably the one exception here. I didn't really party much...in fact hadn't even had a single drink since I started school! Haha. Just been busy with friends/gf, work, and training. Pretty sad.

edit: Ok the drink thing is a lie, but I mean I hadn't gotten drunk since I started school.

Seppuku Arts
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Posted: 18th Sep 2007 23:09
Indeed, I was beginning to feel like I'm the lightweight, but thank you for that Megaton But go out and have a party or something when you get time - I've just sat here watching Family Guy with someone else - I've barely heard any noise or of any parties - there was a 'beach party' at Zanzibar last night (though it's Derby and we're a long way from a beach) I was given a ticket, but I didn't want to go as I want to go to a proper party where I can enjoy myself as myself, not sitting at a bar with dance music booming and taking down shots of vodka. It was good for the first night because it lightens you up and gets you to go out the and socialise with everybody and gives you a good night out. However I felt Zanzibar would be an expensive place to go regularly.

So I tomorrow afternoon I might look for some venues that interest me, as I think I said, I already found a heavy metal club, so I might meet some cool people there.

I shot the sheriff
Megaton Cat
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Posted: 18th Sep 2007 23:50 Edited at: 18th Sep 2007 23:52
I guess I don't really even know the definition of "partying" in college? I mean, traditionally in teen movies, you'd see a dorm house or campus, loud music, beer everywhere, and dancing girls. Our college is kinda in the downtown office area, there's no campus or dorms, just a few large buildings. No one really runs up and says "Hey party at Bob's tonight" as Bob either lives somewhere in the nearby suburbs out of town, or rents a small room in the city.

We go down to the bar with the hangout group from college, does that count as partying? I dunno, I feel fine doing what I am now. Not really looking to pick up any chicks, which is what most partys are for, and I got the social circles I need, so I guess I'll just go to school...hehe...

Any free time I get from anything else, I spend down at the gym working on my MMA skillz.

Seppuku Arts
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Posted: 19th Sep 2007 02:04
Hehe, well you do what you wanna do and don't fall under peer pressure because everybody is partying - I mean I'm not a party dude myself, but if theres something there to do, I'll do it as long as I enjoy myself. As for our uni, it's sort of like you described as the movies, except that all happens at the non-silent dorms/halls, I'm living in the designated 'quiet' ones, though not very lively during Freshers, I'll come to appreciate it when I actually start studying and well, I didn't mind an evening sitting down watching videos on youtube ('tis better than watching TV because then we don't have to pay for a TV liscence), so really in the end we didn't actually go down the pub.

As for the hang out group, if it makes you feel special then it's partying. That's basically what I didn't yesterday afternoon, probably one of the best ways to be social and to get to know people - I mean you try getting to know someone in a club where the music is louder than your voice. But still, I'm going to party whilst I can afford it and whilst I am free as the proper lessons start Monday for us.

I shot the sheriff
Jeku
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Posted: 19th Sep 2007 02:04
@Aikicat - That's how it was here too. I think that's just an American thing-- the whole fraternity sorority atmosphere. At my uni it was just a few buildings and the students more or less left as soon as classes ended.

DrewG
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Posted: 19th Sep 2007 02:42
Quote: "I think that's just an American thing-- the whole fraternity sorority atmosphere."


Not to be sarcastic or anything, but I like stereo typing sometimes. And that basically does define most schools here the US.!
Uncle Sam
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Posted: 19th Sep 2007 02:57
I'm with Dink on this one.

Megaton Cat
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Posted: 19th Sep 2007 04:56
Quote: "Hehe, well you do what you wanna do and don't fall under peer pressure because everybody is partying"


I think if peer pressure is still an "issue" by uni, then you've been doing something wrong through highschool.

I didn't say I refuse to fall under peer pressure because everyone is partying...NO ONE IS PARTYING. We're in a city. People are going about their business. As Jake said, after the lectures/classes people just kinda hop on the subway and go do their own thing. You basically only see your follow college people unless the group personally chooses to hang outside of school. (like we do)

I don't really hang in a group to feel special. I'm a diabolically social person, but think about it: You might as well get to know a close social circle real well, really on them to kill time with you in-between classes, help with homework, and just chat. Getting to know new people is good, but in the end there's always that one group of people.

Will probably get plastered sooner or later...it'll just be outside of school, at some friends backyard. I guess American Pie lied to me about what post-secondary education would be like.

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Posted: 19th Sep 2007 08:52
Quote: "I guess American Pie lied to me about what post-secondary education would be like. "


American Pie lied to me about what high school was like too. Although I graduated a year before it came out in theatres, I don't remember high school being anything like that

Dazzag
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Posted: 19th Sep 2007 08:55
Quote: "If you've heard your second year is pretty crap"
I can hardly remember the 2nd year. Comparitively speaking I was like a model student in the 1st year. Turned up to at least 50% of the lectures and everything. After that they kicked out the crap people and basically said it was impossible to fail after this. Wey Hey! 24/7 party time. And money? Meh, you will earn loads of that once you get out of college. Not as if you are doing a degree in Arts or somesuch

Cheers

I am 99% probably lying in bed right now... so don't blame me for crappy typing
Current fave quote : "She was like a candle in the wind.... unreliable...."

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