What a day! It’s been fun, it’s been scary, it’s been simply confusing at times, yes, that’s right – it’s the first day of O week. I don’t really know what to say – I think I’m stunned like a mullet (the fish that is, not the hairdo). I’ll try and give you a comprehensive rundown of the day (or, given the state I’m in, perhaps the best you can hope for is a comprehensible run down!) but if I fail, please don’t lynch me.
Where to begin? I guess the beginning…that’d make sense. Well, arrival 9:45. Meet up with friends, check out the main quad and enter the Great Hall for the official welcome. Not that the Great Hall was that great, at least in stature, more a sort of “large hall”. Nevertheless, I was very impressed by the performance. Even the Chancellor (who I’m told isn’t really a person, just a puppet taken out of the closet for special occasions) spoke well, and the burr of the Vice-Chancellor’s thick Scottish accent just made the whole thing worthwhile. Following that, it was a quick stroll across the quad to my friends in the Nicholson (once again, check it out! The lengths to which they went were incredible. If putting your hand in a suspect pot of sand, or girls in togas and rollerskates is your thing, this truly is the place for you). Then, it was off to the highlight of the day – the stalls.
I really must say, if you think that Sydney Uni couldn’t possibly accommodate to your unusual tastes or bizarre outlook on life, you’re wrong. Never before have I seen such a myriad of clubs and societies. From the Armenian Students Association, right down to Honi Soit and the Interfaith Dialogue Group, Sydney Uni REALLY has it all. Not only that, but you get crammed with free food, music, and above all, a ferris wheel. After that, where did the day go? I’m not really sure. It was just a whirlwind of signing up (can I suggest you take a fair wad of cash with you. I made the mistake of assuming registration would be FREE. Silly me!), meeting people, seeing old friends, and getting ready for the terrifying prospect of actually having to use my brain again!
If this column does anything for you, I hope it imparts a little bit of useful advice, and one of the best bits I picked up today, from an old friend now in 2nd year was: don’t expect everything to happen straight away. That only leads to disappointment. Work your way into things nice and gently. Get involved in the clubs and societies, take opportunities when they arise, and above all, when someone says hi, stick out your hand and say hi back. That apparently, (I wouldn’t doubt the word of a man of his calibre) is what will give you the power to make friends and influence people. Anyway guys and dolls, I have a date with my timetable, relishing the fact that I only have to come in four days a week! Until I speak to you next time, good luck, God speed, and I wish you all the best!