Plugged Into Uni
Reflecting on uni web-life.
(GBR) A month has gone by and I'm suddenly a different person. I've thrown myself whole-heartedly into university and straight into Freshers' Week—a week of partying, dancing, drinking, socialising, not remembering people's names and more dancing. It's a scary prospect to leave the comforts of home and study at university. I didn't realise how good I had it until my parents actually drove off and I was there, all alone. No-one to do my cooking, cleaning, washing or ironing. No-one to tidy after me! I'm my own person now and THAT is something to be afraid of.
I've said goodbye to all my friends, my boyfriend, my home, my school and everything that I've known to start a different life. It’s been a big jump. Everyone was so depressed in my hall to find that there are no wireless facilities (however, I've managed to pick up a signal in my room… yes!) and scrambled to the bar downstairs where there is wi-fi, adding new friends and next door neighbours on Facebook, exchanging emails and phone numbers. It makes me wonder how people coped 'back in the day'—socialising has becoming so easy and accessible for most people but a few decades ago (not that I was alive) there was no Internet, no mobile phones, no Facebook (thinking about it makes me feel ill). They had carrier pigeons (haha) and messengers on horseback (of course I know that's a long time ago!), but seriously, how did they cope?! I've asked a few friends I've made here to talk about what a world without checking inbox's and broadcasting your face to millions would be like.
It sounds like a world I don't want to live in. It would be boring because there'd be nothing to do! Procrastination is key and it's something to distract me from the stresses of the real world.
Naomi, 18 (roommate!)
I think I would cope fine because it's only there to waste time and you'd probably find something else to waste your time on. I'd much rather we didn't have technology because I'd have better, more intellectual things to do, like reading books.
Jess, 18 (course buddy)
I think it would be particularly difficult for me, living so far away. Because the only way I can keep in contact (I live in the States) is through email and by phone. It makes life a lot more easier having these things to use. However, it does stress me out a lot because when you email a friend, and they don't respond immediately you start to think, 'What am I missing out on? What's so exciting back at home that they can't back to me?'
Rosamunde, 17 (two doors down)
However conflicting some of these views may be, we've just been sitting here for a few hours or so, replying to emails, uploading photographs from the night before and writing comments on friend's walls. Even though we may say that we could deal without many of these things, we would obviously rather not go without. I would even go so far as saying that the Internet and everything that comes with it has become saviour. Geek? Me? Never.
