Semester Two Begins
As soon as all that Carpal Tunnel Syndrome fades, a new semester at Sydney University has arrived and it brings about many things you'd expect from university return. It's really more like a theme park on the first few days because nothing seems real and serious yet.
Rides
Theme park indeed. There are rides! My least favourite ride is called "The Co-op Bookshop". Oh its rhyming title may make you believe there'll be fun and excitement but it's actually a preview of Hell. At "The Co-op Bookshop", experience the thrill of walking forward 80cm every 5 minutes in this giant human maze. The line is brutally long.
It's like a rollercoaster. That's slow, has no carriages, is always on the ground, and is foot powered. But the exciting 90 degree turns are there as you careen around bookshelves at mind-numbing speeds.
Clowns
There are clowns too! Except they don't dress up or entertain, instead they hand you advertisements for used bookshops! They attack you from all angles DEMANDING if you'd like to save money on textbooks. I got this many pamphlets in just 1 day. I know where i'll be buying my textbooks from this year.
Ghost House
You know it isn't officially uni yet when there aren't people battling it out for a seat in the library. During exam period, students camp outside the library in tents made of shattered weekend plans and stress ulcers. Today it was scarily empty and if you listen carefully enough, you can here the faint sobs of students past.
Excited Crowds
Then there are the lectures. Everyone's all motivated and buzzing but more importantly, they're actually attending. As the weeks go by, the numbers get smaller and smaller until there are just two "International fee paying students" left. Okay that's not the case for every subject but last year for English 1000, on the first day it was jam packed. Seriously, you couldn't stroke a "t" without elbowing someone in the face. By the last week, there were about 20 people there. Even the lecturer thought it was hilarious.
The theme park vibe usually fades by week 2.