So, what's been happening....

Wednesday came and went alright, except that I had a sore stomach, got woken up twice, and kept up until 3am 'cause of people making noise. Rarrrgh! So I got up asap and went home. It felt really nice to be back and I spent Wed to today there. Doing nothing, and enjoying it.

There was a big panic about my bank account on Thursday morning and we hot footed it to the bank, but I had only forgotton about a transaction I made, which threw it all out of whack. Oops... :s

I've got an article in the uni mag already. The deadline was Wednesday there, so with only a day to go I put forward my review of work experience I did at a tv channel.

It turns out the only person to go to the union yesterday was Stewart - everyone else went home early! Ah well then, I didn't miss out much. What a bunch of party animals we are!

Can you believe Lianne has a presentation to make for class - already! I so can't be arsed with essays and shit, but it has been alright - fun even - brushing up on my french. Oh, and I thought I was going paranoid when my cheese block seemed too big, but I was perfectly sane. Stewart used mine and bought a replacement!

So today, I got back to uni and did a few 'campus errands' which included dropping into the uni mag's office, checking my subject year timetable and notice board, checking out books/prices, collecting mail.

I got cards from Mum and Dad, and Christina (my best mate), and a letter from the accommodation people who need a passport photo! That's as well as the NUS card people too. Rar.

I had lunch in the refectory where there was also a print/poster sale. I couldn't resist and spent a fiver on a Monet and a Dali print. They're so pretty. The Monet is a sunset over the water and the Dali is a rose hovering in mid air.

I've been listening to new music as I took 4 CDs to review. I also listened to them on my shiny new speakers that arrived this morning!

I'm all shivery tonight, even though I have my black cardi on, radiator up full, window closed and been snuggled up in bed for half an hour or more. Hope this tiredness/shiveryness is pms related. Although, a girl exited our flat coughing and managed to breathe in my face. I say 'a girl', as she was visiting Stewart with some others and I don't know her name. And also, the spy hole needs fixed.

So now I have my timetable through, I'm planning Monday already:

12-1 Yoga
2-3 French
9pm Disco

I'm so busy now. You need unending energy for this lark.

x.

Hang on a minute, I've just realised I dived straight in with this blog, without a proper introduction or really establishing what it's about.

My name, for the purposes of the blog, is Student A. I want to write this like I write to my own diary, so it'll be honest, and my parents being clever computer literate folk, I wouldn't want them reading about all my exploits (which may or may not get racy/thrilling/gobsmacking). So that's why I have my superhero type alias, and also why I don't mention the location or name of the uni. Also, from the start, I took the decision to swap in the names of my flatmates for similar but different names! I was rabbiting on to Rach about how I'd started this blog, and she casually, but somewhat seriously, asked me what I was writing about her. So for the sake of people who might know them, and I'll be writing about all of our collective exploits, I don't want them getting in trouble 'cause I named and shamed them. If they want to write a blog of their own under their own id they can, not my place to.

I'm 18, and have gone straight to uni from school. My course is in the arts faculty, and covers plenty of film, tv, broadcasting, advertising, marketing etc. I'm an only child. My parents are still together and happily married, and have been so for 24 years. I'm currently single. A few hormonal encounters (which turned into sagas of their own) during high school have led me to the decision that uni is for me, my time to experience things, learn, discover a bit more about who I am. Uni is not going to be several years revolving around wanker boys.

I have a sneaking suspicion that first year is going to be the best in terms of free time to soak up the uni life. The coursework won't be too hard yet, and none of it goes towards Honours. Yes, I want to do well and keep my grades up, but I want to make the most of uni before the hard work really kicks in. So I will go to the campus gym, I'll drink in the union, I'll write for the uni mag, I'll go shopping, hang out with my friends, and generally stride around fully confident in the knowledge that I am now a student. And I'm going to make the best of it.

My usual lovely long night of sleep was interrupted by door banging, phone ringing and noise. Most curiously, a sort of rhythmic banging... weird...

Anyway, this morning it was time for introductory talks about the course, I'm leaning towards french instead of history as one of my options. No formal exam, less formal lectures, and less of a workload. Seems logical to me. Will think it over though.

I finally got my matric card sorted, after returning for the third time! So much to-ing and fro-ing. Ridiculous.

If I'm reading the signs correctly, and maybe I'm not, Russ is making little moves on me... Ach, I don't know! When I was washing dishes he came right close at my neck, and it's just little things like sticking his tongue out only at me. Now, I'll say that him and I sparked it off a bit at first, just laughing and talking more, and maybe I kinda like him... but I'm not sure. I mean, all fancying someone is, is the mystery of someone new. I wouldn't say sparks flew, but I find myself flirting a bit back. Trying to stop myself though. Men always get to me.

And in World News... the UN have gone into Burma, which is good. But Burma is apparantly transporting Buddhists from its main city to prisons in the North of the country. Help may be in town, but the anti-democrats just keep on stamping out freedom. Makes me a bit angry actually.

x.

Atonement

I know it's a bit late in the day, but seeing as the film just climbed up a place in the box office back to Number 2, I thought I'd put up my thoughts. Not a review in the strictest sense, but my various views of it nonetheless! (Spoilers)

The book of Atonment had me very emotionally involved almost all the way through, the film less so, but it was still devastating and emotional in many places. Any more distressing and I don't know if I could have handled it, so probably best. It was a lean adaptation and the relatively smaller budget showed in the ware scenes - no big German bombers, just their reflection in a stream. The Dunkirk setpiece was devastating however. It was so horrific, and that's only the filmic representation. The reality must have been... like hell on earth.

James McAvoy is amazing. He was the main man of the film for me; brilliant throughout. So intense, so able to convey emotion honestly. It feels real when he does it. For the first time, I can honestly say, Keira Knightley was good. There were a few moments when I felt her slipping into bad habits, the beginning of a pout, or posturing, but she was pulled back on the brink. She also wasn't in a lot of it, so that maybe helped. That absence however, and Robbie's too once it all switched to Briony at 18, made me feel... like I was yearning for an identifiable lead. Cee and Robbie are the romantic leads, but it's Briony's actions and her point of view for a large portion of the film. In any case, as a viewer, I got very upset. Upset beacue I was cheated out of a happy ending, for such horrible things happening to good people, for the waste, death and sacrifice of war. Why can't there be peace?

Can't believe it's the 29 September already! It's going to be October soon, and then we're on a roll towards Christmas.

But first - today I met up with Heather! Totally impromptu meet up. She was on telly this morning as her friend won a competition to be in the crowd at a gig. I texted to say I saw her, asked if she wanted to meet up, she suggested this aft, and I said yeh! I decided I had to get off my ass and get out the flat. Re-join a non-student civilisation again! Anyway, it was really cool to chat as we had so much to catch up on. Half way though coffee (neither of us drink it, but it's what you say), she spotted Louis with his mates in a passing car and stopped them! (she knows him from school, he was in my local theatre group). So he popped in for a chat. It was cool to see him again, nice bloke. I texted him twice tonight :S Once to say it was cool to meet, but then Dad told me he could tutor Louis for his engineering resits, so that was the second text. No reply yet... oh well!

I just put on an old 'Now' compilation, Now 38 from 1997. It has a Trainspotting song on it, which is funny 'cause the "fucks" are bleeped out, hehe.

x.

Last night, Rich fell over a snooker table. Don't ask me how, I've no idea. All I know is that he managed to fall over it. It was like some weird slo-mo stunt, but very funny at the time. Sank a few vodkas, but quite well behaved I thought. Got back around 2am. So I was quite ready for a looong lie in. But when I got in, Stewart was having a mini party in his own room.

His dance music was the last thing I heard going to sleep, and about the first thing I heard waking up. I think he has got it quieter but that awful "thud" beat of the music still manages to resonate through two rooms and still reach mine!

I feel sorry for Lianne, she's right next it! So I'm kinda tired this morning, but ok otherwise.

Dad came over last night with more provisions, bed linen and some food. I've taken a note of the building payphone number so no more mobile calls. Them things are evil. See how long that lasts...

So, registration Monday. People have been nipping out for it all day, but man I wish I had a t.v. to while away the hours...

I think Russ was playing Coldplay and Idlewild before Stewart's dance monstrosities, and that was cool. Sleepy, relaxing music.

Rach, Stewart and I hung out together last night though and he seems a nice bloke.

Outwith the world of student-ism, I'm feeling really unsettled by what's going on in Burma. The trouble is, it feels like it's all happening so far away, and in an environment so alien to ours, that it's hard to connect with it, to appreciate how truly horrific it is. From what I've seen and read, Buddhists must be the most peaceful religion I've heard of. They're peacefully protesting against a brutal, militant regime (which I admire them hugely for), and it was working. They were doing something, changing history, and then the military got too scared and decided it had to act. Shooting and killing not just protestors, but neutral news reporters too. It's horrifying and shocking, but what can one do? I'm at uni, doing my own thing. What can I do? The ironic thing is that people are saying the UK has to intervene and stop the madness, but the last time the UK intervened in a brutal regime (Iraq) it all went completed tits up and was quite possibly the worst foreign policy disaster in our lifetimes. Given our track record... I'm not sure the UK storming in is going to work. On Question Time last night someone was saying we should boycott the next Olympics, because China is connected with Burma, and under the threat of losing face over the sporting event, they would do something about the situation. China and the Olympics is another question altogether. Because then you're looking at the way they treat their native Buddhists and Tibet. It's a complete quagmire. Who'd get involved in politics eh.

x.

Things picked up a little last night with two new arrivals. A guy on my course from Ireland, and a girl called Rachel. Rich... Ritchie (?) asked if I'd like to go out with him and some friends. I declined (like I said, wasn't in the mood, wanted to chill), but failed to say thanks for the offer, oops. Us three girls had a chat last night, a chat which played host to many silences... We got on okay though.

I failed to cook boil in the bag rice :-( Didn't put in enough water - no measuring jug - and then forgot to let it simmer... Had soup in the end.

My room was fairly chilly even with the heating up full, but I got off to sleep and had a good night.

This morning I woke up at about 9.30am and after a shower went to the gym. I kind of skimped on my workout... There were no instructors to be seen and I didn't want to damage myself or anything! I ended up doing:

5 min on bike
stretches
5 min row
8 min bike
cool down stretches
2 arm resistance machines.

I think I'll need to go over some things and slowly build up to it.

I then went shopping and spent £18, when at most I thought it would be £13. I'm just not good at estimating the costs of things. I bought food but also flowers to brighten up the kitchen. No vase though so a discarded Evian bottle has had to do.

Mum phoned me just there and I'm going to meet them on Tuesday to stock up.

So that's Day Two, but it's not quite over yet. The union is still quiet, but the town's bars are not. The guys are probs heading out again, so there may be some boogying to be had.

x.

I might as well be in solitary confinement. The only other girl I've seen in the flat is away just now and all the provisions seem to be for 3 people...

And I found out from Lianne's (that one girl) mum, that the security guard said not all flats were full. Three people, one not arrived yet, and I can't cross my blinking legs under the desk because of a slide out tray thingy.

I went shopping to cure boredom, spending £88. oops. I bought a watch, which I feel okay about, because it's my school exam results gift. I bought a bg, which is okay too because I need a new one for uni. Then I bought two completely unnecessary items... an "Elle" bag, smallish, black, that I kinda fell in love with. And the most unnecessary - a hat. A black angular one (a trilby?), like the one Liv Tyler wore in those Givenchy ads. It does suit me I think, but I didn't need it.

I've realised I have no orange juice or biscuits, or crisps. Rah. I did buy cold meat though.

It felt quite anticlimactic this morning but when we were approaching in the car I got more nervy. It's going to be so lonely tonight. No t.v., no radio, - and shit! I forgot about the adaptor for my cd player, gah (I'm a bit anti-new technology. I actually don't mind cds, and like my big clunky cd player).

The union, refectory, library and shop aren't open yet. Hm. No fun n games yet. At this rate I'll be home tomorrow. I'm actually going to have to cook tonight. I've really taken for granted what mum & dad do for me, 'cause no I'm on my own and it's crappy...

Tomorrow I can go to the gym, can't be bothered now, tis nearly 7 o'clock.

I don't really want to party the night away, but I'd like to chill with some new people. I could go through the welcome pack again. The uni magazine looks quite groovy. Much better than its repuation would have you believe.

x.

University is about to start, and I'm absolutely determined, after a life of dull, boring, work work work in my village school, to bloomin' well make the most of this. And in order to enable such a change in lifestyle completely, I'm moving out of home. I'm heading into halls baby. So today I've been packing more. Getting slightly more scared in the process too. Kinda shitting it; I'm actually going!!! I've hopefully not packed too much. Got a few local errands to do tomorrow, yawn. Also sold three things online - will net me £4. Hey - it's something!

You know, the more I think about this... Yes, I want, no, need, to move away and experience this kind of living for myself. And the party scene here really isn't much to talk about, and I bet in comparison to everyone else I'm a really humdrum partier. So, you know - Shit - I'm moving tomorrow!!! Crikey. Well, I think I'm as ready as I'll ever be. It'll only settle in once I'm there.

I remember, the night before my first day at high school I nearly retched through nerves. Thankfully it's not so tonight. I think it actually helps in a way that I've not seen it... I don't know, maybe because if I haven't seen the location at all, I can't impose any scenarios in it.

Anyway, night for now.

x.