Last Day In Halls Today!

You can really only live like this for a short amount of time… (1)

So it’s finally arrived. My last ever day in university halls. It’s been an experience and a half. However I think it’s about time that we moved onwards and upwards, into a real live house. A house with a dishwasher, no less. It’s one of those things that don’t appear to be terribly important, however living without one for a year really increases your appreciation of such a magical, practical object.

It’s a little bit strange though, to think I’m moving out of my flat. I mean, I can’t wait. I’m just so excited. The last couple of days have been just, well, perfect, despite the looming presence of my last exam. However, the sun’s been shining, and the weather has been warm, and so the desire to go to the beach simply outweighed any desire to stay at home, reading books. Helpfully, my last exam is my favourite module, and so I think it’s all going to be just lovely.

It’s been strange because its only in the last two or three days that I’ve finally fallen in love with where I am. The climate is lovely (except during the winter), and it’s just beautifully quaint, and fantastic. I haven’t fallen in love with it, all year. In fact, I’ve been wondering if I went to the right place for university; did I make the right decision? Ironically, I only decided that I have, about three days ago. But now first year is over, with the exception of one two-hour exam, and then I’m up, and out, back home, and before I know it, It’ll be moving into a brand new, wonderful, and lovely house. I cannot believe how lucky I feel today.

I’ve finished packing now, up to and including doing all my washing, and cardboard wrapping my external laptop monitor. It’s a very odd feeling to know I’m not ever coming back to this flat again, after tomorrow morning. It’s a feeling of almost being displaced. Because that’s what this whole year has felt like; the moving back and forth has been something of a struggle to me, in places. I think it’s been a learning curve too. The most important element however, has been to never, ever, try to pack more than you can lift onto a train. That is perhaps the most important lesson I’ve learnt this year. Packing light is really the only way to travel, if you’re a cheap skate student, and get the cheapest train tickets, and subsequently have to get four different trains. No one wants to be shifting heavy suitcases up and down train staircases. Nobody.

Anyway, I have to go to the beach again now. It’s just too beautiful to stay indoors, as much as I do love the blogosphere.

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(1) http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Education/Pix/pictures/2012/4/16/1334574443353/Filthy-student-kitchen–008.jpg

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http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Education/Pix/pictures/2012/4/16/1334574443353/Filthy-student-kitchen–008.jpg

Since When Are Student Houses Idyllic Cottages?

However, no matter how nice my cottage is, it's nowhere near as cool as living at Hogwarts... (1)

I have a new house! Which seems a rather random declaration to make, but it’s true; instead of a grotty old flat, I’ve acquired, along with three of my friends, a three bedroom cottage, which is ideally placed in the middle of everything I need to be near. It was the closest I’ve ever come to believing in an intervention in fate; the cherry on top of the house being the fact the landlord is willing to buy new appliances, in colours of our choice (within reason of course). I spent about an hour picking out matching kettles and toasters, as well as pretty pink sofas.

I’ve never really had a house of my own before, and so I’m incredibly excited about the decorating. I like buying things for houses, and I have a sugarplum fairy shaped house planned out in my head. The paint can all be of our choice, as long as it remains in pastel shades; pale pink and purple. We’ve decided we’re going to grow flowers, in window boxes (because it’s a cottage, they’re already installed), and we have a two level back garden, with adorable little steps going up to the top. We’re currently entertaining some rather grand notions about what we’d like to do with the garden; this includes growing our own vegetables, to having barbecues.

This cottage seems to have improved my mood considerably, probably because I like the idea of being able to move into a house and not having to move out again, after a year. We’ll be able to live in our sugarplum cottage until we graduate, which is certainly an advantage to sharing with a smaller group of people; there’s less likely to be huge upheavals in the house, and because we’re all like-minded, we’re unlikely to seriously argue. I feel extremely lucky to have found some people with whom I feel comfortable sharing with for two years, at least.

Anyway, I only have one seminar left now, until the end of term, and revision commences. There will be a couple of revision lectures, however nothing strenuous, and until the end of May, it’ll just be cups of tea, books, and myself. It’s about five solid weeks of work, revision, and exams, but then the summer will arrive, and I’ll be back home with my Mum, Dad, sister and my friends for four whole months. There’ll be a week when I have to come back, to move and decorate my house, but aside from that, it’s back to work and home, just as if I’ve never been away.

I’d love to know how everybody else found their student houses; were they nice, could you decorate, or were they stereotypical student houses, renowned for mould, damp, and leaking pipes? I find housing experiences distinctly fascinating, because they seem to help shape a person’s university experiences. Living somewhere habitable and lovely improves your mindset immeasurably, making you a happier student, and therefore much more likely to get your work done. Sitting amongst moldy, cold houses, is a recipe for disaster.

I’m just feeling incredibly lucky today.

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(1) http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lyj226l9nf1r5ap1go1_500.jpg

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