What My First Year At University Taught Me

Because everyone needs that one awkward shot that will be sent to all the relatives.

296 days ago my Dad and I drove into the tiny city of Grahamstown - the place I would call home for the next few years. I remember as we got closer and closer my heart started beating faster and my tummy started aching, full of nervous butterflies. Was I sure I wanted to do this? Couldn't we just turn around and go back to the life I knew, the life I was familiar with and the life that I was good at?

We drove around campus trying to find the place called Eden Grove. I needed to register, find out where I was living and officially begin my first year as a University student. I remember how strange and unfamiliar everything was to me. It was all so new.

This was the day that I had been looking forward to for about a year. I couldn't sleep very well at all for the month building up to this day simply because I was too excited - I couldn't shut my mind off. I would lie in bed and just imagine what life would be like. I was excited to make new friends, to not have to wear a uniform everyday, to be able to develop into my own person, and yes, to be surrounded by the opposite sex after being at an all-girls school for the last six years. The idea of getting a fresh start was amazing to me and I couldn't wait to begin this adventure.

And now the first year of this great big adventure is over. I have survived a year. I have had some of the best times and I've also had some really, really shitty moments. I have learned more than I could have ever imagined.

If the current Shannon could tell the about to start Varsity Shannon a few things, here is what she would say...

You will walk. You will walk a lot. Those pretty little sandals you packed at the beginning of the year? Yip, you're going to go through 3 pairs of those in your first term. You won't be able to afford to buy your fourth pair and so you'll settle for a pair of those R15 flip flops from Mr Price. Ironically those babies will last you a life time.

Speaking of shoes - they aren't necessary. It could just be a Rhodes thing, but apparently it's cool to walk around barefoot. Everyone does it. In fact during the Dean of Student's speech at Orientation you will hear her say "Shoes aren't compulsory, but we appreciate them. The same goes for pants."  At the end of the day your soles will be as black as a starless night and you won't even want to know what that black grime consists of, but who cares? You were a cool kid for the day so the black soles are worth it. You will try this whole barefoot thing for a few days, because you know, everyone does it. You will hate it and return to your trusty R15 Mr Price flip flops. Your soles are grateful for this.

The ridiculous drama doesn't end in High School. The majority of the people you befriend will completely skrew you over. Leave them, they're not even worth it. Making genuine friends is a lot more difficult than thought it would be but that's ok, don't lower your standards or lose who you are for someone else.

You don't really need that iron you bought. In fact, you're only going to use it once.

Mojo Jam Jars are dangerous to you. Don't offer to finish your friend's when she says she's had enough, the hangover will not be worth it.

You're going to laugh. A lot. You're going to make the most amazing memories and chatting about the nights out or the time you awkwardly offered the Dean some of your salt and vinegar chips at Tri-Var is going to bring tear of joy to your eyes.

You're really bad at crossing the road. You're going to almost be hit by cars on numerous occassions. It's ok, you're still alive. Just look both ways like your parents told you constantly.

You're stronger than you think. You're going to stay true to what you believe in. You're going to stick to your morals and values and you're going to think at times that you can't cope, but you do and you're allowed to be proud of yourself.

You were already you. You went into Varisty thinking this was one great oppouritnity to recreacte yourself. You could be anything you wanted to be. You could be the hippie that spends her life sitting on the Drama department steps ignoring the fact that there are probably about 3 different spiecies of lice living in her dreads or you could be the activist and join every society under the sun, you could become anything, really. But what you'll learn is that you didn't need to recreate yourself. You are you and you have always known who you are and you accept this. You are happy with the person you are.

Hand-washing powder does not do well in the automatic washing machine. You thought doing your own laundry would be worse than it turned out to be and you actually don't mind doing it. However, after a year of trying, you still have no idea how to fold a fitted sheet.

What you consider to be normal is not necessarily everyone else's version of normal. You're going to meet people from all different walks of life. Your patience is going to be tested by some of them but you'll walk away from this year being more tolerant of different people and I believe that's a really good thing.

The feeling of not being grown up enough will haunt you. You're going to have all this independence and at times you're going to think that you should be doing better than you are. When you feel like this, just remember that you're only 19. No one is expecting you to have it all figured out already. The only way you're truly going to learn is by stuffing up.

The boys are overrated. Most of them don't shower and their toe nails are too long. You're also going to learn that when getting to know a guy you're interested in at Rhodes, your first problem isn't whether he's single or not, it's actually whether he's straight or not. Don't worry, by the end of the year no one will remember the time you boldly hit on that gay guy thinking he was straight as an arrow.

You're going to be overwhelmed. You're new here. New people, new subjects, new home, new town, new everything. You haven't been new at something in a long time. You knew your place in school. You were good at school. You were established and safe and it you were old hat at it back then. This whole Varsity thing? You're new at it. Remember, you were once new at school, it wasn't always so perfect. The same goes for being in Varsity. You're new now, but one day you won't be. You'll survive.

Those are just some of the things you've learned in 296 days, imagine this time next year...