Time really flies. I'm currently spending the last few days of my first year of uni in UK. I have to say that my time here has exceeded expectations. I do still regret not sticking to my resolve to study in University of Bath instead of Warwick but I have really enjoyed my time at Warwick. I have met so many amazing people and done so many things that I would never have been able to do anywhere else.
The highlight of the year has to be my time playing in The Victor's Jig. This was the first time I've done this sort of thing and it was an amazing experience. Coming in second in Battle of the Bands was a huge plus. I did not think we had a chance after seeing the other bands perform but we pulled through. The semi final performance was lackluster and riddled with technical issues. Such a shame. Then in Term 3 we played 2 gigs including a big one at Kasbah. The gig at Kasbah just came together on so many levels and it's safe to say that we went out with a bang. Lead singer and current lead guitarist will be graduating this year, so we're disbanding and going our separate ways. It's such a shame. I feel that, as a band, we still have more to offer. I guess nothing lasts forever. Met great people and made good friends. This band has been good to me.
Glee was pretty unexpected. I honestly did not know what I was getting into when I signed up for it. I read about it online before I came to Warwick but I had no idea how much I would enjoy it. I'm happy that I took that leap of faith and joined. Highlight had to be the performance at the Dirty Duck during Unplucked. Again, I took a risk and sang a song which I literally wrote the day before the performance. The reception was pretty amazing. Now, I'm Head of Publicity for Glee. A job which, I have to be honest, is not exactly suited for me. I could have run for another post but I chose this one because I wanted to step out of my comfort zone and learn to do new things.
I have to say, Malaysian Night was nice but I'm not sure that I'd do it again. So much time was invested into practicing dikir nearly every night of Term 2. Thank god that all the hard work paid off. I remember my throat just giving out on the day of MNight. I was so scared that I wouldn't be able to sing during the performance that I talked as little as possible during the day. While I thought that some parts of MNight could be improved, I guess that the team still proved that Warwick still has the best dikir team in UK.
Early this term, I decided that I wanted to get a part time job, so I decided to become a performance steward in the Arts Center. I have not done as many shifts as I would like to due to multiple commitments and exams but I have enjoyed the 2 shifts that I have done so far. Again, it is my first time doing a job like this but it has paid off.
I have found that I enjoy doing my course more that I thought I would before I came here. I like the challenge with the essay writing especially. Also, it helped that I got a ridiculously high mark for one of the 2 essays I had to write this year. I did not enjoy the exams. So stressful. I have to say, I worked quite hard compared to before and also because I wasn't exactly paying attention in lectures throughout the year. But to be honest, I worked hard more out of responsibility than actually wanting to do well. In A Levels, I actually worked hard because I wanted to excel and I enjoyed most of the subjects I did. While I did find some of the modules I studied in uni interesting, I didn't experience the same motivation to excel as I did in A Levels. Hopefully I did well enough to take home a first or at least a 2:1.
Socially, I think I've improved a lot, in terms of talking to complete strangers (alcohol always helps) and making new friends. I'm glad to say that I actually have made at least one best-friend-level friend here in university. This was something that caught me completely by surprise, mainly because so many people have told me how hard it is to actually make real friends in university. In addition to that, I've made really good friends with some of the locals and people from other countries. I guess that's the benefit of studying abroad. I was literally thrown into a group of complete strangers when I first came here and that forced me to come out of my shell more. Also, I actually promised myself that I will be more outgoing. I still suck at carrying conversations but that's just me. I'm glad that some people have managed to look past that and made the effort to actually get to know me. I hope that these friendships last because I actually have made some of the "real-est" friends here.
Overall, it's been a good 8 months. So many new experiences. I guess Warwick wasn't a bad decision after all. These 8 months have contained some of the best moments of my life, even though there has been some really low lows as well (CNY incident). Anyway, as much as I enjoy being here, I miss home as well. I miss the food and the people back home so much. I usually do not look forward to long flights but this time, I'm looking forward to the flight home. Deciding to come her was a big step for me. I could have taken the easy road, study in Malaysia, take on the deal with my parents but in the end, that would only have ended up in me making money. Coming here, I've gained so much more. I'm looking forward to 2nd year. I really am.
Signing off,
Jiun
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