I dare anyone to tell me the life of a university student is
simple. Go on. Do it.
Watch any American
college film and it seems all there is to a student life is the following
routine: Sleep in, turn up to class late (if even at all) hungover from the
previous nights dorm party, rendezvous with a current boyfriend/girlfriend,
maybe attend afternoon classes, go shopping, replenish party supplies, party
the night away; repeat process. Perhaps
there is an all-night cram session before an exam. Maybe an essay gets written
with thirty seconds to spare. And somehow, a degree is always produced at
graduation. What an easy life.
Hollywood is hideously naïve.
These films never show the stress. The bitten nails. The extent
to which students are responsible for the success of every coffee plantation in
the universe. The junk food ploughed through to sustain an all nighter. Monthly
planners showcasing the neverending stream of assessment due. Fights with
housemates because you’re all under too much pressure and venting seems the
only thing left to do. Partying is not a priority. Relationships are doomed.
Shopping NEVER happens because, let’s be honest, once rent, gas, electricity,
water, phone, insurance, cat food and train tickets are paid for, there’s
barely money left for goon, let alone party supplies. There is no never-ending
flow of money coming in from extraordinarily wealthy parents – just the
painfully obtained Centrelink benefits that seem to have so much red tape
attached, it almost isn’t worth it. The only light at the end of the tunnel?
The hope that at the end of all of the deadlines, the seemingly worthless
essays and the disapproving looks from teachers as you walk into an early class
late because your train is NEVER on time and you really appreciate a little
extra sleep… there will be a paying job that means study is never required
again.
Please, don’t get me wrong, I love what I am studying.
Getting into VCA has been an amazing experience, and learning the plethora of incredible
skills has been rewarding. However, one thing must be said. The student life
blows. There. I said it. Every student in the history of the alma mater can
express the same sentiment, because it resonates globally.
Now that the above has been expressed, I can begin
expressing my love for the study of Production Design at the Victorian College
of the Arts.
If you had told me twelve months ago that I would now be
able to brandish a welding iron and successfully complete a butt-joint (yes,
that is its’ real name), I would have smirked at you. Did I ever anticipate how
much I would enjoy learning how to use a router? Definitely not. These are a
few of the surprises that the past year at VCA have thrown at me, and for the
next two years I am certainly expecting more of these challenges and
excitements.
There is so much more to the past year that need to be
shared, including tales of the wonderful people I have studied with, the sing-alongs
which have driven our teachers insane, the numerous conversations about whether
or not Miley Cyrus has legitimately gone insane or is just in it for the
publicity (I’m in support of the latter), and an abundance more. Stay tuned for
these tales. The university life may be stressful, but it surely isn’t dull.
Not by a long shot.
