My Confessions: Message from my heart. The most devoted body part.

Everything has been running so fast-paced lately that I have yet to take a minute to take a breather. But that's university life for you. So far so good I must say. Hanging on to my sanity by being active outside the medical school atmosphere. Loads I have learnt in the past month - but most memorable lessons have to be the ones I learnt outside of the lecture theatre.

Lesson 1: If you think Asians are 'kiasu' (intensely hardworking), think again. Because these pale faces can give you a run for your money!

I got hit by the hard truth one innocent day in a lecture on biochemistry. At the end of it, the lecturer suggested that we read the first few chapters of this particular book. I thought, 'Well, he suggested it, but he didn't say that we NEEDED to. But I'll just get a copy anyway.' Little did I know that all 300 of us in the lecture theatre was already strategising on the quickest route towards the library. Right when the lecture came to a close and the doors were open, whooooossshhh went the students - literally running towards the library to get their hands on the textbook. Dumbstruck on what I was witnessing, I innocently assumed that there would be a lot of the textbooks in stock. But when I reached the library, all were gone. In all my days as a student, I have never seen such behaviour.

So I asked my friend who is a second year science student on the normality of these actions. And she said:
'Yeah, during the 1st year, people run to the libraries after lectures. But in second year, people take out the books before the lectures even start.' *oh snap!* Have to accelerate my 'kiasu-ness' from here on out.

Lesson 2: Clubs or clubs?

Being on foreign land, you have to learn a little bit about how the locals work and socialise. And based on my observations so far, making friends here takes more effort than I originally thought it would There is just one route to solve this problem: Clubs. You might socialise through the clubs and societies (which I often try to do) or Clubs (meaning night clubs). However, the two do tend to inter-mingle especially during sport nights.

Because I don't drink, I tend to opt out of the latter option as the only time you can have a proper conversation without head-banging high decibel music in the background is during the pre-drinking rounds. And if you don't drink, there is not much to do really. So because I treasure my sleep more than anything else, I have limited my social activity to being active in societies - joining Malaysian Society, Islamic Medical Society, Surgical Society, UCL SIFE and the Malaysian Netball Team to date. I have my hands full but it is worth it, because I have met a lot of new friends which is quite cool :) My flatmates and I bonded over dinner yesterday. Nicky cooked pasta and although a little bit burnt, the gesture was very much appreciated!

Lesson 3: Affinity to the Familiar

People say university is where your life begins. New people, new experiences, new course. But I found out that even in the most heavily populated university in the world, people can still feel very much alone. In these earlier stages especially, when you say 'Hi whats your name?' and forget 10 seconds later, if you do not have people whom you have known before, you may find that your coursemates feel more like acquaintances than actual friends. Yes, you might sit together and chat up a storm in the lecture theatre, but once the session is over, you go your separate ways.

Thats where familiarity is comforting. Knowing that your high school or college mates are in the same course as you or in the same university as you, people tend to stick to them instead of being lost in a sea of people. Thats why Malaysians stick to Malaysians or college mates form a enclosed group - because being comfortable is the only stress-reliever of university.

In a nutshell, university is not like high school where friends grow up together. Its more independent and for those who are not ready to be on their own, it might come as a big shock to the system. In my case, I do not have familiar faces in my course - but I have made some. And I see them during lectures and occasionally bump into them in the hallways - but overall I like being in my own company. For the first time in a long time, I have space to think. But of course, a day out with good friends is always something that I always treasure too. :)

Gosh. That went on longer than I expected.

Photo time!