After luxury Halls for my first year – came proper Halls for my Second year. My room is very small but built for study – I have a huge desk and although the bed is very basic – I sleep like a baby on it – probably because I am happy – I have a very modest kitchen and no living area space – there is a Communial area but htat has been shut for most of the year because of Covid. I actually decided to join the David Lloyd gym as there they had settees and T.V.s, and it actually kept me sane. I have had to self-isolate a couple of times in the flat – which has been challenging but the fact that I had homework – it kept my mind distracted from being locked up – I have also enough room to practice my yoga, which again, has kept me sane over the past year. It was difficult when the gyms were shut – but I also found workouts online and also went to my mothers a few times to enable me some normality.
There is no-one in the flat now, I am alone here but I actually have enjoyed a bit of peace and quiet and I am waiting to move into my Summer Halls of Residence. Chen from China – my flatmate went home about 2 months ago – I did feel sorry for her – she came all the way from China to do her Masters here only to spend most of her her time shut away in her room. She also had a real problem getting a flight back – eventually we got student services involved andf they helped her get a flight home – she had to fly to Finland and then Finland to China.
I did have a good laugh with Chen – we would quite often walk to the local park – she introduced me to Chinese milk tea – which I actually think beats your Costa and Starbucks coffees hands-down and it is much cheaper. She introduced me to the local Chinese supermarket, where I could buy packs of milk tea for a few pounds. It was through Chen that I saw that the Chinese are a very modest nation – despite of what everyone says because of Covid, there are good and bad people in every culture – the Chinese eat modestly and I would do the slightest thing for Chen and she would be so grateful – a walk in the park would keep her happy all week. She told me of her family and her father working so hard – often at the office 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. Her mother was the same age as me and I think that they were quite happy I was around, to support Chen. As a visiting American playwright at the Theatre once told me a Mature Student can add a different dynamic to a group and any situation.
I now await to go into my next halls, which i know will be much busier, but perhaps more friends await and I can spend the Summer staring to plan my final year project, which I am very excited about and I also have volunteered to help at the Theatre over the Summer with some theatre work with vulnerable groups and I will be assisting one of my tutors. Again more friends, more creativity and living the dream. I could be a student forever.
University at 54 