Day 65: The 30th of September

I am really sorry guys. I can’t believe I missed a post for the first time! The shame!

So, I guess I’ll do a minor update to the blog for today and yesterday. It probably won’t be long; I’m exhausted and I really just want to relax and play a quiet game.

So, I met two guys yesterday, both of whom I continued to hang around with for most of today. They are nice enough, I guess, though we like completely different things. In fact I’m pretty sure the only thing we have in common is that we are all studying law.

As for the lectures, they are exhausting and they pretty much scare me to no end. It’s not that the topics are that bad, it is just the amount of responsibility put onto us as students to make sure we know what books we need and what work we need to be doing. I have said this before but one of my greatest fears is missing a deadline.

The journey to and from the university is also pretty tiring, though I do seem like a bit of a spoiled child when I say all this stuff. In reality, I can managed easily enough, but the walk of about half an hour to the station and back each morning and evening has really been taking its toll. I’ll get used to it.

Not only that, but I have to think about what I should be eating once I get back. I think I can pretty much blag my way through this week living off whatever I can easily make. Next week is going to be more tricky, since I may need to go out and grab more food. Hopefully not.

Anyway, that’s enough for tonight. Talking about it just makes me think about it which makes me a bit miserable. I’m sure I’ll feel better next week. I will definitely write a post on the weekend as a summary since I’ll be back in the safety of my home for a little while. Until then you will have to settle for tired me posting boring stuff. See you later!

Elliott Rogers, novice blog writer extraordinaire.

Day 64: The 29th of September

Guess who forgot to post again? This guy!

Really sorry guys, but I was exhausted and I completely forgot. I can’t do a long post this morning either since I need to get ready.

Just wanted to let you know that I’m still alive. Just lazy as always.

Elliott Rogers, novice blog writer extraordinaire.

Day 63: The 28th of September

Well, I’m here. It’s really, really terrifying.

I wish I could say that it all went really easily and well, but everyone knows that would never happen. Not that it went badly, I just didn’t really connect with anyone. I probably shouldn’t have got my hopes up, it is only day one after all.

I managed to get to my lecture hall half an hour early. I was also the first one there, which I was pretty happy about to be honest. I ended up chatting to the next two girls to come along for a while until the lecture started, in which they told us their names and gave us a quiz to do.

We were put into teams of ten and given ten questions to answer between us for Wednesday. What ended up happening is that the team split in half, with one half running off into the sunset and my half walking around in what can only be described as awkward mutterings.

Turns out two of the people in our five came from Poland and had just arrived here two days ago. I ended up speaking to them for a little bit, in which I learned that secondary school in Poland finishes when they are 19. That was only a little bit intimidating, although it probably shouldn’t have been. Other than that and the hand holding they were doing, they seemed nice enough.

The other two were both girls, one an international student, one from the UK. I talked to them a bit more than the others, although they didn’t feel that willing to chat. Maybe I’m just offputting or maybe they were nervous too. No matter, we’ll see what tomorrow brings.

I’m now moved into our family-friend’s house, where I have two rooms: a bedroom and a living room, and also my own shower. This is where I’m really counting my blessings. I probably have a nicer place to live than a lot of students. I am very thankful for all my family have done for me up to now and I just hope I can make them all proud by surviving this ‘experience’. We will see.

So yeah, that’s about it for today. I’m going to try to watch some YouTube and calm down, then head to bed early. After all, I’ve got to be up bright and fresh tomorrow for day two. Let’s hope it goes well.

Elliott Rogers, novice blog writer extraordinaire.

Day 62: The 27th of September

And so, my last day of freedom comes to a close.

Tonight I am watching and waiting for the blood moon to come out, since it is quite a rare event. I guess it also gives me time to think about what is to come. It has really sunk in at this point just what I’m getting myself into and that feeling is a bit terrifying. Oh well, only one way to go now. Forwards.

Today I didn’t do much other than eat a delicious breakfast and then a delicious dinner a bit later on. I was pretty much just keeping myself busy online for most of the day. That’s fine by me though, since it might be my last chance to do so until I come back home. I probably will be home next weekend.

Not that this affects you guys of course. I will be posting as usual when university starts; from my new uni house instead of my bedroom. Still, I’ll have a lot more to talk about then, so I wouldn’t worry.

I don’t really have the words to say what I want to say tonight anyway. I’ll save my initial impressions for the extra special first day post tomorrow, no matter how it goes. Before I leave though there is one small favour I want to ask.

Wish me luck, everyone!

Elliott Rogers, novice blog writer extraordinaire.

Day 61: The 26th of September

Today was the final pit-stop before university. I got a lot done too.

Most importantly for me was that I got my new phone at last! The ability to text and call without a worry has suddenly made me a lot more willing to talk to people. Good times. Also I get to install lots of apps that I haven’t been able to have before, which is quite novel and exciting.

I also had a haircut and now don’t look like I dropped a mop on my head. That feeling will only last for a month or so though, before it grows out to unbearable levels again. I prefer my wild hair to no hair though, so I’m not going to complain.

The only other major thing I did today was get my flu jab. Painful as always, but at least it makes it a little less likely for me to get sick during Freshers’ Week. That’s always a bonus when you eat as unhealthily as I do!

Other than that, I mostly was playing the rhythm game ‘osu!’ with two of my friends. I love it because it has managed to alleviate my boredom that I had at the beginning of the week. Plus, matching the beats of your favourite songs is always really satisfying.

I’m probably going to head to bed now, after leaving the Skype call. It feels nice to get in contact with all the gang once again. I’m going to try to keep it up now that the holiday is ending.

Elliott Rogers, novice blog writer extraordinaire.

Day 60: The 25th of September

Today has been hilariously fun. I love it. Sadly it might be the last time I talk with everyone close to me at the same time for a long time.

For starters, I got my new laptop and spent a while grinning manically at it. I think I cheered up the delivery man too, since as soon as he saw me in the upstairs window waiting I jumped up and waved at him. I hope he didn’t think I was crazy or something. Especially since my hair was going everywhere due to me having just woken up.

I think the highlight of the day came in the evening. This was mostly due to my sister, Ben and Michael coming round for dinner. And when I say that, I don’t mean that Ben and Michael are my sister. A bit of grammar humour for you there.

We spent the evening enjoying a rather fine meal cooked by my mother in her new kitchen, followed by relaxing in the new conservatory and enjoying reading past messages on my Skype. The mixture of amusing accents and some rather inane messages caused us to repeatedly crack up, much to my delight.

It was especially bittersweet since today was probably what I’ll think of as my final proper day before university. Seeing all my family gathered around having fun really made it extra special. Not that the evening ended there.

Indeed, I then went back upstairs to join a Skype call with my friends! We played a bit of ‘Attack on Titan’ and then some ‘100% Orange Juice’ before one of our other friends came back from going out drinking. The rest of the evening was spent listening to drunk friend chatting completely random things.

My eyes are feeling heavy now and I know I have to do a lot of stuff tomorrow. So, in that case I’m going to bed. Enjoy your day tomorrow everyone!

Elliott Rogers, novice blog writer extraordinaire.

Day 59: The 24th of September

*Yawn* Going to London for a day sure is tiring. Not to mention I keep going to bed late every night.

On the bright side though, I should be getting my new laptop tomorrow. I am pretty excited for it; yet another gadget for me to play with for a while. I’ll probably be relaxing and messing around with it for most of tomorrow. That sounds fun.

Today I met and interacted with several really nice people. It wasn’t really ‘met’ per se, since I had spoken to them in passing; they are friends of my mother, so I see them occasionally. I really envy how easily they all managed to keep a conversation flowing with me, always having witty insights or stories to add an extra layer of depth to the conversation for all the times my limited responses dried up.

We spent most of the day wandering around the Shaun the Sheep designs in London, quickly dodging and weaving through the crosshairs of hundreds of cameras and camera-phones. Now, I was thinking while I watched my mother and the others taking these pictures: about the futility of the whole thing and other depressing stuff like that. I try not to bring negative things up often, but taking pictures of those sculptures seemed pointless to me. After all, are you ever going to look at them again?

My mother’s point of view was that it was a bit like ‘collecting’ them. And I can understand that idea a lot easier, probably due to playing too many games. After all, a good collectable is a staple part of many genres of gaming!

I also saw a couple of street performers while we were wandering around. These fascinated me: a man lay on a bed of needles and juggled knives and a man walked around on a ladder and juggles batons. Now, while they make that sort of thing look easy, I found it fun to watch since I know that they have so much more skill than me. On the other hand, some of my other party members seemed to think that their performances weren’t very entertaining, a quote from one being: ‘is that all you can do?’

I mean, that just seems to be an unnecessary remark. Not only are these people standing up in front of a huge crowd of strangers, a task that is already difficult for me, but they are also performing feats of balance and dexterity which I and my group could not hope to achieve. Surely giving them a little bit of credit is alright? Are we so jaded that even amazing things like that have to be specially designed in such a way to make them extra entertaining? Maybe I just have low standards for my entertainment.

I’ll end this blog post by explaining the saying that has been on my mind all day today and is quite an interesting thinking point. You shouldn’t worry too much what other people think of you, since they scarcely think of you at all. I’d go so far as to say it is awfully arrogant to think that you are so important that people are always thinking of your insecurities. But that is just part of the human condition. Everyone is their own protagonist after all. For most of you I am nothing but a member of the supporting cast or just an extra in the background of your incredibly vivid life.

Elliott Rogers, novice blog writer extraordinaire.

Day 58: The 23rd of September

Today was really tiring. But fun.

I did a lot of walking with my mother today, exploring all of the places I’ll have to go to alone soon. This mainly involved walking around Farnborough and Guildford for a few hours. My legs are now left with a dull ache that I doubt will go away in time for my next excursion tomorrow. I’ll be heading up to London for some strange activity or another.

Funnily enough, most of the people we spoke to in Guildford were incredibly friendly and reassuring. I’m not sure if that was coincidence or if there are just a lot of nice people around there. Either way, as long as it makes my life easier that’s fine by me!

We’ll have to see just how exhausted I feel tomorrow. That will be fun I’m sure. As for the rest of tonight, I’m planning on trying to do something fun for a couple of hours before hitting the hay.

Ah, now I remember the minor topic I was going to discuss this evening! Railway etiquette. I bring this up after spending practically all day in the train network of the south of England, so hopefully I have a little bit of insight, if not as much as a commuter. Traditionally there are a few unspoken rules about train travel.

Number one is, of course, don’t look anyone in the eye. In fact, pretty much just stare at the walls or out of the window just to be safe. I follow this rule all the time, since it is beneficial for everyone involved. No one feels awkward due to unwanted social interaction and we can all enjoy our day in peace.

Number two is probably no talking, unless it is a phone call. And definitely no talking to other passengers! This rule is slightly less strict than the last and can be overturned in rare circumstances. Still, it is still frowned upon by your fellow passengers. Everyone knows that they use the train to avoid all human contact. I must admit sometimes it is nice to chat to someone on the train, even strangers, but this is mostly when they come from the same stop as you. That small amount of common ground can be enough to have a fun conversation.

As an extension; when talking you should try to be quiet about it. The people who talk loudly, either on their phone or to their friends or family, are the only noise you typically hear on the train, particularly in the evenings when people just want to get home. Talking and that sort of thing is a lot more free and open while the day is still young.

Of course, these are just funny little habits that most train passengers fall into. I’m not saying these things are good or correct, since I’m sure the world would be a much nicer place if I could turn to someone on the train and talk to them, or even just say ‘bless you’ when they sneeze. I feel that the trouble comes from the fact that the majority of train users do follow these rules and not following them simply makes you an outsider to the train passenger group mindset.

Anyway, just some fun food for thought. I’m heading off now. Have a good evening and a good day tomorrow everyone!

Elliott Rogers, novice blog writer extraordinaire.

Day 57: The 22nd of September

I write this blog post today while desperately wanting to continue playing Skyrim, so I’ll keep this brief.

I did nothing productive all day! You are probably used to me saying that by now, since that is most days, but I wanted to at least give an update. More importantly, I am going to be doing stuff tomorrow.

You may be wondering what I’m going to be up to. Well, I’m going to be trying to get to Guildford once more via the train network, so that I know the route for when I start my course soon. Hopefully it should be a pretty useful day, if a little exhausting by the sound of it.

So yeah. As I said, I’ve been engrossed in Skyrim for a while today, and I think I can play a few more hours before I should head to bed. So, given that, I am going to make this a really short post and bid you adieu! I look forward to telling you all about tomorrow.

Elliott Rogers, novice blog writer extraordinaire.

Day 56: The 21st of September

Today I scared myself for no reason!

Yeah, I decided it would be a good idea to try to find my reading list at midnight, even though I have a history of being really scared of missing deadlines and stuff. Turns out, after some digging, that the advice from the university is to wait until someone from your course sends you the list. I’m hoping that advice is sound, since I have been known to burst into tears if I think I’ve forgotten to do homework, even if it is very minor.

I’m not sure what causes that reaction either. I still tear up now when my elders yell at me, even when all my friends seem to brush it off. I just don’t want to disappoint anybody or make anyone angry with me. Luckily, the few times I did forget to do homework my teachers were pretty understanding, given my usual standard of work.

Now that I have started to think about university more and more, given that it is just around the corner, I have realised that I am much more afraid of not doing something towards my course and messing up than I am of meeting the new people there. I mean, I can survive without friends I’m sure, even if it would suck, but screwing up my degree in the first few weeks is a bit more of a scary thought.

I probably shouldn’t worry too much. I’m sure that the staff won’t bite my head off if I do something wrong, I mean the university is receiving money from my studies there anyway. Plus, I’ve got Fresher’s Week to ask around and sort out everything to do with my course, so it should be alright.

Other than that, I was a bit annoyed all day since we had builders coming in and out to sort out the new radiators. That meant them coming into my bedroom multiple times; my sanctuary where I can truly be at peace with myself. I ended up just sitting and doing nothing for most of the day.

No matter what happens in the next few weeks though, it cannot be worse than what one of my friends is apparently experiencing. From reading his anguish anyone would have thought that the university was deliberately torturing him. Oh well, maybe he’ll cheer up when his course actually starts (unlikely).

So, I’ll talk to you all tomorrow! I hope it’s a little bit quieter than today, though who really knows?

Elliott Rogers, novice blog writer extraordinaire.