U is for... University Life!

Very few people go to university purely to study and get a degree. It's all about the life experience. If I'd wanted to do nothing but work hard, I'd have followed my teacher's advice and applied to Oxford or Cambridge. But when I was filling out my UCAS form, I was already in two minds about what I wanted to do, where I wanted to go. I put Durham on the form, as a nod to the whole "you should go to a posh redbrick university" idea, but after visiting them for an open day I decided it was too far away and too hilly for my liking. York was my first choice. It was only when I didn't quite get the grades I needed for my offer that I realised how much I actually wanted to go. Luckily, they let me in anyway.



The lake and Central Hall at York University

York is a campus based uni, with a huge shallow lake in the middle. The land was originally swampland that was reclaimed, so the lake had to exist in order for the buildings not to sink! It froze over in the winter, and drunk students would always try to walk on it. There was a campus myth that there was a car in the lake, sunk when someone tried to drive over the ice.

Vanbrugh College

So, rather than waffle on about how awesome university was, I thought I'd just share some snapshots of the stuff I was mainly getting up to when I wasn't studying. I apologise for the poor quality of some of the photographs, they are all old skool 35mm film prints scanned into the computer after years of abuse being pinned to walls.



The Wendy House, Leeds.



Each month the Lunatic Fringe society organised a coach trip to Leeds for the alternative club night at the Wendy House. I've never been big on clubbing, but it was always a fun night out. We'd colonise the balcony in the main room, drink, chat and play with balloons. It was an excuse to goth up a bit.



I've always been a rubbish goth



Another society I was occasionally involved with was the Douglas Adams society. A lot of crossover with the Science Fiction & Fantasy society, but DougSoc were that little bit more random.



Annual Final Battle between Good and Evil



My 21st Birthday

For my 21st, I left the organising of a party in the hands of two of my best friends. They were extremely sneaky, and right up to the day I had no idea of any plans. So much so, that I was going round to everyone saying "they're useless, they haven't organised anything! I have to do it myself, meet me in the pub". A few of them came to the pub, and we had food. Then two of them dashed off to the loo, came back in masks with toy guns and took me hostage. I was blindfolded and led back onto campus, where I was surprised with a fully organised fancy dress party, complete with three cakes. The Sindy doll I am holding here was in one of the cakes, you know the sort, where the cake part is her skirt. They even provided me with a fairy costume!

Graduation Ball

I didn't go to my graduation ball. I went to the one in my first year, though, as my boyfriend-at-the-time graduated that year. The highlight of the evening was a live performance by none other than Right Said Fred. It was awesome. Much better than the live act performing the year I graduated - they really went downhill. The year after Right Said Fred, they got the Vengaboys. My graduation year it was Jamelia. I definitely made the right call!

More about York itself as we get to the end of the alphabet!