The start of this semester means I am essential halfway through my course in University. Here is some context: I am doing my undergraduate Medical Degree in Dundee and it’s a 5-year course. I started in the September of 2016 and this is my 5th semester in University. I am almost done with my pre-clinical years and on my way to train on the wards next year onwards. I am not too sure how to feel about it.
Don’t get me wrong, I am very happy that I made it through this long with out any major hiccups on both my academic and social fronts. But how do I feel about making it this far – just as unsure as I was when I first started university I would say. I can recite management for quite a number of illness and syndromes that someone maybe be experiencing, so I don’t think that the cause of my uncertainty. I now have many people I consider my close friends and people whom I trust dearly, so that’s not the cause of my uncertainty. So, this made me think more about this issue and I wanted to understand why I still feel underwhelmed by the whole experience so far? Is it the uncertainty of how things are going to be in year 4? Or maybe the fear of facing the world without the safety of being a ‘student’. So, I am going to take this opportunity to reflect on somethings and hopefully it is useful for you as I hope it will be for me!
First off, things I am happy about:
Where do I start? In the past 2.5 years I have been involved in so many things, its hard to distill them down to just a few things, but I hope to categorise them into: The People, The School and Travel.
- The People and Community
I come from a small island city which is known for its busy and hectic lifestyle and high population density. So naturally I was quite concerned when I decided to come to Dundee to study. I still remember clearly, on the first day in Dundee, I was understandably lost and confused – not because I didn’t understand the language or know the way around but for not knowing how to connect with the locals and my new peers with whom I have very little similarities. But I didn’t have to worry about it too much, because I met such a fun-loving and easy-going bunch of people in school and it nullified any kind of doubt or fear I had. Shoutout to everyone in C2! You guys are awesome!
And how could I forget my South East Asian Community! Such a great close-knit community helping me feel at home away from home. Some of my closest friends in Dundee are from this community and I am forever grateful for their part in my life, I have never felt more patriotic then when I am attending the pot lucks we organize to celebrate the different occasions we would celebrate back at home. And I am even more thankful for meeting so many people from so many different parts of the world. I have met people from almost all parts of Europe and even some South American and African countries and will be indebted to the societies and school activities I attended to help me meet these dear friends. If you have not done this yet – I strongly recommend you get on it!!
- The School
There is hardly anything that I can say about the school, that you guys do not already know about. But, on a more personal note, I would like to say I have grown as a person and an independent entity by coming over to this new environment and figuring things out for myself. I would like to say the school has provided me with a multitude of opportunities to help me find the things I am good at and I cannot be more grateful for it. Who knew, even I could run a business and win competitions pitching it to a lecture theatre full of qualified professionals
- Travel
I am have not traveled a lot out of the UK but I have covered a lot of the country and I am so happy that I have had this opportunity. Time is a luxury for me and I try by best to see as much as possible within a weekend or so when I do get the time. But more than that, I have always loved the process of the getting to these places, starting from surfing the web high and low to find the best deals and getting the gang ready and convincing them that my way is the best when we all know, the trip I had planned will be more tiring than relaxing. But isn’t that what exploring and experiencing the country is all about? At least, that is what I would like to believe in. Though I have some regrets in not being able to go to more countries outside the UK, I am happy for the time I have spent in this country and would cherish those memories even after I have graduated.
Stay tuned for more on this series!