The Trials of Year 2: Everything is not what it seems :)

12th Dec 2019

During my first year at Warwick, I had the opportunity to interact with many second and third year students, many of whom became really close friends. Each day, we would congregate in the common room and moan about all the tiresome tasks we had to do; be it the assignment due in a day, the society exec responsibility that took an entire week, or just the irritation of having to cook a meal once you’re home, all were entertained and sympathised with. However, there’s one thing they all would say to me: “Be glad that you’re living on campus, at least you don’t have to take the bus. And, don’t stress so much about your studies already; second year is going to be MUCH worse.”

“Be glad that you’re living on campus, at least you don’t have to take the bus. And, don’t stress so much about your studies already; second year is going to be MUCH worse.”

Naturally, I took their advice with a pinch of salt. How bad could it be, right? Leamington seemed to be an AMAZING place to live; I would finally have the opportunity to explore the innumerable cafés that line the Parade, without having to worry about getting a ride home. It was like my dream come true. Or so I thought. At this point, I’d like to give you some advice; NEVER disregard the advice of someone who’s experienced. As my seniors predicted, travel by bus became one of the most exhausting parts of my day. It wasn’t as much the ride itself; it has more to do with the process of getting onto the bus. Perfectly timing when I leave the house to get the bus most likely to be empty, waiting for ages after realising a bus I intended to take has been cancelled; it is exhausting. Add this to the significantly increased academic workload (since my grades this year count towards my final degree grade) and multitude of Society responsibilities, second year is much more than I thought it to be. Not that I don’t enjoy it; I love engaging with the challenging academic content in second year, and the satisfaction of organising a successful Society event more than makes up for the workload. However, don’t expect it to be all fun and games; as the popular meme says, “the struggle is real”.