B.L. (Before Livejournal)
Aug. 28th, 2002 02:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
coalescentSo my college yearbook turned up this morning. A year late, and missing the page Rich and myself jointly submitted,but we won't dwell on that (it doesn't really matter for me, after all; everyone I know is in it...). It did make me nostalgic, though - must be the season for it. In particular, I kinda wish I'd had this running all through university. Oh, I'm sure it would be horribly embarassing to look back on now; but I can't help wondering what I would have written. Thinking of all the things that should be recorded somewhere...
For instance: Meeting Rach at interviews. Asking my tutors questions about the science in Stephen Baxter novels during the interview. First year: 1 Longwall Street, and 1 Longwall Street parties (including the stop/go sign wedged between the kitchen floor and ceiling). My first OUSFG christmas party, up at LMH. Becoming librarian and hiding all the books in the secret staircase. Rachel and Ollie getting together at a Biosoc party. Being introduced to the wonders of sable and ytalk and ox.clubs.ousfg by Tom (yes, it's all his fault). Wandering around Oxford late at night with Mike and Tom, stamping colleges so we could put them in the library. The first time I went up Magdalen tower. Staying up for May Eve - wandering the streets and watching the parade go in to Univ's 750th anniversary ball. Finishing prelims - Victoria turning up in the Turf and showing remarkable fortitude in putting up with OUSFG for a whole afternoon. The second year: Old Schoolhouse, and discovering the joys of ethernet (and salsa dancing). Helping out with all the interviewees and meeting Emilia. The golden age of umta, before Google got around to archiving it (remember The Six Ages of Angel?) OUSFG goes to Picocon. Attempting to stage a Biochemists' coup of Biosoc but ending up with a mixed committee; still, managed to organise the best Labcoat Ball ever. Being roped in to organise a '98-matric Biochemist's cocktail party in the LOWR on the grounds that I'd done it before so I must know what I was doing. Becoming a Caption gopher (you cannot kill that which is already dead...).The third year: Having the best college room - bloody huge, it was, with ethernet and a shower. Realising that this meant I was going to be OUSFG lbrarian again. Realising that the library only took up one corner of the room because the room was just that big. Going to the motor show with Oli and Rich. Lunch in the Biochemistry Cafe after lectures. Molecular genetics tutorials with Dr James which inevitably veered off into hitch-hiker's guide land for some reason. Discovering the joys of downloading Buffy and Angel - catching up most of S2 and S5 through february sweeps in the space of about two weeks. Long summer days revising in the RSL. Discovering how to post News from the RSL...Finals, the first time. Punting with Tom and Becca and Rachel and Veronica and everyone up to the Victoria Arms for a BBQ and picnic. Guy falling out of a tree behind the OUSFG punt party and having to be rushed to hospital. Having to stay up all night to keep Guy awake. Magdalen Ball, and completely missing out on the Celidh (laserquest was good, though, as was Rick Stein's fish bar). Rach and Rich getting together and me not being able to handle it for...ooh, quite a while. Fourth year: discovering that 6, Marston Street wasn't nearly as bad as we thought it was. The boredom and endless drudgery of my lab project. Being dumped by Erica two days before New Year's. Guy having a manic episode and being sectioned - walking up to the hospital with some his belongings. Getting umts created, then watching it go to the dogs. Finals, the second time (all two of them). Waiting around outside exams schools for the results. Going up to Durham after term ended to see Emilia. Leaving Oxford.
...and that pretty much brings us back to the present. Or at least, up to when I created the LJ. And thinking about it, I realise I'm not even sure when some of these things took place; it's possible, for instance, that the Ball was the end of my second year rather than my third. If I sat down and concentrated I think I could probably remember...but I did so much, in what is (relatively speaking) such a short space of time. The above list isn't nearly a quarter of it. It's so easy to be active at university; to be doing things, all the time, every day. And I wish I'd written some of it down, because I doubt I'll ever live through anything like it again.
For instance: Meeting Rach at interviews. Asking my tutors questions about the science in Stephen Baxter novels during the interview. First year: 1 Longwall Street, and 1 Longwall Street parties (including the stop/go sign wedged between the kitchen floor and ceiling). My first OUSFG christmas party, up at LMH. Becoming librarian and hiding all the books in the secret staircase. Rachel and Ollie getting together at a Biosoc party. Being introduced to the wonders of sable and ytalk and ox.clubs.ousfg by Tom (yes, it's all his fault). Wandering around Oxford late at night with Mike and Tom, stamping colleges so we could put them in the library. The first time I went up Magdalen tower. Staying up for May Eve - wandering the streets and watching the parade go in to Univ's 750th anniversary ball. Finishing prelims - Victoria turning up in the Turf and showing remarkable fortitude in putting up with OUSFG for a whole afternoon. The second year: Old Schoolhouse, and discovering the joys of ethernet (and salsa dancing). Helping out with all the interviewees and meeting Emilia. The golden age of umta, before Google got around to archiving it (remember The Six Ages of Angel?) OUSFG goes to Picocon. Attempting to stage a Biochemists' coup of Biosoc but ending up with a mixed committee; still, managed to organise the best Labcoat Ball ever. Being roped in to organise a '98-matric Biochemist's cocktail party in the LOWR on the grounds that I'd done it before so I must know what I was doing. Becoming a Caption gopher (you cannot kill that which is already dead...).The third year: Having the best college room - bloody huge, it was, with ethernet and a shower. Realising that this meant I was going to be OUSFG lbrarian again. Realising that the library only took up one corner of the room because the room was just that big. Going to the motor show with Oli and Rich. Lunch in the Biochemistry Cafe after lectures. Molecular genetics tutorials with Dr James which inevitably veered off into hitch-hiker's guide land for some reason. Discovering the joys of downloading Buffy and Angel - catching up most of S2 and S5 through february sweeps in the space of about two weeks. Long summer days revising in the RSL. Discovering how to post News from the RSL...Finals, the first time. Punting with Tom and Becca and Rachel and Veronica and everyone up to the Victoria Arms for a BBQ and picnic. Guy falling out of a tree behind the OUSFG punt party and having to be rushed to hospital. Having to stay up all night to keep Guy awake. Magdalen Ball, and completely missing out on the Celidh (laserquest was good, though, as was Rick Stein's fish bar). Rach and Rich getting together and me not being able to handle it for...ooh, quite a while. Fourth year: discovering that 6, Marston Street wasn't nearly as bad as we thought it was. The boredom and endless drudgery of my lab project. Being dumped by Erica two days before New Year's. Guy having a manic episode and being sectioned - walking up to the hospital with some his belongings. Getting umts created, then watching it go to the dogs. Finals, the second time (all two of them). Waiting around outside exams schools for the results. Going up to Durham after term ended to see Emilia. Leaving Oxford.
...and that pretty much brings us back to the present. Or at least, up to when I created the LJ. And thinking about it, I realise I'm not even sure when some of these things took place; it's possible, for instance, that the Ball was the end of my second year rather than my third. If I sat down and concentrated I think I could probably remember...but I did so much, in what is (relatively speaking) such a short space of time. The above list isn't nearly a quarter of it. It's so easy to be active at university; to be doing things, all the time, every day. And I wish I'd written some of it down, because I doubt I'll ever live through anything like it again.
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So...
Date: 2002-08-28 10:43 am (UTC)"Underworld" release their first song for two years and suddenly I'm back in the 1990's, dancing like an idiot, drinking far too much tequila and doing a job I hated. The kick in the head I get from remembering Saturday mornings with a hangover and sore feet quickly dislodges a shower of random moments: breakfast in the Savoy, Friday nights somewhere in Middlesex. People threatening other people with knives and meaning it. 150 people in a bar watching a TV show. Making £600 in one night just by selling t-shirts. Driving a minibus to Blackpool, driving to Milton Keynes in a blue MR2 and managing to get 125mph on the way back at 10.30 at night. Getting flowers and having no idea who sent them. Watching Lee Evans win the Perrier award at Edinburgh. Understanding why Iain Banks wrote "The Bridge", and then eating haggis in a farmhouse in Kirkcaldy. NY before 9/11, Star Wars the day it opened and preferring "The Mummy" more. Falling in love a hundred times but staying in love and constant... you have a long way to go my friend. Many more memories, good and bad. The trick is, I think, to make the most of every one, and to find some way to pack them all away to be used at a later date. You never know when you might need one... I realise that I probably need a better filing system.
Wot, no Dave?
Date: 2002-08-28 12:24 pm (UTC)Oh, and let's not forget, Tiny Des!
Re: Wot, no Dave?
Date: 2002-08-28 12:36 pm (UTC)Although I think we can all breathe a sigh of relief about the fact that whatever your Tiny Des link is, it doesn't appear to be working. Plus, I think people reading this have already read this, so I doubt it would shock anyone. Try harder next time.
...no, wait, don't.