A guide to being Brendan

It’s not often you get to write about such a uniquely shared experience as the days of leaving university. This time of each year, hundreds of students leave campus, knowing that they will not return as students. This year I number among the wave of finalists- happily knowing that life is beginning to shift forward again. If, like me you are a finalist and have realized how seriously numb and neutral the experience is (I’m sad to be leaving yet happy to get going), the mixed emotions have probably caused you to get nostalgic. Like, really, REALLY nostalgic.

I remember, when I first arrived at Keele – I was visiting on an open day, and had agreed to an interview with the Head of Foundation Year. As I waited for the interview I was sat on the grass near the Walter Moberly building/Academic Affairs building and I stood up, and looked towards the car park. The moment, for everyone around me was unremarkable but for me it has proven to be unforgettable. I felt a warm wind blow against my face; I looked across the car park towards the Student’s Union and thought, “I can see myself living here” suddenly feeling very at home, and welcome. I bet we’ve all had similar moments. It’s an interesting (or perhaps rather, coincidental) reflection that my personal realisaiton involved absent-mindedly staring at the union building that soon became a second home to me, and the source of all/most of my activity at Keele. Part of me would like to suggest I felt a connection to the place, a sense of belonging. Part of me also dismisses that as sentimental mush. Whatever the moment was, it wasn’t within my own control, nor was it discussed. I was with my girlfriend of the time (who was already attending a F.E. college in Kent) and yet for some reason, despite knowing I’d be forced apart from her- it felt like the right thing to do was to choose Keele, and I walked out of that interview with a place at our beloved University. Just like that.

 I’ve found myself having similar moments recently. Only, they are doing the opposite; rather than a warm welcome- it’s more like a sad goodbye. For the first time, I look around and I’m seeing the cracks in the concourse steps as familiar and friendly sights –I laugh with smug nostalgia when I hear the excited tones of a student squealing about how “there is a rave in the woods on Saturday! No Friday! No Thursday! No wait Sunday!”. Even the effort that it takes to walk from the Pig and Rat to Lindsay Bar seems worth it, just to remember my first year. With all my might, I want to cling onto this place that has watched me turn from a ‘young adult’ into a ‘twenty something’. I want to stay, and continue working within societies- as much as I have bitched and argued with execs over the years, it’s an amazing feeling to create an event or help a student develop their skills, and it’s something I intend to continue and to stay involved with one way or another. There’s a strange sense of immense nostalgia yet total trepidation about my time at Keele. It means so much to me and I want it to count for so much towards my future.

Already I’ve had the phrase “Keele will always be special” thrown at me a few times, heck I’ve even thrown out there myself. The truth is though, that it’s not. That’s not to say, that it doesn’t deserve a place in our hearts. I guess, you can’t stay somewhere for more than a year or two without growing attached to it – let alone if your psychotic enough to do the six year ride that I’ve had. I look around though, and all I know is that we are very lucky. Keele may not be special, but KUSU is. Any students who don’t realize how valuable KUSU is need to start paying attention: we are lucky to have our union. The students officers, sabbaticals, student reps, committee members and student-staff who safeguard your experience at Keele are often unsung heroes; and most finalists have probably either become too cynical to care, too involved to agree objectively, or are well aware of the good work done and may even have been on the receiving end of some of the ever-important support provided by KUSU.

Despite everything that’s happened, we finalists will be entering the world fully equipped to deal with what life has to offer; and we have Keele to thank for that. Of course, I don’t mean Keele as in the university- but as the joint experience we all share as Keelites. We owe our thanks to the friends we’ve made, the journey we’ve had and of course, to our furry little landlords; and with that I’m reminded of Douglas Adam’s legendary farewell.

“So long, and thanks for all the fish”.

KARNAGE 2011

Every year, around this time KARNAGE decides to reign supreme, and despite me attending THREE twelve hour parties in ONE WEEK; Karnage is the most memorable and for reasons that probably are the wrong ones! 

Flashbacks so far:

Hitting on and almost sleeping with a girl far too young for me

[damn my moral code. I was totally in there, and she was hot. for a 17yr old]

arranging a cock-block just in case i couldn’t trust drunk me

Getting body hugged by a Naked Karl

Telling Tom Sharp and Jack to kiss and being vaguely freaked when they did it. On the spot.

Pouring drink down Sarah’s top ,and then running away

Hitting on and letting Lucy T stay at my place. (Nothing happened <-moral victory)

Convincing girls that Nat Wells and I were brothers. 

Bitchily judging KARNAGE with gay Brendan.

Discovering Todd & Will following a bouncy ball across campus at 4am

Group-mooning strangers with Todd, Will, & Lucy

more to come im sure…

I’m a bit fickle when it comes to women. I mean, if they pass my (fairly harsh) criteria , then I can fall pretty hard for someone i hardly know. Course, if i get to know them…

So, for many reasons I’ve been thinking about my life and where it is headed. Many of my friends are doing the same, and some have it all planned out.

I was worried about my work, but I’ve (in typical me style) managed to claw some extra extension time for my work and am looking forward to this finishing my degree. It now feels very real: my education is so close to being over, that I can feel the winds of fate brushing past me as I fall towards the future.

A few of my friends still have large portions of their university career ahead of them. It’s strange: I don’t think I will do any more education for a while. At least not for a couple of years and by then I expect to be buried in real life.

I’ve got many prospects ahead of me, the most prominent of which are (in no particular order);

A) move to London, live with parents

B) move to London, live with Surya B.

C) move into local area, work at Students’ Union as full-time staff.,

D) move wherever, live with Amy M.

E) move to Bath, Live/near Matt A.

All of these require a job.

Pfft.

But there is no denying that I’m at the end of my training: now a fully trained hero, all that is left is to save the world.

Hm. Every Superman needs his Lois Lane though. Where will I find mine?

Things to obtain in order of importance:

1)job

2)accommodation

3)girlfriend

4)life

5)multiple games consoles

I may have fallen for a barmaid. She was awesome. Will now attempt to get her out if my head and sleep.

So, I’m experiencing what i’ve nicknamed ‘the right of passage’ at the moment. I’ve seen plenty of friends go through it, but it is tough. What am I talking about? - well, you know how we spend nearly two decades of our life in education, all so we can go to University/College and become fully qualified people? Well, they dont tell you is that the three years of the degree, all culminate into the last semester of your final year. I suppose it makes sense, but my lecturer is supporting me about as much as I support my local Catholic Church. Not very much at all. (on that note, happy easter people). 

In fact, my lecturer has taken the week off. Despite it being so close to deadline time. 

I also have still to even start my Philosophy dissertation, because of the way my Media lecturer has structured the past month, she has obliterated my ability to manage my time effectively. 

But, this is exactly what I’ve been trained to do. I’ve been trained in both Media and Philosophy, I’ve been trained to know how to deal with stupid lecturers, I’ve been trained to make use of the unholy hours of 10am.  This, is what the degree truly specifies:

“THIS PERSON, GOT THROUGH HELL-MONTH” 

On that, I better have a shower. Once again I woke up around 4am, failed to get back to sleep and must now do work. Only 2 weeks left! Jeez.