Same stress, different country

I'm not quite sure what it is about university, but my relationship with administration has always been slightly dysfunctional. I am constantly fighting to take the courses that I want, get time slots that actually fit in my schedule, or get into lectures that are required for my degree. These battles have loomed over my entire university career and they were one educational aspect that I was hoping to leave on the other side of the world. Unfortunately, as I found out today, university bureaucracy spans oceans.

I woke up at the uncomfortable hour of 8am determined to sort my module schedule out. Negotiating with faculties and departments is hard enough, but it becomes a monumental task when you don't know your way around campus. It took me two wrong attempts and a solid three hours to find the Communications Department only to land on the monuments of paperwork that were waiting for me. In my quest to find the Fine Arts department, I ended up at Leeds Fine Arts College, a completely different school that is in no way affiliated with Leeds University. It took an in-depth conversation with the receptionist AND  their academic adviser to make me realize that I was neither in the right place, nor speaking to the right people. I walked out trying to look as bashful as possible so as to not seem outright dimwitted.

After tedious hours of running though administrative buildings and trying to squeeze my way into courses that didn't want me, I was ready for a pick me up. I met up with Alysha and a few of her flatmates (Hannah and Calum) and we proceeded to go vintage shopping. After trying on some old knitted jumpers, I accidentally put my shirt on backwards and therefore proceeded to the front of the shop with my tag sticking out of my side as if I was playing flag football. The shop owner, a rosy looking man dressed in chords and an old wool sweater, chuckled to himself and pointed out my mistake. Embarrassed I told him that I would change it later, but he informed me that it was bad luck to reverse it. Not wanting to face anymore bad luck, I conceded and left my sweater bearing its seams to the world.

Tomorrow will be brighter; probably not weather wise, but definitely in the positive sense of things. Yes, tomorrow will be brighter.