How to carry on your childhood hobby at uni

Grow up and keep it up

11 years ago

Imy Awan | Guides

It’s a Saturday morning

As a seven year old, it should be your chance to lie in and sleep off the stresses of Primary School life – In theory. In reality, if you were a child that had a ‘hobby/skill/extra-thing‘ then chances were that you spent early Saturday mornings going to practice, rehearsal or training. In my case, it was music lessons.

And so it began. Ones spare time is partially consumed by this ‘thing’ that your mother thinks is a ‘good opportunity’. You protest but then you realise the shit is expensive so you go along with it. Eventually, you get a bit better and decide ‘well damn- playing the drums is pretty cool’. You even start to enjoy it.

Before you know it, you look forward to the early starts and ‘music-bantz’ with your teacher (who, by the way, became one of my very good friends). And that’s how you spend formative years, developing a skill, making mother proud. It’s genuinely lovely- you make new friends, get cooler and just generally be awesome at life.

And then uni happens.

Some people get distracted by booze. Some by boobs. Some by drugs. Either way, your free time is immediately taken up by fun or the immediate regret of said fun. And where does this leave your child-hood passion? Gone m8.

So, here’s some semi-serious advice to keep that shit up.

You will be tired, but it will be worth it

Freshers’ week has passed. Fun, wasn’t it? And you look forward to a nice few days of relaxation before the lectures start. NO! Go out and practice your scales, rudiments or…football scales? Idk, anything about sports. Don’t waste time relaxing. You’re at uni to study and get shit done. Have an espresso, slap some cold water on your stupid fresher face and head out. Find out what the town has to offer- I was lucky that Oxford has a thriving music scene. I went down to the Mad Hatter on Iffley Road and jammed every Tuesday- before I knew it I was on the Oxford University Jazz Commitee. And getting paid gigs. So go out and find a sports team to join- maybe even pick up a new one?

Make time for it

I am at uni to get a good degree. But, it doesn’t mean I can’t devote some time to practice and rehearsal. And actually, it’s more of a time to unwind and just chill out doing something you love. But let’s be real, if you’re gonna miss practice/rehearsal, it’ll be due to Fuzzies. Fuzzies is on Wednesday and so is rehearsal. Oh my, what to do?! Here’s what you do. Man up, go to whatever you have a commitment to do and kick some musical/physical arse. Build up adrenaline. Have a crazed look in your eye…and then unleash yourself into the social world. And another thing- musicians are literally the only people who will dance in time and identify the chord progression to Sean Paul’s ‘Get Busy’.

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Tell your lazy friends to piss off (politely)

This is a hard one. Your friends are the social bedrock of your uni existence and they’ll generally support you. But, are they gonna be there when you have a one-dimensional CV? No! I have missed many a-pre-drink or flat-dinner for rehearsal and yes, it is a bit of a drag- but ultimately worth it. And your mates will understand, if they care. Say to your employer – ‘I was a captain of the rugby team and led them in competitions x, y and z’ instead of ‘I got wrecked every Wednesday’.

Nights out with a sports team or a group of musicians will kick ass of regular nights out

You know the type; the football player, a bit of a Lad, he knows how to have a good time. Nights out with his mates are fun. Sports people, fuelled by clean living and lots of booze, will tear up the club both terrifying onlookers and inspiring fellow sporty people.

And there’s us. The musicians. The jazz musicians. We may look boring and bookishly nerdy but 9/10 times we will literally kick your asses on nights out. We won’t succeed, because we’re such poor shape- but goddamnit we will try.

Money?

Ok- this ones a bit more musicy. There are a lot of functions in Oxford, plays ect. And thus they require function bands. Anything from 80s rock to a smooth jazz trio. So join a band, start to develop a sound. And no – I don’t mean start doing weird experimental shit trying to discover your own ‘sound’ that you think is revolutionary and will get you laid. It’s not, it won’t and get a grip. Develop yourself in such a way that you become marketable, dress well, be professional and put yourself out there. £50 a night may not be millions, but that’s like three trips to Tesco m8.

You’ve spent so long developing yourself, don’t let it go.

Imy Awan | Guides