Everything you’ll miss about being a fresher as a second year

Having an existential crisis over the fact your marks now count? Still have no idea when recycling day is for your street? Welcome to the second year blues.

Your marks actually count now

First things first, and probably the most obvious, is the work — it actually counts this year too. This fact alone should be enough to make you crave the days of freshers, where a 40% pass mark was acceptable and widely celebrated.

You actually have to work

Not only are you expected to concentrate on work this year, you’re also expected to get your life together for after university. Applications are the devil reincarnated. When asked what your major achievements are and how you worked for them, you come close to hating yourself for only being able to muster up the sentence “I passed my A- Levels”, before changing your answer and hating yourself even more for putting some extremely stereotypical gap-yah story.

However, the real self-loathing actually starts when after all of that, you get rejected in 30 seconds from the majority of applications you’ve submitted – a massive confidence boost, 10/10 would recommend to a friend.

Second year housing is the worst

And whilst you may think that work and facing your future is enough, the joys of second year, and more specifically second year housing, is the gift that keeps on giving.

Recycling is just the worst

There are so many unanswered questions. Why are there 6 boxes for recycling and what are they all for? What even is a TV licence? Why am I getting excited to spend money on boring things like a mop, toilet roll, or drain unblocker? Or, indeed, is it acceptable to not act at all, and live in a state of permanent darkness?

Not to mention the paper-thin walls. So thin, in fact, that you can hear the goings on of every room in the house. Yes, you can hear everything, even the creaking bed as your housemate has sex in the room above you, reminding yourself, and the rest of the house just how single you actually are. The Noise Pages aren’t the only ones that complain about disruption in the area.

How long can you go without cleaning?

You still haven't met your soulmate

After having the realization that you’re permanently single, and have the phrase “you’ll have met your soul mate by the time you’re 21” shoved down your throat repeatedly, you think to yourself, maybe it's time to do something about your singleton status.

Is it possible to find your soulmate in Lounge?

But can you do this now all of your favorite club nights from freshers are no longer acceptable to attend. Make the most of those BED Mondays while you can, first years, in second year, it's no longer cool to attend and in our experience it’s where all relationships start, both good and bad.

But don’t worry; you’ll still be reminded of those one night stands which didn’t turn into relationships from Freshers when you bump into them on your way to uni in Redland every morning (give or take).

You'll be tired basically all the time

If I could sign off with answer to all of these questions, or solutions for these problems I would, but unfortunately I have none. All in all, we’re tired, confused and frustrated. A classic and uplifting combination if anyone saw one. If anyone has any words of wisdom it’d be greatly appreciated, but if not we’ll just hope for the best.

Night in? Yes please