Why I have become a Disgruntled Third Year

18 year olds are currently skipping round campus, brimming with fresh-faced exuberance and excitement about the hundreds of societies they could (but won’t) join.

Little do they know how two years of worryingly cheap takeaways, worryingly incompetent landlords and worryingly few contact hours will wear them down. But it will.

And this is when the disgruntled third year makes an appearance.

The disgruntled third year is currently facing the realisation that graduate schemes are disgustingly competitive and that the economy is as bleak as the weather forecast in Leeds.

But the future is not their only cause for concern, there are simply so many everyday irritations to be found on and around campus:

The labyrinth that is Roger Stevens

It does not matter how long you have studied here, you will remain forever confused and forever lost. Nightmare.

The constant Careers Centre emails

An innocent, friendly source of assistance? Do not be fooled. They will bombard you with emails, guilt-tripping you constantly as you remember that job applications will not magically fill themselves out. It would be a novel idea to venture there one day, but as the point above makes – campus is a confusing, mysterious place to be.

The extortionate nature of Sainsbury’s Local

Despite being a great landmark for where nearly every student in Hyde Park lives, this convenient store is not a budgeter’s best friend. You will end up paying bizarre prices for the most basic food. And in the midst of the claustrophobic aisles you will be forced into small talk, with someone you are trying to avoid, when looking your worst.

Sainsbury’s Local – devilishy expensive

The awkwardness of avoiding flyerers

Pretend to be animated in conversation? Stubbornly look forward and stride ahead? Smile and mumble an apologetic “no thanks”? These promoters are a constant campus plague and there is no guaranteed method of avoiding them.

The ‘omg I can’t remember what happened last night I was soooo drunk’ statuses

You’ve been legally able to drink for quite some time now, so why has the novelty not worn off? Why do think your inability to handle alcohol makes you cool?

 

The pervading stench of damp towels

Student houses do not get warm enough for towels to fully dry. This is the sad truth of the matter.

The realisation that the real world is beckoning

Ok so maybe this whole rant was just jealousy that freshers have it all to come.. Maybe uni life isn’t actually that bad.

When the future includes paying full price for the cinema, a dearth of Fruity-esque music and no student loan to fall back on in those (plentiful) times of need.. then, actually, maybe the disgruntled third year should get wasted, detail their antics on Facebook and splash out on over-priced hangover food from Sainsbury’s Local.