Blog #8 Back to School… For the last time??
I’m sat on the top floor of the Curtin University library on the first day of my last semester. It's strange to think that I’ll be finished with university at the end of this year. The 2-and-a-half-year period between first moving to Perth and now feels like both a lifetime of its own and a flash in the pan.
I moved up from Albany on the 1st of February 2022. I had just spent the entirety of 2021 on a gap year cucked by Covid. This meant that instead of travelling I spent the year working at Kmart and going to the pub. However, this was much needed. By the end of high-school, I was high-strung, stressed out and didn’t know how to have any fun. A year of mindless work, drunk nights, and connecting with new and old friends was necessary and appreciated.
However necessary the year off was, I still had no idea what I was in for. Living away from home and studying at university. I remember being so out of my element that when I first made it through Armadale via the Albany Highway I ran a red light.
The biggest thing I had to get used to was the complete freedom that living and studying on your own grants you. I no longer felt like I had a million eyes on me instead I was now one in a million. The pressure created by knowing everyone around you and an intrusive religious education was no longer there.
When I first moved up I grabbed this freedom with both hands and took it for a test drive. I would live off eggs and toast, go out every occasion I could, and I would rock up to my job hungover with chipped teeth. I had no idea what I was doing and that’s perfectly fine. I’ve essentially spent the past two and a half years throwing shit at the wall and seeing what sticks.
When I first moved up I was quite sure of who I was and what I wanted. What I learned is that who you think you are and what you want can change radically. After my first year living up here I had already done a complete 180 when it came to my fundamental values and views of the world. This makes complete sense! I’ve now come to learn that growth is a constant and necessary. I’m not the man I was when I first moved up, or the man I was a year later and I know I wont be the man I am today next year.
It should be no surprise that all of this internal change was likely to change my interests and even long-term plans. When I moved up I aspired to become successful through a marketing career and make a ton of money. That idea no longer excites me and making a ton of money is no longer an important metric for me.
While I do still have an interest in marketing I do feel like money and career were big motivators in my decision-making process years ago. I had always considered journalism, going back years, and history is a huge passion I always wished I could have done something about.
Since starting this blog I have oriented my life goals around: Keeping this up every week, Finishing University, and finding a way to live and work abroad whilst writing about my travels. I’ve even thought about interviewing people once I go abroad. Getting a variety of perspectives would be awesome. A part of that variety for me though is going to be bat-shit crazy people, or at least people considered bat-shit. Regardless whether I agree with these people, I love the idea of constantly traveling and meeting interesting people.
Last I checked, the total debt I have accrued during my degree was close to $50k. I am in no rush to add to that. Right now, my priority is to finish university but at some point in my life I could definitely see myself doing further study. I let practicality stand in my way before I doubt I will again.
Speaking to other students and friends it’s not too uncommon to hear people say they would go back to study for the lifestyle or travel opportunities. Others have said in a similar vein that once they graduate they just want to keep traveling and working odd jobs. I completely agree with this ideology and it makes sense to me why so many in my generation are living in this experience first lifestyle. Not only does it sound like a more fulfilling way to live your life but it’s also attainable whilst avoiding the mounting challenge of home ownership and career climbing. Until these start to become realistic and fulfilling prospects again I cannot see this trend reversing.
Regardless of what I end up doing in my professional and academic lives, I know I’m bound to change. I’m just trying to make sure I enjoy the ride and live the life I want to live. I’m sure this last semester will be a blast and full of transformational moments like the past 2 and-a-half years.
Thanks for reading :)
