Ready, Set…Students

For behold, God loveth the Freshers. For He maketh the sun to shine down upon them for two whole days, so that they mayest scuttle into student housing without threat of rain upon their precious posters. He maketh the sky a delightful blue, so that their parents are lulled into a false sense of security about the big city into which they have deposited their Precious Darlings, that they mayest think, “Oh, it’s all going to be just fine.”

The cabbie slammed on the brakes and uttered a few multi-syllabic words as a crowd of pink-shirted University freshman wandered aimlessly across the road. “!@#$%&*^- students,” the driver blurted, leaning on his horn. D. sat passively in the front seat, wisely saying nothing, as the driver warmed to his theme. “Wouldn’t believe the cheek of some of them. On my last pick-up I saw one mouthing off to his Mum. She smacked him with a shoe, and he got after her with his fist, right in the mouth!”

“Hmm!” said D., who had no clue whether he was supposed to be sympathizing with the mother or the child or the cabbie, who had to be making good fares from the influx.

“Same thing every year,” the driver went on, signaling for a turn. “Rowdy drunks, all of them, causing trouble.”

“Hm.” D. said, nodding and looking wise.

“Better off the lot of them get a job,” the cabbie sighed.

“Hmm.”

Ah, Freshers’s Week, the week when the sixteen-seventeens are introduced to campus life with a series of parties, games, and events. They sign up for societies and clubs, find housing, and get that overall feel of how awesome the next year is going to be. The following week is when they get an idea of how much WORK it’s going to be, but that first week, it’s all fun and games and Welcome to Uni. Good times.

When we first got to Glasgow, D. was proud to tell everybody where he was from, and why he was here. Thus, it was a little bit of a shock, how people reacted to D. being a student. His degree was held up for scrutiny. (“Philosophy? That’s a bit of useless.”) His age was debated, his prospects discussed. (“What are you ever going to do with that?” What kind of money would that make ya?”) Most of the workmen, cab drivers, storekeepers and other people who engaged us in casual conversation were a bit… uh, scornful of the whole university thing. That was a big cultural shock, coming, as we do, from the West Coast of the United States where most people at least have gone to a junior college for a class or two, and many adults are still striving to finish a Bachelor’s, a step at a time, in evening classes. Education in the United States is …everything, it’s seen as a means to a change, a tool in the hand of a person who wants to improve their circumstances, and something that gives everyone, equally, a chance, and also gets you a discount on your computer. Despite the university tradition here, Glasgow doesn’t seem quite as sanguine about the school thing.

After living in the city for awhile, though, it’s easier to see why the students are seen as a useless nuisance. In the past week, the population of the city seems like it’s doubled. There are people everywhere, students crossing the streets in packs, parents rubbernecking and pointing out the architecture (Aww! That was us, just two years ago!) A lot of the pubs on are stuffed, with lines trailing out into the road, and where the locals once had a quiet drink and a chat, or could enjoy a meal in peace, they’re overrun with the young and clueless, who soon turn into the drunk and careless. And then the people who live here more than eight months out of the year begin to grumble a bit.

No matter how we grumble, though, we have to admit that the increase in population makes for some fun people-watching. The various shades of pink hair, the Betty Boop purses, the bubble skirts, the indecipherable manga t-shirts — every wait at the bus stop is an entertainment when school is in. Check out these guys with the great little feathers in their caps. We have no idea if the feathers are some division symbol, or just mean that they’re recruiters, but the guys in camo are out in force as well.

And while the sun did shine for a couple of days, we had to make note of it because it REALLY did rain for most of the month of August, solidly. (Note the huge mushroom in the middle of the lawn! They’re everywhere!) However, after the two days of sun, we’re back to fog and clouds, so everything is …back to normal.

Meanwhile, D. is trekking around campus, giving tours and counting the hours until he can stop pointing and smiling and directing people to the financial office. (Much to T’s disgust, he is not wearing the bright yellow Answer Man t-shirt. Apparently Master’s Students don’t need that kind of visual guide.) And another year at the University of Glasgow is primed to start.

Two down, two (or, maybe eighteen months, fingers crossed) to go.

– D & T

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