A glance to the first day
Today I just did my dissertation presentation. Within the next 26 days, I’ll have exam. Right after that, I have to start doing my MSc research for three months. By 1st September, I have to hand in the dissertation paper and if everything goes smoothly, I’ll graduate by the end of September. My God, how time flies.
It still fresh in my mind the first day I came to Oxford almost seven months ago. This city has captured my heart right from the beginning. A lovely small city full of students and filled with nice old Victorian buildings. Bicycle everywhere, impressive college buildings, huge university park, and comfortable city centre. I like the place where I live. It’s not too far from OUCE (Oxford University Centre for Environment) where I study at the Environmental Change Institute and also to Linacre College. It’s also only 15 minutes walk from the city centre. A 7am - 12am Co-Op supermarket is only a few doors away as well as a cinema, a pharmacy, various restaurant (China, India, Spanish), club and bars (too bad I’m not a clubber..hehe), second hand bookstore (I can see it from my room), charity shops, ice cream store, some boutique/clothes shop, home appliances store (pretty expensive, though), hair salons, post office, recycling centre and kindergarten (wish I bring my son here). I also like the house, my housemates, and my room. Everything is perfect, I have no complain about it and I really enjoy my time in Oxford at the very first day.
I still remember the fist time I met with some of my future classmates at a comfy bar in an alley (forgot the name). That was also the first time I went into such kind of place. Never been there even when I’m in Jakarta. They are all very enthusiastic and energetic young people (most of them are below 30, even below 25). In other way, I can classify myself and the eight other people as ’senior citizen’ in the class. But I didn’t feel any age gap or whatever it is at all and feel more like old friends. We start chatting and exchanging information as well as trying to match names and faces just like good old buddies. I feel comfortable among them and absorbing their youthness to boost my energy and spirit to start my ‘fight’ here.
I can easily recall my newcomer dinner at my college and wearing my subfusc for the first time. The matriculation day when we were matriculated at the Ashmolean, the group picture and the great lunch after that feels like yesterday. And the first BOP (college party) at night after the matriculation. Gosh, we really had a good time! I haven’t forget the excitement of my first field trip to South Devon although I have to give full effort to climb up and down the hill to learn about fresh water lake, soil erosion, coastal management and farming scheme. I, who rarely almost never excercise in Jakarta, had to keep my pace and control my breath so that I can catch up with the rest of the group. But the picturesque landscape and the clean air could freshened my energy up.
The thinking of first lecturer, group presentation, and essay still me smile and make my mind wander to those memories. All night long essay writing, some slow lecture that make me hard to stay awake though the topic is interesting, the glory feeling while browsing and downloading qualified journal by using Athens account (what a privilege), and walk between amazing book shelves with hundreds of book in an impressive library is something unforgetful.
God, I just realize that I have spent my last seven months here in Oxford with tones of memory. Beautiful memory. Its only five months left before I complete my study and go back and now I start thinking on how I’ve gone through those days. Its true that I had to fight hard and I still have to go through exam and writing dissertation, but the days behind are still so ‘warm’.
I know there are still lots of thing can be and have to be done before I go back for good and be together with my family again. But looking back to my every first day and first thing here in Oxford, keep up my spirit to do my best as a way to make the good memories remain. And having a good end.
