The Pessimism and Occasional Optimism of Juvenile Adulthood

During my first two years of University, this blog entry served as my ad hoc portfolio of articles for The Student newspaper in Edinburgh. Articles were arranged from newest to oldest and are still listed below. Following upgrades to The Student's own website, my profile there now provides links to my articles for the newspaper. Also detailed there are my roles within the newspaper, including spells as Editor-in-Chief and Deputy E-i-C during the Edinburgh Fringe Festivals of 2022 and 2023.  Year Two Come Dine with Us - thoughts on a student experiment  (Lifestyle) June 2022 Sentimental kitsch - the wonders of Eurovision  (Opinion) May 2022 Zelenskyy: A true Servant of the People  (Opinion) March 2022 The tragedy of Ukraine and the demise of meaningful dialogue  (Opinion) February 2022 The battle the BBC didn't want  (Opinion) January 2022 A cop-out COP  (Opinion/Satire) November 2021 A Green Quandary: Slater, Harvie and Government  (Opinion) October 2021 Confucius Institute f

 Since starting University in the strangest of times, the reality of higher education has simultaneously bowled me over and left me distinctly underwhelmed. Maybe as the intensity slowly winds up (with first assessments due in 4 weeks time) things will feel different but for now, I feel in a unique state of limbo, one worth expressing in words. Words which will certainly not be my best, but words better out than in, in any event. Today (Thursday 1st October) began for me at 5:10 AM when I was woken up by my alarm to go and play badminton. Why anyone would choose to play badminton at 6 AM would normally be beyond me, but the opportunity to leave my flat is simply too great. But after the early start, I soon settled into a inherently unsettling routine of productive morning (pre-recorded lectures, notes, cups of tea etcetera), lunch, procrastinating patch of DOOM! Perhaps I'm being melodramatic but I doubt it. This is a period, where I think for prolonged periods about the merits of