I'm Moving to Vienna!

It was around two weeks ago that I found out in February 2018 I will be enrolling at the University of Vienna for their 2018 summer semester as a student of the Sociology Department!

CRAAAAZYYYY, I know!

Coming from an average working class family it is amazing that opportunities like this now exist for people like me and I am honoured to have been nominated and selected by Goldsmiths, University of London and the University of Vienna. 
The semester begins on the 1st March 2018 which as of now seems miles away, but I know once Christmas has passed it will most definitely fly by. The summer semester lasts 5 months in total as it finishes on the 30th June 2018, although I will be heading down there possibly 2 weeks to a month before hand, just to get my baring of the city.
I will be studying within the Sociology Department and all my grades will be worked out on an average of how well I perform throughout the term, which means no slacking off for me- I must stay focused (something I can struggle with). Once I am back in London for summer holidays, the transcript of all my grades will be sent back over and Goldsmiths will then do the conversion and update my file ready for my third and final year...

Things I'm nervous about:

• Despite learning German from Year 7 till Year 10, I can just about introduce myself. It is very funny actually, how life works. My classmates and I all used to complain about learning German as it was difficult and our teacher was Italian herself- not very convincing (I know we shouldn't have judged!) and now here I am struggling to find an affordable intensive German language course that will make me a native within 3 months hahaha!!!
• I mean all the worrying aspects are going to relate back to the language barrier however I'll break a few of them down. Making friends... This is worrying and although I don't find it exactly difficult to make friends, even a confident, outgoing person can feel nervous about this. I mean I could accidentally end up hanging with the wrong crowd and end up trapped in a scary situation not speaking German and not being able to escape!!! Or what if I just end up alone and lost... wandering the streets every Saturday night looking for a pal?! :(
• My course... yes, it will be taught in English (Thank Goodness as I did spend about 4 days shitting myself at the fact that I may have to do half my course in another language). Rest assured that I won't have this little stress but I have heard this particular university system (from a native Austrian) is quite rigorous and takes no prisoners! Please Goldsmiths... please have me ready for what I am about to get myself into. Even just reading the course catalogue made me realise I need to start reading like 4000 words per minute to even have a semi chance at getting a decent grade. Shize.
• Getting around... I know this will eventually come to me and it won't take too long for the penny to drop but seriously. Finding my way around Vienna will not be a walk in the park by any means. It is just one of those things I have to take in my stride.
• I know I have already mentioned my course but I have to admit the prospect of FAILING is a very big risk. It took a while for me to adjust to Goldsmiths and now I'm making myself do it all overs again in Austria?! If I do not pass the summer semester I will have to retake the whole year!!!
• My skin colour... This has been an underlining worry about the complete experience as I have heard many rumours that it can be slightly racist in Austria. Of course these are just rumours and there is only one wa to find out. It is a capital city and not a little village in the middle of the countryside so that definitely does help, however it doesn't remove the worry. There was a point when Vinny was considering moving over there with me for a few months to see what he thinks of it, but he too (as a black male of African decent) was warned that he 'won't stand a chance'. I understand people only say things like this out of concern and of course to raise caution but I've realised that if you listen to everything everyone says you will never leave your house! Many people have also old me about how I will absolutely love it and have a blast- without a mention of my brown skin! I will be regularly writing on here to keep my readers in the know about my experience as a mixed race 20 year old living in Vienna, Austria.

Things I'm excited about:

• The fact that when I get back I will speak a decent (I hope) level of German!! I've been trying to get myself to learn a second language for a very long time now but it is much easier said than done. Now I will be knees deep in the German language, yay meeeee!
• My accommodation... although it hasn't been sorted yet, I am so so excited at the prospect of having as cool little room/ apartment in a quaint capital city. I'll do it up and make it totally me as well as make sure I'm living in a great location near lots of amenities, so when people want to come visit me... I will be a stone throw away from some exciting things to do and see!
• Travelling (of course) around the whole of Austria! This is an area of the study abroad scheme that excites me the most. I will get to travel all over the country and to neighboring counties such as Italy, Switzerland, Hungry and more of course. I really also want to venture to Salzburg, Austria where the Sound of Music was filmed.... how incredible!
• Making friends... although this is a worry, it also does make me so excited at the prospect of  possibly building relationships with people that could last a lifetime! The sailing trip I ventured on was only for 2 weeks and yet I came back to two incredible friends... Giullianna and Lettie. If the same can happen over a 6 month period I will be more than overjoyed as real friends are far and few between ;).
• I am excited to learrrrrnnnnnn all about Sociology from a completely different perspective to what is taught at Goldsmiths. Although Goldsmiths is good at being very open and understanding to the fact that there are many different and contrasting interpretations of theories and theorists it will be great to see if thousands of miles away people think the same, similar or worlds apart!
• Experiencing Austrian culture including the food, attractions, music, fashion, attitude in general and nightlife woooo! I'm almost certain I will be seen as an alien, being British and all haha.
• My family and friends coming to visit me and seeing how well I'll hopefully be doing. I will get to show them around and open their worlds a little more!
• Returning home and feeling that sense of achievement. It sounds overly cringe I know but it is true. If I do this and return to tell the tale- still smiling- I will have achieved so much more than I could have ever hoped for. Hopefully making my family, friends and mumma (guardian angel) super proud of me!

I will be keeping the site updated with what happens next in my incredulous venture so stick around and check back every now and then. Oh and wish me luck in these next few hectic months of preparation!

https://www-tc.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/files/2016/09/vienna-summer16-promo-mez.jpg

Peace&Love,

Willow

Continue Reading..

My First Year of University

I go to a University notorious for 'breaking down boundaries' and 'challenging the norms'. To begin with, I felt as though my university was not as wild and out there as it was made out to be. My freshers week was a slight let down as the student union were what I feel is best described as lazy and hardly made an effort to make the first years feel super welcome. To follow, going to university in London is not like going to university in Manchester, (a university I had considered applying to). It was only until I found myself at City University, London, helping a friend out with her exam - not cheating, I was her patient in her optometry exam! - that I saw how different Goldsmiths was to the rest of them. I could walk the halls and be absolutely anyone I wanted to be. Today I could wear a beret and tomorrow I could have pink eyebrows and a shaved head, no one would bat an eyelid. I haven't come from the wealthiest of families and it is important to note that institutions such as Goldsmiths, focus on nurturing the creative minds that haven't been accepted by classic English society and I am proud to be a part of the furniture. 

Looking back, the weekend before I begin my second year, despite all of the above, I hardly turned up for class. I wish I attended every lecture and every seminar I was too lazy to roll out of bed for.  I wouldn't go in for a week and then find myself sat in a lecture about the 'Idea of Africa' or Edward Said's Orientalism, followed by an equally stimulating seminar.

I did however find it quite hard making friends during my first year, and although I became close with my flatmates, I didn't make half the effort I should have to get to know other people around campus. If I would give anyone any advice it would be to put yourself out there! I know it is easier said than done but having friends to hang with, study with or even meet up with during the break makes a world of difference. A good place to start is joining societies and unfortunately I did not in my first year but lucky for me, I have a second shot... I'm stuck between Yoga and Muay Thai, or both haha. 

One aspect of academia that I do have a large problem with and I find many BAME students also point out, is the fact that pretty much all of the important academics we study are white middle class men that apparently made some incredible discovery about life that most probably already existed in one of the many great minds from all over the world. However true this is, it just seems to get old every time a picture of a new theorist pops up on a powerpoint with a grey beard and grey skin to match. 

I almost didn't come back to second year, as I had been considering deferring for a very long time. I always seem to lack motivation when it comes to actually doing any work and on top of that studying is expensive, especially while you're trying to travel the world. I had applied for the Erasmus + scheme last minute and through the Sociology department and turns out they liked my application enough to nominate for a position at the University of Vienna. I felt very lucky and realised that if I don't give this opportunity a shot, I would most likely regret it for a long time. I should find out if I get the place within the next two weeks, however there is a chance I'm not accepted, mostly because of my attendance last year. Fingers crossed they are willing to give me a second chance. 

Anyway... here I come second year. The workload is gonna be quadruple and I am probably going to feel more lost than before.

Peace&Love
Willow

Continue Reading..