Little have I written these past weeks. Suffering from lack of inspiration, lack of energy and enthusiasm in general. I am coming to the end of my Uni life and the future is open to almost all wonderful dreams and fantasies. This ways me down for I generally like an ordered plan of attack. Hence I had decided by 5th form that I was going to study chemistry and by 6th from that I was going to be doing it at Otago Uni. The past four years have been spent carrying out this almost flawless design, suffering only minor upsets of flatmate abandonment and alike. First year was a year spent learning life skills; cooking, drinking, washing, gardening, drinking and cleaning the slimy goo inhabiting a toupee’s worth of hair residing in the lower bowels of the shower plug hole. Second year was more serious studies wise, with labs increasing by another hour and landing a 33 hour a week contact time uni-age in first semester. Hardcore you might say, and I am likely to agree. I had settled down a wee bit though, with fewer trips up town and more stay at home ‘parties’. Third year was another sprocket up on the gear of academic study. Now labs did actually last the full 4 hours, requiring intense sessions of lab report writing. A number of us third years (mostly North East Valleyians) made the Chem computer lab our primary home. There we laughed, we cried, we typed, we wrote, we eat, we drank and even slept on the odd occasion. This really gelled the class and well stuck are we still today. I got through that year with only minor bruises and superficial cuts managing to avoid most exam questions that would have been my certain downfall. To carry on the chemistry theme I decided that rather than going home for the summer and having a holiday while filling in time toasting/steaming/dressing/grilling/wrapping food for general consumption, I would stay and take my first steps out into the mind blowing world of research chemistry. My job was simple, get these different chemicals and see if the ‘make’ light when you shine different light upon them. That’s was fun, but before long I had run out compounds too test. This resulted in my perfecting of fluffing around. I did an odd job here and here to fill in the rest of the time so as to ensure that I was not eating ill gotten bread. Due to the slow nature of the research project at the end of its days, I was able to begin investigating topics and ideas pertaining to the Honours project that I had been sold too. My previous supervisor (3rd year and the summer) had two students vying for him, of whom I was one. The other student, Cushla, had been associated with him for even longer than I had been and due to her desired research area not being offered by any other supervisor I had decided that it was time for me to depart ways with first supervisor. It didn’t take long nor far for me to find my new supervisor, for he lived but one office away. He had been my supplier for pretty much the whole summer. Every couple of days he would give me a couple to take home and enjoy. But it didn’t take long before I needed more and new rushes. The stream had remained steady all summer and I began to return the favour with a couple of my own. Even now he has a couple of ones I have yet to enjoy. And now I am addicted. I don’t rely on his supply, but search and search for all that I can find. I suppose I should just enjoy this freedom while I am young and while this disposable income is still begging to be invested is in town. I am currently well past 300 and growing by the week. The project that caught my eye was this beautiful synthetic project that required both my inorganic and organic expertise to accomplish. The concept was simple: make this, chuck onto this and see what pretty structures you make. Oh if it was that simple. After many months of endless hours in the lab I am still yet to complete ‘make this’. The days are closing in fast but I may just get there. To break up the laborious lab work I have been attending morning and afternoon teas, and chem lunches. The morning and afternoon teas are occupied by sipping tea, nibbling the odd muffin while listening to the latest departmental gossip and whining. It is rather amusing to sit down and listen to lecturers having a go at each other, discussing problematic students, and whining about the HoD; like children at playtime just with bigger words. Chem lunches were instituted over the summer period so that the summer-researching-soon-to-be-fourth-year students could escape for a lunch of pleasant conversation and soothing food. We have cased most nearby joints and now have our frequent haunts. The hot platter assembled at Eureka must be the most frequently consumed item of sustenance over this period. I attest to its magnificence having had the pleasure of consuming one this very past lunch. There is less than 10 weekly chem lunches left before this merry bunch disbands and goes their separate ways. Some plan to stay but most to move on. I am one of these movers. But to where I shall inhabit, I do not know. Plans are under way regarding the Wellington region, but to what who knows. This I believe will continue to way on me, along with exams and report writing for some time yet.
