by Saskia Gilmour
Uni life is off to a great start
Already into the third week swing of things, it seems like university and me are a match meant to be like fish and chips, or cheese and crackers.
That being said, I can’t help but admit these first few weeks have been a rather steep learning curve…
Myself, like many other first-years, have come to realise that there is a lot more to uni than we may have previously considered.
The illusion of frequent uni toga parties, late-night exam cramming and post-lecture drinks quickly evaporated, as we were faced with the realities of true university life — a life dominated by prioritising, time-management and organisation.
Thankfully I have come to adapt to this realisation quite well. For instance, every Monday morning I begin by addressing the issue of highest priority on my agenda, i.e. having a sufficient breakfast at the Crêpe Café (no holding back on the Hollandaise Sauce, please!), which is especially important, as we all know you can’t face an intense day of study without a decent morning recharge.
My day then progresses with the most scrupulous time-management of my class breaks as I only have fifteen minutes to ensure maximum possible coffee intake. This means that I have to carefully consider the available time, my possible velocity, and the given displacement from coffee shop of my choice. This leaves me with not only a fantastic coffee to keep me alert, but also sharpens and refines my mathematic abilities.
I may not have eluded earlier, but I have noted through observation (and science) that coffee is an essential component to ensuring my success at university. Thus why I organise my day around this ritual is key to my success. As the graph below clearly displays, there is a directly proportional relationship between coffee intake and memory retention.
Though I have to say I’m not quite sure where this is applicable, as it seems to me that the only thing I’m able to remember is how many cups of coffee I’ve consumed…
In any case, the above graph serves as conclusive justification for my increased coffee consumption. It is no doubt a vital sustenance to ensure maximum success throughout student life at university.
As the term progresses I will be able to test the viability of these findings through my successful performance.
Perhaps this could even serve as a starting point for further studies on coffee and its purposes regarding student success:
Which types of coffee better aid memory retention — Arabica or Robusta?
Is there a ‘Golden Blend’ in which maximum performance may be founded?
These questions are among many which will come to be answered only in the form of Grade Point Averages at the end of semester — so we’ll be keeping a keen lookout on the results!
Stay tuned!
Saski Gilmour is studying a bachelor of fine arts at the QCA South Bank campus.
Saskia is one of just three Queensland students to receive the Deans’ Sir Samuel Griffith Scholarship, which was offered for the first time last year, to outstanding students commencing an undergraduate degree in 2013.