How I showed those New England
wusses the way to party party

Expatriate Gemma Buxton reports from the
corridors of tertiary education.

"Oh, you're going to University, be prepared for lots of partying." I heard this comment often as I prepared to embark on my travels to the University of New England, Armidale, as a student in Communication studies.
Yes, there is some truth to the rumour that Uni students are poor, drink copious amounts of alcohol and of course engage in philosophical discussions about how they can change the world. And there is also some truth to the suggestion that a substantial amount of the education received at University is gained not in lecture halls, but outside them.
As corny as it may sound, meeting lots of new people in such a short space of time and coping with extreme or difficult living conditions can contribute to a heightened tolerance level and a widened acceptance of other people's idiosyncrasies!
Accommodation at my Uni varies. I was one of the lucky ones, who, although living in a six bedroom flat and thrown together with five other girls, managed to cope well with flat mates who eventually became my good friends.
Living at University is enriching. Wright Village, (the Uni Campus flats) is very multicultural, with students from around fifty different countries living together.
Many arguments about the housework arose in our flat. Who's turn is it to clean the bathroom? Who stole my casserole dish? And as a finale to an argument, a note is written addressed to all the 'culprits':
To Flat 2 residents, I have had enough of the mess and all my bread has been eaten, meeting 5:00 tonight. By the way, due to people not respecting my kitchen ware, it is out of bounds from now on.
Thanks, Joe Blow

The note is nicely placed where everyone can see it. After the fourth incriminating note is written, they are usually banned as they are considered rude!
When people ask me where I'm from and I say Tennant Creek, they are usually amazed. I didn't meet another person from the Territory in Armidale, so I had no one to help me out with explaining what it's like.
We've all, at one time or another, had to explain to someone what Tennant is like and as plain and simple as you try and make it sound, all aspects of it, understandably, astound people.
We do live in a unique place and I enjoy explaining to people what's it's like here.
Something that was discussed in my lectures quite often was the concept of Self, Community, and Place. Realising what each of these are for us, helps us to better explain to others where we come from.
As mentioned earlier, a lot of education comes from outside the lecture halls and there are some people who believe that an education at Uni is useless for the workforce. It is true that a lot of young people in Tennant seem to have found themselves well on their way to a good career, simply from starting at the bottom and working hard up the ladder. Working towards a University Degree is a valuable thing to experience - the people, the places, the freedom that is associated with learning.
As well as obtaining a higher education and a degree that will hopefully get you the job you want, a trip through the University system will also help you discover who you want to be and where you want to go.
Through studying philosophies and literature, the world becomes a much more interesting place. Think of what else you want to do in life besides work and use your study to find it.