Back to the Bubble

As a fourth year returning to Warwick from my year abroad in the US, I can’t help but see a bit of myself in Morgan Freeman’s _Shawkshank Redemption_ character, Ellis Boyd ‘Red’ Redding. Of course, this isn’t to say that my year abroad was like prison, but I do see parallels with Red’s struggle to adjust to “life on the outside” as I make the transition from living on the Upper West Side of New York to living on the north western side of campus.

Driving back to Warwick for the umpteenth time since 2009, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of
déjà vu. Pulling up to Lakeside, the faceless red and beige-brick buildings looked undistinguishable yet all too recognisable. Nothing seemed to have changed, yet it didn’t feel the same.

Being back in the bubble after a year out can feel unsettling. On seeing the giant screen that now fills the piazza, I thought perhaps that I had walked into Orwell’s 1984.

I quickly remembered how confusing campus could be as I spent an hour looking for a building on Westwood campus; how far Tesco is when I needed to transport ten bottles of water to my room (I probably should have thought that one through); and how irritating it is when you arrive on a Sunday with no food and everything is closed by 5pm.

On my valiant return to the SU I was greeted by (what could only be) a fresher puking into a plastic bag. Joined by two post-grad friends, we strolled through the Terrace Bar in the hope of finding a quiet place to grab a drink and chat. Instead, we were hit by a barrage of heavy bass and banal club tunes, as well as a collective look of intrigue and confusion from a group of young girls.

> Had the American air given me the classic good looks and chiselled bone structure that could turn heads just by entering a room?

It seemed unlikely. It was at this point that I realized how much I had aged since the fresh-faced boy that, three years before, could easily have been throwing up into a bag or sat questioning why a bunch of old students were crashing our party.

I have no regrets about taking a year abroad: it was by far the best year of my life. However, returning to your old institution can be a little disconcerting, especially after adjusting to a completely different culture and way of life. It’s important to remember that you’re not abroad any more and accepting that makes things a whole lot easier. Try not to let the fourth-year blues get you down – keep busy, have fun and embrace the bubble.