A L U M N I
110
Alumni
Reflections from UCL by Maximilian Mihailovici, IBSB Alumnus Of all the things in this world, there remains but one certainty: that of the passing of time. As we inevitably mature out of our cocoons, sprouting out like butterflies into the wilderness that is post-secondary school life, we come to realise that there are not enough fingers on our hands to count the number of things we took for granted, or miss from our lifestyle of old. This isn’t so much an exposé on myself as it is a reflection of ideas I would share with anyone daring to think further into the future than the next weekend or so. Take it more as a blunt reflection on all events past in times recent. Before continuing, I only wish to say the following: if you are a student, just like every class which came before you, you are wrong. Everything you will discover university to be is almost always going to end up being different to how you pictured it in your mind’s eye. It is of the highest essence then that you begin with a blank slate and a clear mind, lest you wish to be wrong, as I was. Vitally, you must acknowledge that you enter 2 schools of life when embarking on this journey anew: that of academia, and that of life. They are equally important, and equally codependent; don’t trade one for the other; instead, learn to use them harmoniously, synchronously, and holistically. My experiences at UCL specifically, and London at large, are a culmination of post-factum considerations about the intricacies which life no doubt holds over all of our heads. From the very first day I set foot on campus, a whirlwind of thought, as though pre-planned, began casting clouds of doubt over my being. The usual, and predictable, I might add: ‘Am I going to like it here?’ ‘What if I don’t fit in?’ ‘What if I don’t like my accommodation?’ ‘What if I fail my course?’ It was quite the juxtaposition
