Student Blog: The Un-Summer Season at Home

Hello, everyone, and welcome to my blog of an un-summerly break!

To start us off with, I'm Nat! I'm currently at home in Malaysia for the break from Winchester, UK, and in the lovely University of Winchester, I'm currently taking a degree in Musical Theatre. I've just completed my first year and frankly, the most nerve-wracking part about it all is waiting for my grades. I could be lounging on my couch with a video game and I'd get an email, and there's nothing that gets me jumping around in panic. It really keeps me on my feet.

I will be honest; I've never had a summer break before because we don't have any seasons in Malaysia. It has always been the constant heat with long schooling semesters since I was in primary school and at least a week to a month's break in between terms. Though, the heat here does compensate for the UK heat that I'm missing out on. The three months of spare time that I have right now is quite jarring and I feel quite lost sitting at home idly. Who knew it would be so tricky trying to fill up my schedule? On top of that,  with the collision of Malaysia's schooling schedule and mine, hardly anyone is free to entertain me so I have been trying to find things to occupy myself.

So far, I already have a to-do list of work to complete outside my musical theatre work and I haven't even started my list of my university preparations for the next academic year in September. I'm not all too worried with the lists since they're all the things I love to do which is just a splurge of all things to do with the creative mind. They mostly consist of catching up on the pile of books that I bought very impulsively, writing and drawing for a couple of fan-made zines, learning new songs for my repertoire and running through some material. Perhaps I might return to my former theatre classes while I'm here, just to add on to the list and continue honing my craft.

As I heard once from a great person, "Practice makes better."

However, those are just my personal plans. I haven't even taken into consideration everything that my parents have planned for me. We have places to see, food to eat and plenty of people to see. Even with so much to do, wherever I go, my work will follow. Throughout the course of this blog's season, I'll be taking you on my journey as I balance my university and personal work, with a side of adventures to come! I will also write of my incredible time in first year which involved hustling through the practical and theoretical aspects of musical theatre, and living on my own for the very first time. I can't spoil too much on here for now!

It's wonderful having you on here and I can't wait to share more of my stories with you of living 13 hours away from home. As wonderful as it is to be home, it's really bittersweet having to leave my friends in the UK for the break. I already miss my troop and I can't wait to return for more madness in 2nd year.