Start of Something New - My Journey so far!

By Balachander Ramachandran on September 1, 2014

When I finished my undergrad over a year ago, little did I imagine doing a Master’s and let alone at the University of Illinois. And so began a new journey.

I arrived on campus on the first Sunday of August. While the first week had the excitement of getting things in order (read checking in, completing formalities, bank accounts, utilities blah blah blah) the second week was turning out to be rather mundane. It was then that I took to the streets and explored Champaign. Although I do miss the occasional ruckus, the calm streets and the organized traffic is a welcome change from the chaos back home. Some of the scenic sights in and around campus is an absolute delight to any photography enthusiast.

Thanks to the various orientation events organized in campus I got to meet and greet a lot of people. These events not only made me step out of my comfort zone but also helped me make quite a lot of friends, hopefully for life. I also had fun bowling, playing pool, kayak racing at the Late Nighter and Block Party. The plethora of clubs at the Quad Day sadly reminded me that my short stay here will not be enough to explore all the opportunities available on campus. Nevertheless it was great to see all the students brave the heat to get a sneak peek of the club activities. I also transitioned from having two left feet to learning the basics of Forró and Samba at the Brazilian night.

I got to see my first American Football game through volunteering for Asha for Education – UIUC Chapter. It was enthralling to see some of the plays I had read about in Eyeshield21 manga, live in action. Getting to see my first touchdown when I was standing right at the end zone was truly amazing. Eager to see the Fighting Illini make a comeback I ended my shift early to watch the fourth quarter and cheer them on. And what a comeback it was! By scoring three touchdowns in the final quarter they came back from behind to seal the win! Coincidentally it was 28 days since my arrival here.

It is now time to dive into academics and as the assignments start getting due, one must try to strike a balance and keep the fun-meter up and running. It has been a great start to the semester!

Hail to the Orange, Hail to the Blue!

(Do let us know how your start as been to the semester)

Follow Uloop

Apply to Write for Uloop News

Join the Uloop News Team

Discuss This Article

Back to Top

Log In

Contact Us

Upload An Image

Please select an image to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format
OR
Provide URL where image can be downloaded
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format

By clicking this button,
you agree to the terms of use

By clicking "Create Alert" I agree to the Uloop Terms of Use.

Image not available.

Add a Photo

Please select a photo to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format