CALL ME HOMESICK
by Hanson Jones
Newcastle students abroad don’t get much of a voice back home while they’re away – Erasmus is not all fun and games. When I said I was going to France for a semester, everyone told me how much fun I’d have. However, France is a country where nothing gets done - and I’m talking about when they’re not on strike. Bank accounts, internet boxes, phone contracts, and most of all university enrolment, they thrive on making everything as difficult as possible for everyone. After waiting five weeks (five weeks into the course, that is) to be registered into my classes, and so very near the brink of a mental breakdown, the French experience has made me greatly appreciate the smoothness of university in the UK. I finally understand where that £9,000 is going; and I’m finally willing to pay it!
YOLO 2: REBIRTH
by Dayam Ali
YOLO is a phrase you’ve probably all heard before. YOLO stands for You Only Live Once. So, why are we spending it torturing ourselves by chasing money and working whilst getting an education, just so we can spend it all on alcohol and clubs? These activities rarely fulfil us – indeed, they do more harm than good. Is there nothing better than spoiling our lives on frivolity? If we only live once, we should spend time travelling and exploring new territories, learning about the world we live in, and making the most of the time we have here in Earth. There’s so much waiting to be explored in this world. Perhaps it’s wishful thinking, but I dream about getting out of bed, packing my bags, going on a trip of a lifetime and making the most of life. YOLO still means something. Won’t you join me?
EDITOR RAGE
by Jamie Cameron
You know when you’re an editor of the comment section, the computer has crashed for the fifth time, someone is playing Christmas songs in the office two months early, life has no meaning, and you’re waiting for article submissions that never come? In a sense, it’s not so bad. I mean, I get to write an article for once, a Soapbox, you could say. I bet it’s pretty funny, entertaining, and insightful too. At least, it’s infinitely better than articles that are never submitted. Infinitely worse too, I guess. You know, because people don’t submit their articles? Remember? Hey don’t worry I’m not angry. Just kidding - that was a joke, and I lied to you. Why? No reason, really. I mean I’m still looking for reason, you know? I’m waiting for the end - of this article. Oh wait, here it is!
