Chief Editors' Note: New Beginnings (and Old Routines)
We hope our readers have had a good summer holiday! Bit by bit, the days are getting shorter and the nights are getting darker but worry not, dear reader, for we have a new issue for you to enjoy. As co-chief editors this year, we’re both glad to share some of our thoughts and discuss the upcoming semester.
Minja:
The summer has really flown by, and I can hardly believe that it is August already. For me, it has been an eventful couple of months, and I’ve gotten to spend more time with my friends and family than usual, which I think is always the best part of summer. On top of that, there have been plenty of warm and sunny days, which means plenty of picturesque picnics and beach reads, but on the other hand, there were those sweltering hot days which I will not miss at all as the autumn arrives.
If I had to name my favourite thing about autumn, it would probably be the start of an academic year. (Well, that and pumpkin spice latte.) The first couple of weeks, the campus just has a certain atmosphere where people’s anticipation and excitement become almost tangible. This atmosphere is so unique that I think I’ll miss it after I’ve graduated: going back to work after a holiday just doesn’t have the same feeling to it.
Robi:
Indeed, September and a brand new semester is almost here, which means that it is almost time for us to grab our dusty laptops or notebooks from the shelves we dumped them on in the spring and shove them into our equally dusty canvas bags or backpacks as we head to campus for the first time in a couple of months. Or maybe you’re a new student coming in, excited but also kind of scared as you wander around the corridors of Metsätalo with your pristine new bag and a beloved but still well-functioning laptop. To me and my friends, autumn brings in a comforting structure and an array of old habits that die hard, like making the same coffee orders and taking the same bus routes every single day. To all of our dear freshers on the other hand, this autumn is about new beginnings and opportunities, new people and new routines. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to all of you for getting accepted into our university and starting your studies. It is quite a leap of faith, and I wish you all the best.
I am actually taking a leap of faith of my own this autumn. Usually, as I said, September brings along the usual schedules, lecture halls and rituals. This year my campus will be about 2000 kilometres away and I will have to find a new café to frequent as I start my exchange semester abroad. It feels like I’m a fresher again. Well, almost. My laptop is far from new, my notebooks are all quite dusty and I have a bachelor’s degree under my belt, so I’m not necessarily stepping into something totally new and unknown. But I recognise this combination of giddiness and anxiety. The last time I felt like this was when I was about to start my first year at uni. The world is different and I’ve obviously grown since, but I’m glad I get to approach the semester with a bit more childlike wonder and excitement than usual.
Minja:
For me, too, the new semester brings a similar combination of something old and something new. On the one hand, I will be pretty much following those same old routines that I’ve followed for the past five years. Technically, this start of a new semester will be similar to every other year. I’ll have to dig up my old notebooks and prepare for just a couple more courses. I’ll have to find my pens and pencils and probably buy some more. (One can never have too many, they seem to have a tendency of getting lost. Besides, buying new stationery is oddly motivating.) On the other hand, I will be starting my last year of studies, so I’ll be writing my thesis and completing my studies. It feels exciting that after just one more year I’ll graduate. However, I know it will require much work, and that is why this year also brings on more anxiety than previous years have. In addition, being a student has been part of my identity for so long that it feels weird and a little sad even that this academic year will be my last.
Regardless of what September looks like for you, be it your first one as a student or your last, we want to wish you all a very happy autumn. Take care of yourselves and each other, find new friends, spend time with old ones, get into your regular groove, find your footing. We’re also easing into the autumn term with this issue of BTSB. Alexander and R. Hjelt delight us with wonderful short stories, discussing themes of loneliness and isolation. Robi’s poem discusses change while Valo writes an enthusiastic, lovely analysis on MARINA’s newest album. Last but certainly not least, Oliver makes his BTSB debut with a reflective piece on the lights and shadows of life.
