One topic I would like to discuss is my mechanical engineering cohort at Strathclyde university which I attended from September 2010 until May 2013 at which point I dropped out of the course. Of course I was in Singapore for the 3rd and final year so I only spent 2 years in Glasgow.

The original reason I chose mechanical engineering was because it was the closest thing to what my father did at the time, so basically I took his advice. Plus my strengths lay in the sciences and in maths when it came to Advanced Highers (the Scottish late high school qualifications). It all looked very promising. I had A’s at Physics, Chemistry and Maths. But I was really not prepared for the whirlwind of new ideas (new to me) that Strathclyde university was.

For the first year I stayed in Strathclyde university halls of residence. Strathclyde university itself is right in the city centre of Glasgow so the halls of residence were there too. I had 1 Bulgarian flat mate (who was actually the nicest), 1 guy who was the son of a doctor who was a bit pretentious, 1 English guy who was a bit confused (possibly about his sexuality) who studied computer science.

In Fresher’s week I tried to socialise as much as possible as per the advice of so many people. I remember the student clubs and societies fair where I met the skydiving captain, he was very forthcoming about getting new members and I was open to new things back then. I also joined the chess society and pool group and even a space society that wanted to put objects into space (the society seems to still exist at the time of writing!). Yeah I overloaded my timetable!

Funny thing is some of the most memorable things of my 1st year were not the main course (Mechanical Engineering). I did Spanish as an elective and my workload was bursting at the seams. 

I remember for Fresher’s week the Radio One DJ Scott Mills was there and he high fived my hand at the end.

I guess though coming from Oban high school and Oban where we mocked anyone for standing up to the existing order mercilessly I was very unprepared for new and out of the box thinking. To say ‘out the box’ is such a cliche! What I mean is unconventional thinking. Conventional thinking usually wins the day, but on the days unconventional thinking wins, everybody remembers those days!

I don’t remember getting involved in much trouble when I was in Strathclyde in terms of student protests though I did meet all kinds of people. I met up with an unemployed guy from my high school who I went drinking with who then proceeded to go into a destructive like trance whereby he trashed a local neighborhood (his cousin was there too throwing stuff around). There was a rugby guy who was planning to go to America, he worked a waiting job on top of his Spanish classes. 

I remember asking out a girl from Spanish and being surprised when she accepted. The date went absolutely terribly as I was so nervous. And we never spoke since.

I was recently asked if I have any regrets regarding university. I replied I was too tight with money! Around that time I listened to too many people regarding saving for later and being prudent. I was too wise, but it doesn’t always help to be wise! Better sometimes to spend and put your faith in society and God! I should have experimented more with an open mind but of course that was hard coming from Oban High (to be open minded).