anyone else scared?

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Well, I am in the same position, I dont have many 'friends', just class mates who are asking for assignments.

I'm not trying to force you to speak up, but if you see people like you, why don't you try?

At first, it might be a bit awkward, and will put you down, but you will get better eventually.

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I'll try next time. Thanks :redface:

Reply 41

rileystringer1

I like French but I wouldn't study it at university, because I just think it'd be a very, very boring degree. I have no interest in history or literature whatsoever, I just like speaking the language. Also, when you think of careers in languages, the main careers that come to mind are translation and interpretation which seem very tedious to me.

Reply 42

bisolarsystem

Original post by chloe11098

I'm going to be 17 as I turn 18 in October and yeah I feel the same way as you do! I know that you don't need alcohol to have a good time but since a lot of other people are old enough to drink I will probably feel awkward

yeah and i don't want to be a buzzkill :/ will they still let us in the clubs?

Reply 43

bisolarsystem

i hate going to parties too! like it's gotten so bad that i don't even get invited to them anymore because people know i won't go. :colondollar:

I also have a fear of everyone being buddied up and me being a third wheel or not having close friends! and i'm the same with the family and independence thing :frown:

Reply 44

bisolarsystem

Original post by chloe11098

languages tbh. I don't know what I like until someone says what they like and I'm like oh yeah I like that too

i love languages! i'm hoping to start self-studying italian in june. I know a little bit of korean, a good amount of french & a bit of irish! what languages are you learning/hope to learn?

Reply 45

super_kawaii

Original post by Impressive

Just an example..

Oh, I see it is not only me who plans to live in Hong Kong.

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I quite like the climate out there-I'm honestly the worst with cold weather. Plus, the low tax rate is seriously attractive. Having already lived in East Asia, I much prefer living over there compared to here in the UK.

Original post by bisolarsystem

i hate going to parties too! like it's gotten so bad that i don't even get invited to them anymore because people know i won't go. :colondollar:

I also have a fear of everyone being buddied up and me being a third wheel or not having close friends! and i'm the same with the family and independence thing :frown:

The thing with uni is, no one will have any friends at all when they start. I honestly don't understand why everyone thinks they'll be the only one who won't know anyone when they start. Surely it'd be common knowledge by now that no one knows anyone during freshers week.

I wasn't the biggest fan of going to parties when I started uni, but I put myself out there and that's how I made friends. If you never convince yourself to put yourself out there, you'll never make friends. You might be too young to go clubbing in the first few months, but you should go to pre drinks at least. If you don't make an effort in the first week, you'll struggle to make friends later on, unless you regularly go to societies, as friendship groups do form

Reply 46

bisolarsystem

And i agree, i'll just have to put myself out there :colondollar:

Reply 47

super_kawaii

Original post by bisolarsystem

I don't turn 18 until next year July though :frown:

And i agree, i'll just have to put myself out there :colondollar:

I guess you're from Scotland then? How come you're not taking a year out if being underage is such a big deal?

Besides, house parties are quite common, so if you do want to give drinking a try, most people end up buying alcohol for their friends, who then pay them back.

Reply 48

chloe11098

Original post by bisolarsystem

i love languages! i'm hoping to start self-studying italian in june. I know a little bit of korean, a good amount of french & a bit of irish! what languages are you learning/hope to learn?

Oh wow that's amazing! I'd love to learn Italian! I am studying German, French and Spanish but really want to learn Dutch or Portuguese

Reply 49

chloe11098

Original post by bisolarsystem

yeah and i don't want to be a buzzkill :/ will they still let us in the clubs?

They probably will cause you can be 16 to apply for uni and not be able to drink! We'd just have to show ID if you want a drink which I can't :frown:

Reply 50

chloe11098

Original post by super_kawaii

What course you applying for?

I did my year abroad in China and it was a bloody culture shock at the start, but once you're back, you'll look back on how anxious you were and realise you were stupid for being so anxious. Talking from experience here

German studies. Yeah its great to speak to someone with experience! Yeah think living in Germany would be totally different to Scotland but I think I could adjust to it

Reply 51

bisolarsystem

Actually i'm from Ireland. And that's cool maybe i'll just go to house parties

Reply 52

super_kawaii

Original post by chloe11098

German studies. Yeah its great to speak to someone with experience! Yeah think living in Germany would be totally different to Scotland but I think I could adjust to it

Yeah, you have to have valid ID to enter clubs and bars an to buy alcohol. However, for club nights at my student union, Uni of Sheffield all they ask to see is your student card (doesn't have DOB on) and you're in. I've never been asked to show my ID when I've been inside the union. Might be a bit of a problem during freshers week, as you won't have your student cards right away

Original post by chloe11098

They probably will cause you can be 16 to apply for uni and not be able to drink! We'd just have to show ID if you want a drink which I can't :frown:

I've been to Germany a few times and really enjoyed it. Culturally I found it not too different to the UK. To get the most out of your experience I recommend not coming home for the entirety of the year, unless it's for something serious like major life saving surgery

Reply 53

bisolarsystem

Original post by chloe11098

Oh wow that's amazing! I'd love to learn Italian! I am studying German, French and Spanish but really want to learn Dutch or Portuguese

I would like to learn Spanish but really far into the future. My list goes like this : Italian, Swedish, Japanese, Korean, Spanish and Mandarin :smile:

Reply 54

super_kawaii

Original post by bisolarsystem

I would like to learn Spanish but really far into the future. My list goes like this : Italian, Swedish, Japanese, Korean, Spanish and Mandarin :smile:

What makes you want to do those languages? I currently study Mandarin and Japanese at uni

Reply 55

bisolarsystem

Original post by chloe11098

They probably will cause you can be 16 to apply for uni and not be able to drink! We'd just have to show ID if you want a drink which I can't :frown:

Oh then that's fine! I just thought we couldn't get into the clubs :biggrin:

I don't mind watching other people get drunk.

Reply 56

1682795

Original post by super_kawaii

To be perfectly honest with you, I just want to live in part of the china, and hong kong might be a great place.

Why I want to live there?

I haven't put much of a thought to this, but, everything seems different there compared to where I am now, such as

- different cultures
- the climate
- people

The only thing I am a bit concerned about is that hong kong is a bit self-governing as well as the issue with Cantonese language.

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Reply 57

super_kawaii

Original post by Impressive

English is widely used in Hong Kong-it's actually one of the official languages, although you'll garner a lot more respect if you can speak Cantonese. Speaking both English and Cantonese as well as Mandarin will mean many doors in terms of career opportunities will be open to you. Don't be put off by the logographs though, Sinitic languages aren't actually that hard to learn.

Due to its levels of autonomy, Hong Kong's culture is greatly different to that of mainland China, despite technically being the same country. People in Hong Kong tend to be a lot politer and cleaner than on the mainland, I've found. The food's good wherever you go though.

Climate definitely appeals to me. I love warmer weather, despite the fact it gives me heat rash on my toes. I'd rather that than not being able to breathe because of the cold

Reply 58

bisolarsystem

Original post by super_kawaii

What makes you want to do those languages? I currently study Mandarin and Japanese at uni

italian: i think it sounds beautiful. plus italy has so much history that i'd like to learn about. i'd like to be an au pair there for a bit :smile:

swedish: i'm not a big fan of germanic languages but swedish sounds beautiful and soft :smile:

i just really want to learn it.

japanese: i watch anime (not a lot though) and i listen to songs in japanese and i love the sound of it. also, japanese history. how are you finding japanese at uni, is it hard? do you have any books you would recommend?

mandarin: I heard a song in the language and i just fell in love with the sound of it. but i know it's going to be really hard to learn. how are you finding it?

korean: i've already learnt the alphabet and can understand quite a bit. (i learnt a bit of it). I would someday like to teach english in korea or visit korea. i'm really interested in their culture and listen to a lot of their music and watch a lot of their tv shows.

spanish: bc Romeo Santos. His songs give me life. Also in school I wanted to learn spanish but it was between french and german so i chose french.

Why are you studying Chinese and Japanese in uni, if i may ask? :smile:

Reply 59

super_kawaii

Original post by bisolarsystem

italian: i think it sounds beautiful. plus italy has so much history that i'd like to learn about. i'd like to be an au pair there for a bit :smile:

swedish: i'm not a big fan of germanic languages but swedish sounds beautiful and soft :smile:

Mandarin isn't anywhere near as hard as native English speakers make it out to be. I actually find it so much easier to learn than French! It's definitely got an individual rhythm about it, but that's what I enjoy, especially having lived in Mainland China. I'd say I'm at least an HSK5 level, maybe HSK6 with a bit of a push.

Japanese I study as my minor and I'm struggling more with that, simply because I didn't put enough work into memorising all the vocab and verb conjugations. Seriously, there are tons! At uni we use the Minna no nihongo (みんなの日本語) series which is actually a good book in terms of explaining grammar and introducing new vocabulary.

I'd like to be able to speak at least 10 languages one day, including my native English, so 5 more to go. Spanish and Cantonese are definitely on the list for ones to learn