Dedicated to Violet and Olivia

Part I: 15/07/20 Dear Violet and Olivia, One week from today I will be back in my dorm room after three months being at home. I've bought a bus ticket and have almost finished packing, so all that's left to do is wait, and then I'll take on my second semester from there. But I have to admit that I want this wait to be longer.  Yes, I felt nervous for my first ever semester, but I feel like the apprehension has grown in more menace this time around. I can count the number of times I've left this house on my fingers during the three months I've spent in remote study, and it has definitely impacted my mind. The thought of restarting every single thing I had already established terrifies me. I know it will be easier now that I had laid the foundation like making friends and developing a sense of the city, but I still can't help but feel nervous.  I absolutely admonish the adjusting period for everything. For me, especially, it takes a while for any kind of situation...

Dear Violet and Olivia, When I was twelve, fresh out of intermediate and just starting secondary school, I wrote a letter to my eighteen year old self. I read it on my eighteenth birthday once I came home from my dinner with friends and family, but I've been putting off writing back. While I have some time off of uni, I've decided to write back. Here's what the original letter said: 6/07/14 Dear 18-year-old Marian, Hello! It's so lovely to write to you. How are you? I hope you are happy. Before you go to university, I have a few websites for you: academicearth.org en.wikiuniversity.org selfcontrolapp.com Speaking of university, what one are you choosing? Do you still aspire to be a psychologist? I hope you have scored an astonishing amount of excellences and merits, but mostly excellences. I want to ask so many questions. But first, I will ask about your love life. Who is your special someone? Do I know him now? Is your relationship just like Corpanga's?...

Dear Violet and Olivia, I've just finished my first semester of my first year at university! It has been eventful but also very, very slow due to the online setup us students have been subjected to. My mind has been constantly occupied about the 'what if' of the non-pandemic reality. Would I have failed all my courses if my labs weren't virtual? What kind of situations would I find myself in with my friends from halls? Would I have been able to make more friends during my classes? I'm sure everybody has been thinking about this, especially those in different countries who are experiencing longer lockdown conditions. Here in New Zealand, as you might have heard either in your social studies classes or word of mouth from me, everything is pretty much back to normal. I believe we're still in level 1 of Jacinda's system, or the system has been let go of entirely. I don't really notice anymore. My hall friends and I are still messaging online and I receive vi...