Chido Dziva Chikwari
Dear Chiyedza,
I cannot believe it has already been seven months since I said goodbye to you
and the family at the airport in September. Time surely does fly. I reminisce and
remember the tears we shed that night wishing we didn’t have to be separated
for so long and me wishing I could have packed you in my suitcase and brought
you with me. This is the longest we have been separated and I have missed you
so much. I am really looking forward to seeing you again in the summer. If I am
not mistaken my countdown shows that we have fifty four more days till we are
reunited in June. Excitement cannot begin to explain how I feel, however since
we still have a while till then I have decided to write you a letter to share with
you my experiences at university.
All I can say is my time in England has been an extraordinary and an eye
opening encounter. I feel as if Newcastle is now my second home, I have
become so comfortable with the city and its surroundings. However I can’t deny
the first few months away from home were very daunting. It was intimidating
and overwhelming and I remember worrying about so many things before I left,
like how I knew no one here and how difficult it was going to be to make new
friends in a foreign country. I was also terrified of the English winter; or rather
winter in general as I had never seen snow or experienced temperatures that fall
below one degree in my life. I recall trying to carry as many jackets as my
suitcase could accommodate. However even with all the jackets, the cold was
still overpowering, but the thought of snow made it seem better. This year was
my first white Christmas and its true what people say about how beautiful and
spectacular it is. I was sure to take as many pictures as possible so I can show
you when I return. You will definitely be dumbfounded. It’s amazing when I
now look back at those first days and say, ‘I MADE IT’. I now have plenty of
friends and the brilliant thing about being here is that you meet new people
every day.
My University is remarkable. They do not exaggerate when they rank it as a top
university. However the fact that it is a huge university was kind of scary to
begin with and I felt slightly intimidated by the tall numerous buildings but after
getting lost a couple of times I realised I am better off taking that mishap as an
opportunity to explore and familiarize myself with the place, that is if I am not
late for my lectures. Can you believe that up until today there are still some
parts of the University I haven’t seen or entered? In a way I see something new
every day, however, I now know my way around the Medical school but that is
mainly because that’s where all my lectures are held.
Chido Dziva Chikwari
I have lectures all throughout the week but we have Wednesday afternoons off
which is great because it gives the students time to focus on sporting activities
and I made it onto the netball team. Not only has joining the team given me a
platform to meet new people and travel; as we sometimes have away games
with other Universities, it is also a refreshing being a break from school and
allows me to keep fit while having fun. My passion for public speaking also led
me to join the Debate Society and the curiosity for trying out new things landed
me at the Tango Society where I recently discovered that I enjoy dancing. Can
you believe they have over 140 student societies run for and by the students?
You never run out of things to do. Another brilliant factor of the city is the night
life. It is truly one of a kind. It is very interesting when you want to enjoy a
night out as there is such variety of places to go. I am still exploring the clubs,
pubs and bars till now.
The academic aspect of the curriculum is also just as fulfilling, interesting and
diverse. We have lectures throughout the week, each one lasts about an hour,
and these are taught by professors, doctors and scientists who currently are or
have undergone research in some of the topics they are lecturing on. We also
have practical sessions where we get to have hands on experience on what we
have been taught. In our last practical we worked on blood samples, using the
light microscope to identify the different elements present within it. I was a bit
squeamish to begin with but soon got the hang of it. The practical sessions make
learning so much easier and involving especially since you can see and touch
what it is you are meant to be remembering. They have also made the learning
experience more interactive by introducing seminars whereby we are split into
smaller groups and get to work on different topics with other students and a
seminar leader to assist with any problems you might have. I particularly enjoy
the seminars because it gives me an opportunity to be inquisitive and ask as
many questions as I can. I wish the Universities in Zimbabwe could offer all of
this at such high standards because then maybe I would not have had to leave to
study abroad and the other students there could receive the same opportunities I
am.
I cannot deny that I have missed the African sun, the familiar faces, mummy’s
cooking and even all the power cuts in Harare that force us to cook outside by
the fire, which must be amusing for you to hear, nonetheless Newcastle has
treated me well and has become my second home. The weight I have gained
since I came can testify to that. I have met lovely people, made new friends,
visited magnificent places, added more knowledge to what I already knew and I
am certain that my time here is equipping me for more to come after my degree
is done, all of which I would never take back. First year has been an
Chido Dziva Chikwari
unforgettable experience that I am glad I opted to pursue my degree in a
different country.
Please pass my greetings on to the rest of the family and I look forward to
seeing you soon.
Yours Faithfully,
Chido