The university buildings' revolving doors perhaps provides the best metaphor of my university experience so far. Initially perplexing, constantly in motion, and ultimately short-lived, it doesn't seem three months since I first fumbled at this marvel.

The challenge of the revolving doors is something I have pointed out on each geography tour I've been a part of. The trepidation in the sixth-formers' steps as they subsequently attempt to breach the Arthur Lewis Building's defences is surprisingly satisfying. I tend to be with an interview group, so I'm charged with making pitiful jokes and answering an often bizarre array of questions. When both of these are exhausted, it is impressive how efficiently individual conversation develops. I liken this to Lord of the Flies. One popular topic for discussion is the likely first choice university. The power dynamic in the room suddenly shifts. Here I become like Piggie, helpless to affect the mob. Don't mind me, it's not like I'm at the UoM.

There are some questions I would bank on getting each week. The first relates to the university workload. Perhaps a product of my subject choice in Geography, I had maintained that this was minimal. However, the brutality of week 11 proved to be a watershed moment, as on top of an essay deadline and group presentation, our Geology lecturer threw in a surprise test (apparently it was in the course handbook). I guess first semester wasn't meant to be all easy. The group presentation, despite prior anxieties and organisational hiccups, proved to be an enjoyable opportunity for improvised comedy though. The second question would relate to sports club initiations. Cricket 'welcoming' — whilst being far from a joyous experience — certainly had its merits! I was very proud to have earned my tie.

I've been told repeatedly that membership of a sports club increases prospects with women. Although I appreciate this notion, I'm yet to experience it in practice. Conversely, university hall life opportunity provides a great avenue to exploit Netflix and Chill's potential benefits. That's not to say I've developed any mastery — in terms of the revolving door metaphor, this would still be a fumble, but at least I've gotten in (not an innuendo).

Located on the ground floor of my block and second from the door, I'm in prime location for after-dinner dates. Sadly, I'm also in prime location for burglaries, of which there have been several attempts — one successful. Although distressing at the time, the insurers fixed me up with the 2015 model of my decrepit laptop. This was not nearly as stressful as continued house-sharing discussions. Like Bismark's partitioning of Africa, it is not looking destined to end well.

In terms of things achieved, I would view my ability to nap as being right up there. Just like using the revolving doors, this should have been easy to master, but it was not. The intensity of university makes napping a must, and after 13 weeks, it is certainly time for a break before re-entering the revolving door of university.

Reuben Cutts writes about student life for The Manchester Magazine. He is a first-year Geography student at the University of Manchester.
 

Before you depart for uni, a classic line from your mates back home is that they'll come up and visit. Plenty of beer, top notch food, maybe a Manchester City away day. But what with the extortionate prices of rail travel and the inconvenience of time off work, this never works out as well in practice as it seems to in theory. Anyway, reading week provided me with the perfect opportunity to do a tour of some of my friends’ unis. Here I will refer specifically to my trip to York.

This proved to be quite an interesting experience. At this point I should probably add that my accommodation in Manchester is fully catered, and that any idiosyncrasy in the ordering of my bedroom unnerves me. I digress. The first challenge I had to overcome was meeting my friend’s flatmates. All seven of them. In one go. It was like freshers’ week, without the security of knowing nobody remembered my name either. Of course in freshers’ week, inane conversation was the norm. In this environment, I wanted to appear wittier and more intelligent than someone whose sole interest is confined to the subject you're studying. That was issue one.

Issue two felt even more novel. We made dinner. For many people nestled in the safety of catered accommodation, this is a very alarming prospect. Thankfully my friend is a very good cook, but this left me with a substantial amount of time in which to entertain myself. I decided that it was probably best to try and lend a hand. After all, I was getting a free meal. Bad idea. My incompetence showed, and I was quickly relegated to cheese-grater. Obviously this had its time limitations, so quite quickly I found myself lingering in their kitchen/living room/pre-drinks room. This was quite anxiety-provoking. Where do I sit? I am in the way there? The answer to the latter, I would say, was quite unequivocally yes.

As it happened, we had an extremely tasty dinner, only tainted by the Subway I had indulged in at Oxford Road. Drinks were an issue, as at this point I realised that dish-washing in the flat was undertaken at a “Just-in-Time” rate. Unfortunately I only realised this after I had consumed some strange-looking residue suspended in my water. The others had no such problems. Thursday, 6pm, a guy next to me – amusingly a Physics student – was sipping vodka with his dinner: bacon fried in golden syrup. I doubt he would have noticed any irregularity in his drink.

It was the Walter White variant who was the first student to offer me drugs at university. Drug dealers reside outside my block on a fairly consistent basis, but the peer pressure mentality of drugs was new to me. I just laughed. MD? No thanks mate, I’m not even past lemon and herb at Nando’s. It was at this point a few of us decided to go and play FIFA, and I was faced with another challenging decision. Do I go all out and destroy my opponents? Do I reveal how sweaty a FIFA player I am? I chose to show restraint. 3-0. 80% possession. On the plus side, I was at least fitting in a little more.

It was far from the first night I had been anticipating, but provided a necessary insight into what living out is likely to become next year. I will enjoy my two meals a day while they last. There are hard times to come.

Reuben Cutts writes about student life for The Manchester Magazine. He is a first-year Geography student at the University of Manchester.
 

I wasn’t alive during the Cold War, but I imagine that the disquiet of the time is comparable to the unease surrounding the first house-sharing discussions. You hear that one person’s signed their contract, and a frenzy follows. It doesn't matter how early in the year it is, discussions will now begin.

It’s the Monday of Week 5, and my drunken neighbour makes the first steps to organise a group. I was grateful – it’s not a conversation I was yet willing to begin. This is where the factions are drawn. Judgements have to be made. The most accepting guy becomes the most discriminating.

Fledgling friendships will be lost. A ‘you and us’ will be quickly formed. Then you remember, you've known each other for five weeks… Surely it’s too early for this. I mean, there’s still time for me to annoy all my flat mates! Potentially that’s a factor in why our discussions have stalled. 

What doesn't seem to have stalled yet is our Geography work load. Don't get me wrong, my friends doing Law and Chemistry have it far worse (as I casually write this I’m sure they have real work to be doing), but our essays are piling up. So much for a gentle start to university; we got our first proper essay on the first day.

After taking a year out, I’m now starting to empathise with the ramblings of my friends last year. Referencing is a ball ache. There is absolutely no hiding place for the bullshit that so craftily dredged my A-level essays. It’s a tough realisation to face.

On the plus side, our intermittent essays are being spaced out by some amusing recommended readings. My personal favourite – and this really is on our reading list – has been titled, ‘Is Geography a science?’. It’s reassuring to know, that if I’m ever feeling insecure, it really isn't that bad.

I’ll be keeping this journal article in mind when the ‘welcome drinks’ for cricket finally come about. The stories I’ve heard from other universities are not good. I’m surprised that they're yet to be turned into repressed memories. The worst thing I’ve had to do so far is eat a tub of mustard. Still, that was apparently just for fun. The initiation looms ominously.

Reuben Cutts writes about student life for The Manchester Magazine. He is a first-year Geography student at the University of Manchester.

It is Sun Tzu, the Chinese military strategist of China's Spring and Autumn Period, who is often attributed with the phrase, "Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer". Two-thousand six hundred years later, in the days following President Xi Jinping's visit to Manchester, it seems an apt time to reflect on these words.

China's borders have proved contentious right the way through history. The Great Wall of China is testament to that. But — unlike with the Ming Dynasty's legacy — its current actions are not preventative measures. Take its border disputes with India. India's Arunachal Pradesh, twice the size of Switzerland, is claimed by China. Further west, China's annexation of Indian land beside Kashmir is indicative of its militaristic aims. The Senkaku Islands of Japan are a more relevant issue at present as China continues to hound them with naval force. Elsewhere in the South China Sea, China is locked in dispute with Vietnam over several island chains, such as the Spratley Archipelago. China has missiles trained on Taiwan, and states that they must one day accept Chinese sovereignty. We won't even discuss Tibet.

But it's not just in Asia where China is being expansionistic. Their investment in African infrastructure borders on neocolonialism. Are they so keen to build roads in communities devoid of natural resources? Add to this the nation's abominable human rights record. Never mind, we'll roll out the red carpet for their leader. This colonial attitude has seen the Chinese engulfing Central and South America, too. They are the main backers of the Grand Canal of Nicaragua, which started being built in 2014.

Do I disagree with President Jinping's visit being hailed as one of our country's most important in this millennium? No, actually. America is a waning force. A Donald Trump victory — or even a Bernie Sanders victory — in 2016 could see the US become increasingly introverted. The referendum on Britain's EU membership is looming. ICM polls show the 'Out' campaign is making headway. Should we leave the EU, where will we stand? Trade with the EU will suffer. Stood beside China, though, we remain strong. Friend or foe, it is better to have China by our side.

Reuben Cutts writes about student life for The Manchester Magazine. He is a first-year Geography student at the University of Manchester.

Arriving at halls on the first day is nerve-wracking, whoever you are. Levels of self-consciousness rise beyond imagination from the cushy familiarity of sixth-form. The first people you meet might still be with their parents; do you introduce yourself? Welcome drinks at the bar in the afternoon; hell, I’m not going on my own!

The university lad? He exists, alright. I actually met him (I use ‘him’ as a metaphorical term for the collective mass of lads) before freshers’ on my pre-registration Geography trip. He strikes you with a firm hand shake. Tinny in his hand – condom in his wallet – he’s a bit like Liverpool Football Club: desperately clinging to his bygone glory days.

Enough about Keswick. Nearly everyone you meet is friendly. I’m in Victoria Park, concededly. Fallowfield may include a greater proportion of tinny-wielding, condom-bearing guys, but here you get on with most people if you put yourself out there and you're not obnoxious.

The nights out got better as the week continued. We started in Deansgate on the Sunday. We were branded like cattle in segregating coloured t-shirts, which for me meant leaving the people I’d been with from Whitworth Park (note: go to your own welcome drinks, not another hall’s!). The t-shirts also rid you of the most basic of conversation starters (name, course etc.), but do prove useful when you forget the name of the person you've been talking to for the last 30 minutes.

Thankfully we got to ditch the t-shirts after the first night. Admittedly they had their uses if you didn't know your way home and just wanted to find some people you're living with, but for me it was a relief. I wish I’d thought of something more witty and alluring than ‘Single’ for my relationship status.

The clubs were packed. Knowing if the girl you'd been dancing with is actually into you proved a real challenge when there was literally nowhere either of you could go.

Meal times were a struggle, but this had subsided by the end of the week. The first five minutes of conversation evolved from its painful 'getting to know you' formula, and by Sunday, I was pleased to know a group of people I could call by name, not just 'Mate' or 'Pal'.

Never the less, the real work (don't disrespect the Geography degree) was still to come…

Reuben Cutts writes about student life for The Manchester Magazine. He is a first-year Geography student at the University of Manchester.