Freshers Week Traditions.

Bartron Prime

This is true Neil. I'm ridiculously immature. But I prefer to call it 'Loveability'. :P

Also:

Go Banana!!

Nothingcompares

Sorry the point i was making that college age guys may be more immature then their female counterparts when it comes to rational attitudes to studying etc. But in my experiecne, girls are far more neurotic and suffer from delusional self hate.

Bartron Prime

Guys are pretty neurotic too. At least, I am. But then again, I am a Curly Haired Bucket O' Madness and this time last year was bashing my head against a wall dealing with a big company for sponsorship. If you have a market cap of 3.2 billion euro, surely you can do *something* right?

It's true. Girls tend to be more critical of themselves. Which is why it's even more important to convince them otherwise.

Nothingcompares

You don't give tours around trinity do you? you sounds like one of "them".

Girls are great but they need to cop on tbh. Like cuckoo. Cuckoo is just swell.

Bartron Prime

Nope. Afraid not. Though my friend got a job there. Bint. I can however, tell you everything you always wanted to know about the GMB including who those stained glass windows are of, why The Hist/Phil/The Theo have it and what happened in the snooker rooms.... I once gave a guided tour to a group of 35 Dutch students earlier this year. Quality.

Copping on? In my experience, both people in a relationship need to change as we all have behaviours that hurt others we don't see when single. But I still say the best way to help a lack of self-confidence is reminf them of how good they are. Which, if you like them, should be how you see them anyway.

Nothingcompares

The job wouldn't suit me but I can see how appeals to some.

Seeing as we giving random relationship advice. I'll go through my own step by step guide to "Is S(he) The one"

Relationships, in my opinion should fulfill 3 criteria.

1. You should be comfortable in one anothers company.
2. It offers companionship.
3. It offers a mature, mutally beneficial sexual relationship.

1. This covers what you said Bently (is bently your real name?). If you can't be yourself while with your partner, this should be a warning that maybe you're going in the wrong direction with the wrong person. Of course, you don't always act the same around your parents as you do your mates as you do your girlfriend but fundamentally, is it a safe place. Can you let it out? Or are you nervous? Anxious about how your partner sees you. These are bad signs.

2. Somebody to do the shopping with. Someone to watch a DVD with. Someone to travel around the world on 1000 dollars with. Someone who will indulge you in your own silly pastimes (I like collecting insects, on my desk sits a honey bee with pink eyes, a blue bug, a ladybird larva, another beetle larva, a bumble bee and some kind of mite ( I think)). And it goes both ways. I'm not saying you have to go a boutique and watch her try on 10 different outfits and eventually buy the first one she tried on but you need to give attention and encourage one another.

3. This is important. Just as important as the other 2. I think some people (mainly naive girls (sorry to be blunt) have an issue with this. Saying something silly (at least in my opnion) that's it's not relevant. Beleive me it is. If you're not happy in the sack, if you're doing things you'd rather not be doing or you're not doing things you'd rather be doing then you have a problem. Sex is the number one stress reliever and one of the best ways to physically express love/desire/relationship emotion.

If you're reading these and thinking - Yes this is what I have with my partner - You're a lucky person. If you're reading this and thinking - No, some of these things are absent in my relationship - you need to act wisely.

shay_562

The b******s own me, especially as I'm ex-officio. Dang.

So when they held out those pieces of paper with the legal jargon about "eternal souls" and all that, they really weren't kidding, huh?

I once gave a guided tour to a group of 35 Dutch students earlier this year. Quality.

I saw part of that tour. It was bizarre seeing you...you know...actually saying something of value for once. But the tourists looked interested and informed and whatnot, so I guess it must have worked?

Bently (is bently your real name?)

Heeheeheeheehee....

Edit: Nothingcompares (I feel like I should keep up the pretence of not knowing your real name), good list - I still feel instinctively like age should be a consideration (there are some age gaps that are just too creepy for words, and even if both people are happy, that doesn't reduce the ick factor) but to each their own.

Crash

Hrmmm...how long til I should split this off into its own thread....meh i'll leave it til morning. too tired...

Bartron Prime

I would have loved that job. Minus the attentions of Joe Gorman of course...

That is some fairly sound advice. I would agree with a lot of it.

1. My real name is Bartley. Trust me, my full name is hilarious, as is the fact I share it with my dad, grandad and great granda. I wouldn't necessarily say that you should instantly able to be yourself for it to be a llong-lasting relationship. Granted, mine ended but it was reasonably lengthy and had nothing to do with me being myself. You do need to be yourself but trust is also important. It takes a while for that to build up to let the real characteristics (those things beyond humour, opinions, mannerisms) be shown. There are things about ourselves we aren't necessarily comfortable in revealing to our significant other at first. Revealing them can be difficult and painful. Anxiety is generally a sign of lack of confidence on your part. The real problem arises when you know that revealing something would make the other person value you less.

2. Totally agreed. With the caveat that you have to make certain they always feel a part of what your doing. I have failed to do that on a number of occasions. But yes, it should just feel right to be with them.

3. While sex is not vital to the success of a relationship initially (I believe rushing it can do more harm than good), if you do have a sexual aspect relationship it does need to be based around mutuality. It is the highest form of expressing how you feel about someone (bar marrying them or starting a family with them or watching Will&Grace with them). Therefore, it needs to work for both of you.

Might I add:

4. Trust. Absolutely vital. Without it there really can't be a relationship. No-one can stop minor moments of jealousy, but you should be able to step back and go "No. That's silly". If you can't there is a serious problem.

5. Honesty. You really should be able to tell each other anything and how you feel and discuss anything. There should not be topics that are off bounds, while respecting each others' opinions.

I am, right now, single. My last relationship had its ups and downs but I would overall describe it as very good which ended because it had done so naturally. Still, a great learning experience and happy times. Moving on now and waiting until I find someone who I would like to be with. And yes Crash, they'll probably be younger than me..

To bring this back on topic, how do you feel about the 'Feel A Fresher' tradition by which I mean pulling at nights out in Freshers' Week? I'd be agin' it, but then I'm just a romantic at heart...

Bartron Prime

shay_562 wrote:

So when they held out those pieces of paper with the legal jargon about "eternal souls" and all that, they really weren't kidding, huh?

No they really weren't. Still, I love every minute of it. I'm a Histie until I die. My plan is to head a huge company then sponsor the Schools' and throw bucktloads of cash (a least a hundred thousand euro per year) behind it every year.

shay_562 wrote:

I saw part of that tour. It was bizarre seeing you...you know...actually saying something of value for once. But the tourists looked interested and informed and whatnot, so I guess it must have worked?

Oy. Lots of what I say has value. Whippersnapper. They really enjoyed the tour. Even during the bits when, inevitably, a school teacher rang. I'll have you know, I know more about that building and the Society then virtually anyone. Well, Team Librarian 236 did

shay_562 wrote:

Edit: Nothingcompares (I feel like I should keep up the pretence of not knowing your real name), good list - I still feel instinctively like age should be a consideration (there are some age gaps that are just too creepy for words, and even if both people are happy, that doesn't reduce the ick factor) but to each their own.

True, Catherine Zeta Jones and the ugly old guy are gross.

Nothingcompares

Bartron Prime wrote:

Minus the attentions of Joe Gorman of course

...hehe, they do look like jg fodder tbh.

4. Trust.
5. Honesty.

These would come under no 1 I think.

Bartron Prime wrote:

To bring this back on topic, how do you feel about the 'Feel A Fresher' tradition by which I mean pulling at nights out in Freshers' Week? I'd be agin' it, but then I'm just a romantic at heart...

Well there's two type of fresher girl. There's the intelligent, attractive ones that are interesting to talk to and get to know and have sex with and there are the annoying silly ones that I avoid like the plague.

Bartron Prime

Nothingcompares wrote:

...hehe, they do look like jg fodder tbh.

Agreed. That is why they are (virtually) all pretty young gay boys, which ruled me straight out (Tee Hee, bad pun). Joe is an...interesting....character. Not that I can say much here. He has lots of power over C.S.C. and could be on Boards (Joe has his ear to the ground). Joe knows what's going on in your society before you do. Still, a truly great guy to go partying with. Ah the C.S.C. Ball (Shaft! Those awards were fixed guv'!). Good times. What I can remember of them anyway.

These would come under no 1 I think.

Agreed once again. But, they are certainly two of the most important components within Number 1 and in any relationship

Well there's two type of fresher girl. There's the intelligent, attractive ones that are interesting to talk to and get to know and have sex with and there are the annoying silly ones that I avoid like the plague.

The only difference in Freshers' Week is the odd atmosphere created by the wide-eyed innocence of the Freshers' and the onslaught they receive from college life. People are in those groups generally. I would replace "have sex with" with "have a relationship with" but you probably meant that. People will always be the same. It generally comes down to what you define as "interesting" and "annoying".

Thankfully I've never met annoying people in Freshers' Week and this year's crop were remarkably great people. My first year? At Histeria a 23 year old Spanish guy tried to chat me up for hours... I didn't know anyone so was well disturbed. So here's a hint to people: If you're at Histeria (or any other Soc party) and someone starts weirding you out, approach a member of the Society's committee. Last year, we kept an eye out to make sure everyone was okay. Its their job to make sure you're safe and have a good time, you did give them money to join after all. You own them. Oh, and we kept an eye on the drinks promotions too. Just to, you know, make sure our members were getting good value.

shay_562

pretty young gay boys

Yeah, really, not one of those words describes you.

Bartron Prime

Exactly. I am a handsome straight man.

Who is also old (in college terms). So very very old.

Bartronilic

every day for my 2nd freshers week im having ONLY free drink, free lunch and free breakfast. i WANT TO GO BACKKK.

Pet

I'll continue my usual tradition of horrendous sleep deprivation, and arriving in at about 5pm, hence missing all the activities.

Hmm.

BrenC

I'll be on the stalls in the Front Square, getting people to join the society, and drinking,,,a lot

shay_562

Which society in particular will you be pimping?

Bartron Prime

Ah ruthless society pimpage in Freshers' Week. It's Good Times. Especially when you randomly look after another society's stand for a bit simply because. I even briefly pimped Music Soc last year. I don't really know what a piano is so it was an interesting experience. Still, I got people to join.

Speaking of society pimpage, the best idea I had last year (in pimpage terms) was to get two girls on The Hist stand to engage in some quasi-sapphic posing while I stood in the middle, wore a bona fide suede Pimp-Coat and advertised The Hist. We got more members in those 20 minutes then we did in the past hour. Got to love the intellectual nature of Freshers' Week.

Awayindahils

Bartley I think I'm gonna hit you if I read one more uber Hist post.


And note this is coming from a Histee.

Bartronilic

is that bartley rock? right before starting college some (sort of) randomer in roches told me to say hi to bartley rock who "loves the hist" im guessing thats him (he obviously loves the hist that much!).

shay_562

Bartley I think I'm gonna hit you if I read one more uber Hist post.

But to be fair, you'd hit him anyway. Who wouldn't? It's fun.

is that bartley rock?

Bartley Rock IV, to give him his full title.

Bartron Prime

Sorry. Guess it was a little 'Hist-ariffic'. My apologies. Still, this IS about Freshers' Week, and it's what I've done every year. Well, that and get rather drunk a few times. It's all good. Freshers' Week is great. Drinking, stand work, drinking, free food, drinking, tricking people like Ógra Fianna Fáil and/or Labour Youth into giving you candyfloss, drinking, getting harassed by the Christian Union, drinking and so on.... Did I mention there was drinking? I can't wait for it to start up again. Note to self: Blag lots of free stuff.

Hitting me is not fun. It's like beating up a kitten. The reaction is amusing at first but you end up feeling guilty and disappointed in yourself. Oh, and getting scratched.

Yup, I'm Bartley Rock IV alright. I feel like I should be the heir to an estate somewhere in Berkshire. I could be the 14th Earl of Something. Just, minus the in-breeding. Not a fan of the in-breeding. Have we met Bartronilic? Hmm. Someone did introduce themselves in Freshers' Week as knowing someone I knew in (shudder) Roches. How odd. The world she is a small place.

europerson

shay_562 wrote:

But to be fair, you'd hit him anyway. Who wouldn't? It's fun.

<Sniggers and consults with Angry Banana.>

Time Magazine

Ah euro, I love forward to our antics when Prof Murphy is lecturing us.

My Freshers' Week will entail choosing a new hobby, primarily.

John

Angry Banana wrote:

Ah euro, I love forward to our antics when Prof Murphy is lecturing us.

Edwardius

What the hell is it with those bean counting folk and their idolisation of their lecturers? Stockholm syndrome? Pfft.

New-to-this

Right, well after reading all these comments, I kinda have a few questions.(Hopefully), I'll be at freshers week in Trinity next year, and I was wondering what GMB and Hist meant............Kinda scared about dis fresh meat ting too............

PurpleFistMixer

GMB = graduate's memorial building (I think!), where the Hist and Phil live, and possibly other stuff.
The Hist = "Historical Society"... it's just a big old debating society in TCD.

Awayindahils

New-to-this wrote: »

Right, well after reading all these comments, I kinda have a few questions.(Hopefully), I'll be at freshers week in Trinity next year, and I was wondering what GMB and Hist meant............Kinda scared about dis fresh meat ting too............

...such an old thread.

Hist = debating society

GMB = graduate memorial building, where the Hist, the Phil and the Theo have rooms.

Fresh meat was quite clearly a joke. As a rule of thumb, clubs and societies will want you way more than you'll want them in Freshers' week.