At the age of 19, Amy Moss, a Hobson House resident, has managed to find a balance between work and play in a varsity famous for its partying. After matriculating in 2007, Amy has been on a whirlwind adventure through her first year at Rhodes University and shows no sign of stopping the late nights despite the upcoming end of year exams.
Living at Mosslands Farm, which is situated 20km outside of Grahamstown, Amy feels quite at home at Rhodes. As an ex-Kingswood College student, she has become accustomed to the student behaviour around the town and now that she is a first year, she is enjoying every minute of life without the uniform.
On Wednesdays, Fridays and some Saturdays you will definitely find Amy at her local haunts which include the Rat and Parrot, Friar Tuck’s and the Rhodes Union as these are places where “you can dance, buy cheap drinks and have a fantastic night out with friends”, she says. Since “O-Week”, her first and fondest memory from Rhodes, Amy has always been a social butterfly with endless amounts of energy and a carefree attitude but as a BJourn (Bachelor of Journalism) student, Amy knows that life at varsity is not all about the parties; it is also about the degree. She remembers her parent’s advice about working hard at university and finding a balance between varsity’s social and academic aspects, and admits that she could be working harder. “I’ve always been a bit of a procrastinator when it comes to academic work so I could be doing a lot better in my studies but I’m coping”, she says as she gently flicks a strand of blonde hair away from her face.
Amy rarely stresses or gets nervous about anything and seems to have adopted the “If you worry die, if you don’t worry you die, so why worry?” attitude when it comes to varsity. On the rare occasion that the workload becomes a bit overwhelming or she has a low moment, Amy is able to calm things down and pick herself up by watching various movies, reading a good book by Marian Keyes or going out with friends. “When things get a bit hectic I also have the habit of biting my nails, I just can’t help it but I’m trying to stop”, she says whilst blushing.
Amy takes her degree very seriously especially since only 120 out of 280 first years will make it into second year journalism but always make time for social functions and nights out with friends. Despite her love of partying till dawn, Amy is able to keep on top of her assignments and tests, participate in various res events and pass her exams whilst maintaining her extremely high energy levels making her the envy of many students.
Amy has managed to crack the varsity system and find a successful lifestyle that has enabled her to keep afloat of her work whilst enjoying everything that varsity has to offer. Her love for life and having fun has enabled her to remain happy in an extremely stressful environment. Her ability to balance the social aspects with the academic aspects of varsity has provided Amy with the opportunity to meet new people and have a fantastic first year whilst exploring everything that Grahamstown and Rhodes has to offer. Amy Moss is a survivor of the pressures of first year and is looking forward to partying many more nights away in Grahamstown whilst taking all the obstacles that come her way in her stride.
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2 comments:
Dear Alex,
I can see why you have chosen this “Rolling Moss” character to write a profile on. Not only does she embody a typical teenager, but she is a perfect example of a Rhodant – “a social Butterfly” who admits to being a procrastinator while remaining convinced that everything is going to be ok so “why worry?” Amy seems like a first year students’ hero, something along the lines of the Russian folklorist Propp’s character sketch. She is constantly finding a balance between the evils of assignments and the ultimate good of partying.
Alex, you have defined your character perfectly by focusing on Amy’s relationship with her work and “nights out with friends”, which is essentially the most challenging obstacle on arrival to university, but also what defines who you are. Well done!
FaeriJane
www.fourseeingthepast.blogspot.com
Dear Alex
I think that Amy Moss is a hero because as a first year student at Rhodes University she has managed to find the balance between working and socializing. This is a challenge for most first years, which few are likely to achieve. As Propp explains, the hero seeks to restore equilibrium in his/her life when a disruption takes place. And Amy has coped with her academic work when her social life has been a distraction as well as picking herself up when feeling down and being overwhelmed by work. In this way she has restored her equilibrium and sustains it, the way Propp's hero does. I agree that Amy's ability to enjoy all aspects of Rhodes by keeping on top of her work, staying happy, energetic and sociable definitely makes her a "survivor" and can see why you say that she is envied by other students.
Amy Esterhuizen
www.delilahfresh.blogspot.com
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