EIGHT IS A LUCKY NUMBER IN CHINA.

Well. Hello there, Internet. It’s kind of unfortunate that this is my first post because I think what I’m going to say here is important (in the realm of my blog, let’s keep things relative) – and no one’s going to see it because no one knows McGill Uncensored exists yet.

I can introduce myself along the way, but for now, you should just know that I am (here comes my rehearsed introduction for talking on the phone with advisors ~drum roll please) a newly-admitted U1 international student in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. I originally planned to have a joint honours major in econ and psych but…I changed my program several times – it’s complicated and enough material for another blog post.

But the reason why I am here is to tell the world exactly what I’m going through as I transition into college. Why? Because: 1) I want to remember this and I’m bad at remembering to write things down about McGill in my journal. I guess I’m too preoccupied with other things in life. And my hand usually starts hurting after 10 minutes. 2) I want to share my experiences with anyone who’s going to go to college, or in college – especially a fellow McGillee. What are McGill students called anyway? I’m going to call them (us, me) McGillees because it’s endearing. 3) I’m an introvert. This is my safe method of venting. A defense mechanism against trapped rage and frustration – which I know will come up often because of my own personality and because of the “bureaucratic nature,” as people like to say, of the school.

There are several things I want to mention right off the bat – in order of thought process (otherwise: no specific order).

1.      I will be honest and blunt. No, I’m not being repetitive. I will try my best to tell you exactly what I’m thinking and I will put it down in a manner that might not always be tactful or subtle. I’m writing down this point here more for me than for you. People tend to accomplish the things that they tell other people they will do, and I’m afraid that I won’t be honest with myself and therefore, not with you. I want to detail my experience with as unedited precision as possible with regard to my own feelings, my own experiences, my own perceptions.

2.      But there are lines I will not cross. There are some topics that are off-limits. I can’t think of them right now, but I know they surely exist.

3.      I will not insult fellow peers by name and I will not bash professors by name. I am willing to believe that everyone, myself included, will learn the right life lessons in time, and so, I am forgiving. I am not willing to defame anyone in particular. If I talk about a person’s characteristics, it will be to paint a picture representative of any arbitrary human being – myself included.

4.      With the above in mind: “If we shadows have offended, think but this; and all is mended that you have but slumbered here while these visions did appear and this weak and idle theme no more yielding but a dream. Gentles--do not reprehend if you pardon, we will mend. And, as I am an honest Puck if we have unearned luck. Now to scape the serpents tongue. We will make amends ere long else the Puck a liar call. So--goodnight unto you all. Give me your hands if we be friends. And Robin shall restore amends.”  ~ Puck from A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare

5.      I will write about what I want to write about. I will be a McGill student for the next three years. Any topic I feel like writing about will be related to McGill in that I am a McGill student. This will range from course selection to Montreal to what I got for my birthday to love to dorming to my best friend at Rutgers to Cary Grant to my high school teachers to my economics professor to Minerva to Dorothy Parker…and so on. You catch my drift.

6.      Don’t be too mean to me. In the spirit of the blog name, I would like the comments section to remain as uncensored as possible. I will always appreciate thoughts, personal anecdotes about McGill, criticism, and beyond, but I will not appreciate baseless insults (insults with a reason are acceptable, though I may cry, alone, in my temporary room at RVC), spam, comments of an overtly sexual or violent tone (innuendos are acceptable), etc. Grammar nazis are welcome here, especially when I use an idiom or expression incorrectly.

7.      I’m longwinded. In fact, you’re really lucky that this blog post is only this long because I could’ve included a lot more.

8.      I was going to title this blog post “The Ten Commandments” but I have since realized that I don’t have ten points, and I’m not really commanding you to do anything.

Much love,

J. McGillee (I haven’t decided if I should use my name yet. Though you probably all know it or can find it within 10 minutes.)