Dear student, this is how the future will look likeAugust 16, 2016

Alex went out of the room for the fourth time, with his cell phone. I heard his groan in ten minutes or less. Australia failed to advance to the semifinals of rugby seven. He was mindful of my feelings if he stayed in the room. I don't mind, but I wondered if this would be a frequent scenario in the workplace in the near future. I was thinking of a convenient way to deal with stress, and the company doesn't have a clear rule about it. But the boss would understand.

No one seemed to notice my existence these past days, as most students were anticipating the next happening in Rio. I was surprised to hear my coursemates talk about the Boomers and their chances of winning a medal in men's basketball. These were the same fellows who would equate James Joyce with DC Comics. And they were certain that our professors won't have the time to check our essays. They were semi-employed at the university, with zero contracts. They would forget to buy a pint of milk for the third successive day after staring at a pile of papers. They must be marked the day after next. I asked them where they got the information. They pretended not to hear the question.

My brother was a huge basketball fan, and he had high hopes for the Boomers. The Australia-US game was a close one, and he would suspect that Andrej Lemanis have had some aces up in his sleeve. He wasn't the only one who predicted the two teams competing for the gold medal on the final day. If the Australian team would lose, then it won't be a downer. There were newbies who didn't join the trip to Rio. It was a stacked team, and it could be likely that many would see action in Tokyo. A medal would be a certainty, but it could be a possibility in Rio. Alas, I was more interested in a cricket game.

I'm a serious academic

I saw Abby the other day. My neighbor pursued a postgraduate degree in Berlin, and she would encourage me to do the same. It would be two years long, which was challenging for her. But she was gladdened at the small semester fee. She also liked the fact that she would study at her own pace. It meant that she found time for sightseeing. Millions of students have studied in Europe, and more would follow. It was relatively inexpensive. Abby admitted that she struggled to adjust to a routine life at first, but she had a change of heart several months later. She finds it hard to go back home. Maybe I should give this some serious thought.

I missed my mates, whom I would meet every other weekend. I looked at the images of our journey into the Outback many moons ago. We were lucky to witness the rainfall, and how it turned the Uluru into an enchanted spot. In an urbanized community, a soggy landscape could be a bummer. The coursework would be demanding, but I don't mind at all. It could take a while, though. This won't be another trend.

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