Congrats on your acceptance into varsity, and welcome to the great wide world! Compared to school, tertiary institutions have a much wider variety of people attending – some of which you may find peculiar. This is both scary and exciting at the same time – which pretty much sums up your first year at university. (Which is exactly why Dux Student Support is here for you.)
A Peculiarly Parallel Universe
Every January 10th is Peculiar People Day – a chance “to celebrate the leaders of the strange and unusual, those who refuse to succumb to the world’s idea of what is normal and sane. They challenge the status quo and utterly rebuke the concept that that which is out of the ordinary is bad. Whether they simply dress in their own style, or have very clear ideas of what is right and normal, Peculiar People Day is their opportunity to shine.”
Religious Context
Wikipedia states that “The Peculiar People were a Christian movement, founded in 1838 and deriving their name from a phrase found in the King James Version of the Bible - Deuteronomy 14:2 reads as follows: "The Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth." Peculiar People is also a phrase used to describe the Quakers, which they adopted with some pride.”
In the context of your new life of tertiary education, you probably went to school with the same people you see at your church. But did you know that there are around 4,300 religions of the world. (See the top 20 list HERE.) In this new phase, you cannot assume that those around you are of the same faith as you are.
Sexuality
In the real world, about half of Generation Z identifies as queer – a term used in sexual politics to describe sexuality that rejects normative definitions of appropriate feminine and masculine sexual behaviour. (For a full list of sexual terminology, click HERE). This may be liberating for you – or you may find yourself at odds with the concept.
Cultures
In your day to day interactions at school, how many white people did you encounter? Indian? Chinese? Jewish? Greek? The list is endless…. What an exciting opportunity to experience so many different cultures in one place – if you only open yourself up to it.
The Dux Edge
From cosplayers to Rastafarians and beyond, Dux PD is here to help you transition from school to tertiary. Get your friends to join us for phyco- socio support this year by contacting us today.
“Dux /dʌks/ noun
The top pupil in a school or class.”
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