My Favourite Moments at University

People often say, “Let’s plan the things to make them happen,” but I learnt over the years that the unexpected scenarios can also be enjoyed. I remember my time in high school when I used to create the connection with similarities to interact with my “possible new friends”. Unsatisfied and disappointed, I learnt I was wrong. Nowadays, I find inside the diversity of backgrounds and interests, the uniqueness of the cultures and the several opportunities to practise new activities that people enjoy and see if I actually like them. This was how I found out that I am actually good at tennis; I just did not practise it in Mexico before. Allow me to introduce you to my first favourite moment.

1) When I almost won a competition inside HUTC (Hull University Tennis Club).

I remember after the first 2 months I joined HUTC how frustrated I was, thinking if I made the right decision saying yes to the team when Sam Franklin, president, and Charlie Zost, men’s captain, came to me to propose I join the tennis club during my fresher week, just because I hit the ball when they were promoting a game to win a candy.

I would never imagine that the same person complaining about his tennis skills in 2024 would be one of the last two standing during the last training competition in 2025. But there I was, dressed in a nice try of a cowboy costume, wearing a “sombrero” because of the topic of the day, trying to be the final winner, and yes, when I was about to win, I lost. And contrary to the chocolate that I was expecting, I got nothing more than “the walk of defeat”, a punishment for having lost and being in second place; however, for me it represented a piece of cake with a nice victory taste inside. Not because I lost, but because I was about to win after being one of the worst players at tennis when I started.

2. Bringing an old society back to socials

 My second favourite moment is when I realised what I made when I decided to bring an old society back to socials.

Can you ever imagine Finance and me in the same sentence? I could never, but as Justin Bieber once said, “Never say never.” I ended up bringing the Hull University Finance Society (@HUFISociety) back to socials. My personal question at the beginning was, like, “Me promoting finance?” It's like trying Selena Gomez to be friends with Hailey Bieber and make them post together, which means not even a single possibility for that to happen. But, as someone who does not know how to see impossible things, I immediately said yes when President Tianyi Zhang arrived to me to convince me to be the new social media manager. What I never expected was that the content I created at the library to be viral would not only be seen by the students but also by the professors and staff members of the University of Hull. I was FaceTiming my friend at the art cafe when I heard my name: “Alejandro, Alejandro!” someone said, but before I turned around, all I thought in my mind was, “Is she singing the song? Or she is actually calling me by my name? Scared to ask, she apologises, saying, “I am so sorry; you don't know, but I know you." It was Rachel from the international team of the Hull Uni, saying the staff and Uni members also watched my video. I ended up surprised but satisfied, realising I was known for the society that I never imagined me working for because of my viral video.

3. Meeting one of my best friends

The last one of my three top favourite moments was meeting one of my best friends:

Being so far from Mexico does not stop me from still behaving as a Mexican, and the way to make friends in there is so different that it took me ages to realise how warm I can be considered at the moment to meet and try to start a new friendship in England. However, this was an exception; thanks to the university, I got the chance to meet different people, not just inside the lectures but also outside around campus. I remember me on the way to my first tennis training taking the bus from university for free, provided by the team, to arrive at the courts. Trying to find a seat when the bus is full is impossible; I even got angry because the first person I saw was taking two seats, one for his equipment and one for him. After deciding to pretend I could not find anything to avoid walking to the end of the bus, he actually decided to give me the chance to sit with him. Who would imagine that the first person I got angry with would become one of my closest friends ever? Well, that happened immediately after he said his name was Fin and I said, “Oh, like the one from Adventure Time.” Here you have our first photo arriving at the court.