The temperatures in Xi’an have been climbing higher lately, hitting 36°C by the end of May. I can’t even imagine how hot it’ll be by December. Due to the provincial electronics competition in July and possible summer social practice, I’m considering staying on campus for the break. I hope they won’t make us consolidate dorms like they did in winter (summer doesn’t require centralized heating to cut costs, so it shouldn’t happen, right?). In previous years, I’d head home right after exams, but I suspect inland cities in midsummer are much hotter than my home province with its thousand lakes.
Mentioning scorching summers brings to mind the bamboo bed at home, the red bricks and ceiling fans of the old house, the crisp green melons and fragrant white muskmelons, the old peach tree in front of the house that was cut down during renovations, and my grandma, who’s been slicing melons for me every summer since I was little…
With the busyness of the past few weeks winding down and the weekend approaching, I tried hard to recall what meaningful things I’d done—but nothing came to mind. When assignments were due, I rushed through them; if deadlines were far off, I piled them up and escaped into Battlefield 1. When labs rolled around, I’d grumble my way to G614 on my bike, often getting frustrated by two faulty signal cables. Oh, and this week, I scored 36 seconds on the horizontal bar for my PE final—pretty proud of that one ().
Once, over a meal, a classmate brought up grad school recommendations, and I bluntly said my grades were probably near the bottom of the class. With the top 75% cutoff, I wouldn’t make it. In fact, given the three-year fitness test average requirement of 60, I’d already lost hope. My personal standard is just keeping my GPA above 80—no need to grind (nor could I). I’ll only join competitions that actually mean something, skipping the pointless ones whenever possible.
Ever since I stubbornly refused my dad’s advice to join the Party freshman year, the so-called “promising future” widely recognized by society has felt irrelevant to me. Few willingly give up easily attainable benefits, just as most people’s “principles” are little more than commodities with price tags. A senior once recommended I attend a Youth Marxism event, and I laughed it off: “I have no interest in becoming part of the bureaucratic bourgeois vanguard.”
Honestly, after two years at Xidian University, I’m utterly disappointed with this clown show. Before the college entrance exams, they boasted about being a “prestigious school,” part of “985/211,” and a place for “teaching and enlightening minds.” But once I got here, I realized universities are just like this—not just Xidian, but everywhere, domestic or abroad. None are truly “ivory towers.” The air reeks of money and the rot of power, and what’s taught is far from “enlightening.”
Best to say less.
At least for now, I don’t regret past choices—whether it was slacking off or missing opportunities. Every decision was one “LBW” would make. If I hadn’t taken this path, I wouldn’t be me.
Finals are coming, so it’s time to start cramming. Today, I had a blast on the Somme with the M97 Hunter, one-shotting everyone. I’ve decided not to touch Battlefield 1 until finals are over—and I mean it! On the 24th, I was shocked to see the drama around Xiuhuo getting accused of cheating after scoring 38 kills with 90% accuracy on patrol. Thankfully, they quickly proved their innocence.
“A German hacker landed at Ballroom Blitz.”
“The shameless fake pro doubled down and fled.”
“The despicable Xiuhuo entered Grappa Hills.”
“The lad hit 70% accuracy.”
“Xiuhuo approached 80% accuracy.”
“The supreme Fire God effortlessly proved their innocence today!”
Watching it all unfold was pure hype, so I grabbed my patrol rifle and dominated every map. Today (May 28), I went 28/3 on Rupture—pretty satisfied. Once finals are over, I’ll continue following in the great Fire God’s footsteps!
Starting from finishing this post, I’ll hit the books. First, I’ll catch up on long-overdue probability theory homework—aiming to finish by tomorrow morning (and actually sleep early tonight). Then, thermodynamics homework. If there’s time, I’ll slap together lab reports for analog circuits and signals.
I’ll speedrun probability theory systematically, then preview digital circuits. Signals and thermodynamics are tough, so I’ll focus on them after classes end. Once the second numerical analysis test date is announced, I’ll cram accordingly—last time, a three-hour crash course worked well. Analog circuits are moderately difficult, so I’ll handle them during lectures. Early June also has the intercollegiate electronics competition, but with no time to spare, I’ll just wing it.
Time’s tight, tasks are heavy—it’s time to pay my dues.
When will I have a drink and discuss the details again?