...being thrown off the conveyor belt

I was just reading the New Scientist Graduate Careers Special and came across this line.

After 2 decades in education, everything you've done so far has been something of a conveyor belt. This is where somebody rams a steel rod into the workings and you fly off the end; to land either smoothly on your feet or flat on your face.

Well I feel this experience here in Cambridge is to a major extent like that. Till now, most of my life was influenced by friends and family. (not that they forced me to do engineering or anything but never the less I feel I was influenced) When ever I came to a turning point there was always some one there to tell me what they thought might be the best way. Here it's up to to me to decide and do as I want.

It's a strange independence which I feel is making me a different person. These days I find myself thinking a lot about what I want to do with the rest of my life (still have no idea, but it's a start :0) ) I've realised that often you don't know all the things you are capable of until you're left to your own devices. Now I find myself cooking, looking after the place I'm staying, taking care of bills and everything while studying whereas before since I was with my family, my parents took care of most of these responsibilities though I helped of course. It's a great feeling.

Today as I went shopping in the morning I saw the first signs of snow... well actually frost, but it's still white and so I took this picture. It seems like we're headed for a white Christmas considering how cold it is here.