Every time I walk through the University of Malta foyer, I sense an aura that just captivates me. I sit down and absorb all that surrounds me. The sound of the water in the fountain plays with the laughter of students enjoying a quick joke in between lectures. Others are in their own music bubble, typing away on their laptops. A young couple are whispering sweet nothings. This is one of my favourite places to be.

You have probably heard friends tell you that their years at university were the best years of their life. I stand as no exception. If I could afford it, I would dedicate my life to studying. Learning and being among like-minded people who have a thirst for knowledge and who look for artistic ways to express their inner feelings is the best food for my soul.

My years as an English undergraduate went by in a haze of activities: from parties organised by the University Students’ Council and the individual faculties to those wonderful occasions when big names, such as Roberto Benigni, would grace us with their outstanding performances. I remember Benigni’s reading of Dante’s Divina Commedia was so sensational that my friend and I were in tears for most of it.

Your university days are not just an investment in a future career: they are also an opportunity for your artistic sensibilities to flourish and grow.

Your university days are not just an investment in a future career: they are also an opportunity for your artistic sensibilities to flourish

Almost all faculties organise their own events. The Faculty of Arts, particularly the Department of English organises book ­readings and other literary events. Check out the Department of English Student Association Facebook page to see what’s coming up. If you have the urge to write, get in touch with them and contribute to their literary journal Text, which is available online at textpublication.wordpress.com. This journal was launched while I was still studying and I’ve seen how it has developed over time. I encourage anyone who loves writing to give it a shot. Having said that, if English literature and creative writing aren’t what you’re after, then have a look at what the other faculties have to offer and do what best suits your interests.

On a more generic level, the Koperattiva Kulturali Universitarja helps both university students and anyone outside university to express their creativity. KKU also organises the popular Evenings on Campus. This is any artistic person’s paradise. Evenings on Campus is a festival of experimental theatre, music, film and other arts that highlight student talent. Make sure you contact KKU if you want to participate in any of these events and take the opportunity to shine. KKU has already enabled new productions to be presented abroad and most of its senior members are leading figures on the local cultural scene who are eager to help develop the talents of junior members.

Back in my days, communications students who aspired to become journalists would also collaborate on the Insiter news portal. I can still remember some old friends of mine at the time who today work as news reporters interviewing me for a vox pop – fun memories. The Insiter is now also available online at www.insiteronline.com.

I wasn’t one of these students because I was more into my own creative writing: I was quite shy and didn’t really enjoy the spotlight. However, I can assure you that although I didn’t participate in any of these activities directly, the artistic and cultural initiatives at university did have an impact on my life.

I used to find inspiration even in just attending book readings, watching classic films at the film festival, listening to my favourite lecturers discuss different books and literary essays during the Anglo-Italian evening seminars, attending conferences, taking pictures and discussing photography with my friends who were reading for a degree in communications, visiting art exhibitions by my peers, auditing lectures in film and psychoanalysis, flipping through the worn papers of an old book at the university library, and even simply sitting under a tree and watching students walking and interacting while nibbling on some snack.

Life on campus is ideal for any young artist looking for inspiration. I wish you a great scholastic year full of creativity.