This blog was written by Semester two intern, Pranay.
Some of my favourite memories at La Trobe don’t come from the lecture halls or the big campus events. They come from the small, unnoticed walks in between.
There’s something about those short strolls, rushing to class yet slowing down because the campus makes you. The sound of leaves crunching under your shoes, ducks waddling around the lake like they own the place, or the way the afternoon sun paints the pathways gold. Somehow, in those tiny pauses, La Trobe feels less like a university and more like a home.
For me, those walks have always been full of surprises. Like bumping into a friend I hadn’t seen in weeks and ending up in a ten-minute catch-up that completely changed my mood. Or the random “you coming for coffee?” invitations that pulled me out of my stress spiral. Even the silent nods from familiar faces on the same path, little reminders that none of us are doing this journey alone.
And then there are the solo walks. Headphones in, playlist on shuffle, mind wandering somewhere between deadlines and daydreams. That’s when I’ve done the most thinking. Walking from Agora to the library, weighed down by assignments but still catching myself breathing easier under the open sky. The campus has this way of giving you space to feel everything; the stress, the joy, the homesickness, the hope.
Sometimes, I think these in-between moments are what actually shape us. They’re not dramatic or loud but they’re the ones that stay. Years later, I might forget which subject I studied in which building but I’ll never forget the walk after an exam when my friends and I collapsed on the lawn in relief. Or the late-evening stroll back from the library, when the campus was quiet and it felt like the world belonged only to me.
One day, when we all graduate and look back, I know we’ll remember these walks more than the grades or the pressure. Because in those few minutes between classes, life didn’t just pass by it unfolded quietly, teaching us patience, connection and resilience without us even realising.
Sometimes, the path between classes teaches you more than the class itself.