End of my first year of uni- A summary
It's been a few weeks since I've posted but there have been many good reasons why. The biggest being that I finished my first year of uni and have now moved back home and spending my free summer time working to earn money.
Now that my whole first year of studies is complete, I wanted to take a look back over the time so for anyone who might be starting uni this year can get some insight into what life is like and how things are going to change for you.
When I first moved to the university, I was a snivelling wreck. I mean full on crying, and I didn't even move further than just over an hour away from home. But it was difficult for me. It meant moving away from the life I knew in the countryside to the city. Where the university campus probably has more students than my whole town. Not only that, I was leaving my friends, my family, my boyfriend to start this big new chapter in my life and I wasn't sure whether I would be able to survive it or not.
I already had a few friends I'd made online who would be starting the same course as me but you're always worried that people online are very different to who they are in person. For example, I'm more confident online. I'm able to think out jokes and good responses whereas in person, my brain flails in the moment and I become so humanly awkward that I cease to function. So I was worried making friendships would be difficult for me.
Luckily one of the first nights of freshers week, me and a few girls met up for food and went to the campus bar for drinks. Since that night we've all become amazing friends and I'm actually living with two of them in our new house later this year. So even though I'm not big on going out drinking or clubbing it's worth it during freshers as it helps you to meet new people and find others with similar interests.
Another worry I had was how much a step up the workload would be. And boy it has been. I am still struggling with referencing as my not-so-polite teacher keeps pointing out. Luckily there are university run services all over the place to help you with issues such as this. Even though you're independent doesn't mean anybody wants you to struggle. There is always somebody to help, whether its your personal tutor, a teacher, a programme or even a friend or parent. You can always find someone who is willing to help you. And it doesn't even have to be a big thing. I remember I probably messaged my parents about five times over the year asking them to remind me how to make a jacket potato.
Speaking of the workload, prepare yourself. Because there will be a lot of reading that needs to be done in a short amount of time. I suggest that as soon as the reading list is confirmed get your ass in gear and read those books. Otherwise you'll be five books behind where the teachers might expect you to be. Most of my terms were a picture of me trying to read and analysis an entire novel in less than a week so the sooner you get started the better you'll be.
Flats. Or accommodation. Lets face it- they're daunting. Moving in with complete strangers you know nothing about. And you kind of hope they'll be nice and you'll get along and in reality most of the time you probably will but if you're unfortunate like me, you might get a very antisocial flat. Now this had its benefits at times but it also made life so extremely difficult to the point where I didn't feel comfortable having people over and I hated going into to cook meals. And my microwave that I left out for people to use kept getting destroyed in terms of mess. It was like no one had heard of a sponge and water. The sides were piled up with dirty dishes and rotting food. Towards the end, I couldn't wait to get out of there and go home to my nice clean kitchen. (And see my little puppers too!)
The last thing I want to mention is societies. There is a lot of pressure when joining societies at social events to drink. I want to point out now that you should never feel compelled to drink if you don't want to. I found that with some groups they thought drinking meant having a good time but trust me you can have just as good a time without all the booze. All you need is some good friends, maybe some food or games and some good laughs and you'll have a great time. Don't b put off joining something because no one will come with you as well. I regret not joining some societies this year because I was too terrified to face it on my own. But I'll tell you what, companies look for you to be active within societies or doing activities within university so don't be afraid to do something you love. I plan on joining more societies come September and hopefully making some more friends.
So overall, I enjoyed my first year of uni. Yes there were negatives/ downsides but I still love my course and I've made some unforgettable friends. Saying that, University isn't for everyone. Some people have swapped courses or others have left Uni to pursue other careers and that's totally fine. There are other ways to find success in the work field. I hope you all find yours.