For a lot of people, university starts at 18 and when you are at that age, you want to go out drinking and partying all night and suffer the consequences in the morning (and that's good...I'm not judging you on that one) But because of that, the stigma is that ALL university students do this and that is what I got when I started telling people I had got into university.
For most, university starts when they arrive at their chosen university, for me however, this started from the moment I put my application in. Now as you probably know, I am 25 now and I am classed as a mature student. Going to university was and still is a big deal for me in so many ways. I still walk around my campus in awe that I am here and that has something to do with me being in a hostel almost 5 years ago, so going from being homeless to a stable, mature student is a very big deal. (If you want me to do my experience of being homeless and being in a hostel, don't hesitate to comment)
Because my experience started from the application form being sent, I started to sort out what I needed to get into university and what I was going to take with me. I also needed to sort out my flat and start getting that unpacked as I was giving it up. I was feeling good...that was until a week after the application deadline...I got my first rejection. I felt deflated. I thought that was it, I wasn't going to go to university. Fast forward a couple of weeks and my spirits soared, I had an interview. My boyfriend drove me there and back (what a nice boyfriend, taking the day of work to drive me there) The interview went as good as I could get it (didn't get in if you are wondering) Fast forward some more weeks and I finally got a place in university. I could finally breathe a sigh of relief and start packing and applying for finance and accommodation.
September came and I finally moved in and I was in disbelief that I was finally here. Saying goodbye to my boyfriend was hard and knowing I wasn't going to see him for a while hurt like hell and I could tell he was hurting too. I watched him drive off after a long goodbye and went back to my room to unpack (it took me a week in total to have everything in it's new place.)
Freshers week was good. Now as I said before, being a mature student, going out and drinking until I am completely wasted is not my cup of tea but that didn't mean I couldn't go out during freshers week and enjoy myself and that is what I did.
The lectures and seminars exceeded my expectations and getting into a routine with juggling university classes and directed study was hard to begin with but now I have got into the swing of things and have a routine, I can finally organise my work and this showed in my results of my first set of assessments (I got a 1st in one of my modules :D *does a happy dance*) I now know what is in store for me for the next 2 and a half years.
Although there has been a lot of ups for me, there has been a few downs such as My father dying three weeks into my semester and worrying about my mum being in hospital...all this messed up my sleeping patten for a bit so it was nice to go back home for Christmas and see my boyfriend and my family and friends and have a nice relaxing break.
University is the best thing, since my boyfriend obviously, that I have ever done in my life. I don't regret doing this sooner as I wouldn't be the person I am today but it is changing me in a lot of good ways and I hope that this experience will be some of the best years of my life.
I will be updating as often as I can depending on what has happened. My next update will be in may when the year has finished but I suspect I will do an update in a few weeks as I have a placement to go on.
Have you been to university? What was your experience like?
Bye for now.
Jess. X
