What University Taught Me

Hey guys!

So next week marks the first week of my 5th and final year at University, and so I just thought i'd take the opportunity to look back and think about what the last four years have taught me. Who knows, maybe something I say could help you!

1. Everyone gets homesick now and again.

I was very excited but also very scared to go to University. I'd never lived away from home before and it's a big shock to the system, but it was a fantastic one. I was a bit upset when I was dropped off, but I threw myself into getting to know my new flatmates and it was the best distraction and I was laughing and helping people unpack an hour later!

2. It's ok not to get on with everyone.

I was put into a flat/floor with one other girl and eleven guys, and for the first few weeks we were inseparable. We were put into temporary accommodation and we definitely made up for not being in our college when it came to the events! And even though me and Lauren are still best friends four years later, we aren't in touch with the guys anymore, we had different interests and we all drifted apart and that's ok. You won't get on with everyone, but there is always someone out there!

3. Living with friends with either make or break you.

I ended up moving into 2 different flats in my first year as I didn't get on with my flatmates in the first one, we all got on each others nerves and it just wasn't worth it. However, Lauren lived with Joanna in first and second year and the three of us are the strongest of friends now. Sometimes it will make a friendship that will last a lifetime, and sometimes it will break a friendship after telling them for the hundredth time to wash up or tidy their stuff away!

4. Not living with other students won't isolate you if you don't want it to.

Living with other students in your first year I would say as a personal preference is very important for forming those bonds, but then most of my friends came from my courses so there are always other ways. I never actually lived with my friends. I met a guy in the first couple of weeks of starting university and at the end of my first year we moved in together and lived together until around easter in my fourth year. But I was still going to my classes everyday and I would stop off at Lauren and Jo's on my way home a lot of the time so I still saw everyone everyday. So if you have to/choose to live in your family home or on your own it doesn't mean you won't get involved.

5. You will at some point be so tired you just put on your uggs and go to class in your PJs.

Before going to Uni, I was horrified at the thought of leaving the house without a full face of make up and my nicest clothes on. But when you're getting in at 5am and have a lecture at 9am, you will not care. I like to think the fact that I turned up and took notes was good enough, it didn't matter that I felt like my head was going to explode and I was in sweatpants and uggs. It happens to us all at some point. And living on campus means you can just go back to bed after.

6. Suddenly naps are golden.

This was also a bit of a bizarre concept to me. Why would you need to sleep in the middle of the day? Well, because you can. And because you probably didn't sleep at all last night, and it means you can go out again tonight as you are already rested. 

7. Support is there if you need it.

I had a few problems earlier this year after I moved out of my house near uni and had to move back in with my parents 100 miles away. It flipped my world upside down and made everything extremely difficult (who doesn't love a 2 hour drive to a lecture?). I spoke to my supervisor who offered guidance and support with my work and then I also turned to my Student's Union President and VP. I don't think I could have got through it without their support. I could go to see them and have coffee and a rant and they even offered to come over and help me move. I'm not saying they will be as helpful as they were for me (they were good friends by the end of all this!) but they are there to support you, and it's important to remember that there are support services there if you need to talk to someone.

8. If you don't understand something, ask.

When it came to lectures and lab work, I was quite lucky in that I was part of quite a close knit group and we would all help each other. If you don't understand something and everyone else seems to, just ask! Chances are there will be things they don't understand and you can help each other. See if anyone meets up in study groups, or set one up! This year before our exams we all got together to make sure everyone understood the material before being tested on it. Not everyone will want to put extra hours in, some people are happy to scrape by if they can still go out every night, but most people want to get out with a decent degree, so just ask! :)

9. You now love fancy dress, and will go out in it even if there is only three of you.

I would say more often than not our nights out involved fancy dress. It just makes a night out so much funnier, 'why are you dressed like that?' well why not? *Cue a few fancy dress photos to break up the mass of text haha*

10. Most importantly, it's OK to still not know what you want to do when you're finished.

I studied for a BSc in Biological Sciences for 3 years, and i'm half way through an MSc in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security, and I plan to go into HR or finance when i'm done. Sometimes even though you love the experience and you love learning about it, you find it's not for you, and that's OK. Don't ever feel like it was a waste of time, there are many people out there who don't have a degree, and the skills you learnt aren't just material based, they can be applied to so many different things. A lot of people go on graduate schemes when they finish and they do lots of different jobs to find out which is best for you!

There are probably thousands more things that I took from my experience. I might even write another one of these in the future with a few more things in. Not only do you gain experience from being at University itself, but also from the people around you. My experiences have mostly taught me about myself, the type of person I want to be, how to be independent and what I want to get out of life.

Is there anything you wish you'd known before going to university? What has it taught you?

Hope you all had a good weekend!

Love Amylou x

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