I can’t believe I’ve finished my first year of university
already. What a crazy, fun, life-changing year it’s been! And I’ll get to do it
all over again for the next three years. It’s so strange to think that this
time last year I was suffering through all of my A-Level exams, waiting for
them to be over so I could relax and enjoy the summer. At that point, I was
pretty determined not to go to university but thank god I had a last minute
change of heart, or I wouldn’t be the happier, more confident person I am
today.
In September, I made a huge leap along with thousands of
other first year students and moved halfway across the country into a city I’d
never been before and started university. I immediately loved my course. TV
Production was everything I’d hoped it would be and everyone I met on the
course was lovely. I got on with the people I lived with and everything was
great. Like most students, I was often struck with homesickness but I had my
new friends to help me and I got through it. However, although I was quickly
learning independence, I still stayed hidden deep within my shell and preferred
to spend my nights alone in my room with a cup of tea and a good book, while
everyone else in the flat went out partying.
It was only in November, when I moved into a different halls
of residence called Merrowdown, that I really came out of my shell and became
myself. And it wasn’t a slow, reluctant crawl out of my shell, either; it was a
giant, out-of-nowhere leap into the open air. My very first day in Merrowdown,
I made a huge effort to talk to everyone and have some fun rather than keep to
myself, and that was the best decision that I’ve made all year. If I hadn’t
done that – if I hadn’t made an effort to meet these guys – I wouldn’t have the
amazing friends that I have now. I don’t think I would have even made it
through the year without them.
When I returned to uni after Christmas and my trip to
Disneyland, things became more difficult for a while. One of my closest friends
in Merrowdown left uni which affected me a lot, and my mum later became ill.
These things, along with the fact that my motivation for my course suddenly
dropped from 100 to about 7, made coping with uni life much harder than it had
been before. I’d had a history of depression before, and it hit me hard in
February and March. This was the point when I might have dropped out if it
hadn’t been for my brilliant friends who pulled me through.
As things have a habit of doing, however, it all got better.
I’m still in contact with my friend who left, my mum’s getting better, and I
made a huge decision that got me through the stressful last months of
coursework. I decided to change course. Although I love everyone in TVP, the TV
industry is not necessarily where I want to end up and therefore the course
just wasn’t for me. Instead, in September, I’ll be starting a Creative Writing
degree, so I’ll get to spend all day every day writing stories, poems and
scripts. Sounds like heaven!
Now, as I’m writing this, I’m back at home having finished
my first year of university. It was sad to leave Merrowdown but I know that
we’ll see each other again in September and keep having as much fun as we’ve
had all this year. I can’t thank these guys enough for being there for me.
Every single person in that house has helped me in some way and I’m beyond
grateful for that. From hugging me when I’m upset and carrying me downstairs
when I passed out, to giving me words of encouragement when I needed them and
posting train tickets to my house when I accidentally sent them to Merrowdown
and then left for Easter. Everyone in Merrowdown is incredible.
But even though it’s sad to say goodbye to the house, next
year will be even more fun. I’ll be living with three other girls in student
housing where there will be Netflix nights and baking days every week. I’m so
excited for what’s to come in September. I can’t wait!
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