In case you didn’t see the pictures on my social media – I’m finally a university graduate! That’s right, as of Monday 22nd July 2019 my BA (Hons) English with Writing degree is official, and I couldn’t be more proud of myself.
As pleased as I am to have completed university, it wasn’t always smooth sailing. It’s been a rollercoaster of a journey, and I’ve learned some pretty important lessons on the way. So, I thought I’d tell you about some of them – as well as giving myself the excuse to fill this post with graduation photos! Enjoy!
1. Time management
A key skill that I developed at university was how to effectively manage my time. Between lectures, seminars, assignments, reading, extra-curriculars and having a social life, I’m always left wondering how in the world I got through it all. But at uni, you just have to find a way to juggle everything, and find a way that works for you.
The best piece of advice I can give to any student is to invest in an academic diary, because you’ll probably find that when you have everything on paper, it’s easier to make sense of.
2. The value of friendship
In most cases, the friends you make at university are the best friends you will ever have, and it teaches you that you probably only considered some people from school your friends because you saw them five days a week.
Don’t get me wrong, I still have friends from my school days that I cherish, but it was when I started university that, for the first time, I had not one but two groups of friends that all loved and supported one another.
Granted, we’re all dotted around different places now, but the bond is still there, and I hope that it always will be.
3. It’s okay to ask for help
Throughout university, I experienced a lot of ‘firsts’ – and one of them was therapy. I’d never considered the idea of counselling before my second year began, but after moving into a new student house and knowing my marks from then on would count towards my final degree, everything suddenly became real and I got scared.
It was my Personal Tutor that suggested I talk to someone about the way I was feeling, and I’m still so glad she did. I learnt breathing exercises and other techniques to manage my thoughts and feelings, but I found that the most helpful thing was that I was listened to. My counsellor sat and listened intently to everything I had to say, and being able to pour everything out without the fear of being judged or told I was wrong lifted a huge weight from my shoulders. Granted, the problems may not have gone away by the end of the session, but knowing someone is in your corner is extremely reassuring.
It may take a while to realise, but asking for help doesn’t make you weak. In fact, it makes you stronger. And if you have people in your life who love and support you, then you’re already halfway there.
4. There’s a whole world out there
Aside from being fortunate enough to have explored many places around the world, my small Cotswold village was the only place I ever lived before I went to uni. But living in Bristol for the last three years has given me a brand new perspective. I like the person I am when I’m there, and I have countless happy memories from my time there.
So I would encourage you, if you can, to spend a decent amount of time somewhere outside your hometown, because I can guarantee it will open your eyes to a world that you never thought existed.
5. Question everything
When writing essays and other assignments, my coursemates and I were always encouraged to think and write critically when looking at theories and concepts, and it really does transform how you think about things both in your academic studies and in general life. You learn to stop and pause and actually delve into what something means or suggests, and that’s a great life skill.
6. Self motivation
I’m pretty sure I already had this at Sixth Form, but as soon as university hit I became a master at self motivation. To this day I’m not sure where it came from – whether it was because I wanted to make a good impression or whether it was to make the most of a new start, but either way I’m not going to complain.
Regardless of what I had to do, I’d jump out of bed and get started, and often not stopping until everything on my to-do list was crossed off. Granted, every few weeks there was a day where I just crashed from exhaustion, and spent the day in my pyjamas watching Netflix – but everyone needs one of those days. Looking back now, I probably pushed myself a bit too hard sometimes, but I wouldn’t change the way I did things – and I still wouldn’t. Of course this method isn’t for everyone, but I’ve developed a strong work ethic which I hope to continue into a future career and into all aspects of my life.
It’s normal to burn out sometimes, but the important thing is to wake up the next day and re-light the fire.
7. How to dress down
As any university student will tell you, there will come a day when you simply stop caring about what you look like. I often saw people walking around campus in slippers and fluffy jumpers, and my coursemate and I have spent a lecture huddled in a blanket before – shout out to you for the blanket, Erin!
Before I moved to Bristol I couldn’t leave the house without some form of makeup, but about 6 months in I wore the bare minimum when I went out with friends, and by third year I’d pretty much stopped wearing it altogether unless it was a special occasion. I went from wearing a new jeans-and-shirt combo every day to wearing the same leggings and hoodie three days in a row, because whilst juggling everything else going on in my life, I really just couldn’t be bothered.
The reality is that most people are too focused on themselves to even think about judging you for the way you look, so dress up or dress down – whatever makes you happy.
8. How to ‘wing it’
It’s no secret that university is one hell of a commitment. I spent 12 hours a week in lectures, a small amount compared to other courses, yet I was still constantly working into the night on assignments and seminar prep – and even then there were never enough hours in the day. So sometimes I had to just wing it, which I’d never done before, and I know I’m not the only one.
I’m sure I’m not the first student to not finish the reading for a seminar, but still get by with a quick Google of a chapter summary and a bit of common sense, and I’m positive I won’t be the last. But this doesn’t mean I was a slacker (refer back to point 6) – it means that uni can be overwhelming, which isn’t something to shy away from. So do everything in your power to push through, because I can personally guarantee it’ll be worth it in the end.
9. INDEPENDENCE
Arguably the most important lesson on this list. For most, moving into a student house will be the first time they’ve ever left the comforts of their own home for a long period of time, and it’s confronting to say the least. Although you live in a house with other people, you’re responsible for yourself, and having to become self-sufficient can, in my opinion, go one of three ways:
- First, you could have been raised with an array of responsibilities in your family home, so you’re already competent enough to put these into action in your new digs – the only major adjustment is doing it all without your family present.
- Or, you could’ve had a couple of specific jobs around the house and been taught a few key lessons by your parents to prepare you for your new chapter – so you’re able to survive, but may have to make a phone call home to find out which washing machine setting won’t shrink all your clothes.
- And finally, you could have been nothing short of coddled whilst living at home, and went to uni without the ability to operate a tin-opener.
I probably fell into the middle category – I could look after myself, but my parents being a phone call away helped me a lot. I was able to help other students with certain things, but there were also certain things I needed help with too. But I’ve had the privilege of meeting at least one of each of these types of people, and one thing we all had in common was that we were all in the same boat, which was nothing if not comforting when moving into a completely unknown environment.
10. Being a little fish in a big pond
By the time I left school, I was used to getting marks in the higher brackets and I was always involved in clubs and leadership roles. And as a result, I found the transition to university life difficult. As much as I loved the idea of a fresh start, I didn’t enjoy having to start from the bottom again. I spent the first few months second-guessing myself and wondering if I’d made the right decision, but my advice would be to stick at it, because I’m so glad I did. Adjusting to a new environment is always difficult, but as more time passes the more comfortable you will become.
11. Your mental health should always come first
Starting uni is an exciting but overwhelming time, which is why it’s so important to look after your mental health as well as your physical health while you’re away. With everything going on in a student’s life, whether it be constant deadlines, employment options, housing, financial pressures or simply maintaining a healthy balance between work and play, it’s important to make use of the services available to you.
For more information on the different ways you can help take care of your mental health whilst at university, check out a previous blog post I wrote about the different places you can go to for help if you ever feel you need it: It’s Okay Not to Be Okay: Mental Health as a Student, and Ways You Can Deal with It.
12. There’s no right way to ‘do’ uni
Everyone’s seen the pictures and heard the stories about university – wild nights out, missed lectures, two-day hangovers, etc. etc. But that’s not all uni is about – you can go the whole three, four or more years without staying out all night and starting assignments hours before they’re due.
Simply put, uni is your personal experience and you can craft it in any way you want. If you want a year out and go back, you can. If you want to do an internship, do it. If you want to join a society or start one up, drink the SU out of alcohol or stay sober the whole time, that’s fine too. Because one of the best things about uni is that you get to experience it however you like. I don’t drink, I barely missed a lecture and, although I had my fair share of nights out, it was never a nightly habit. But I didn’t have a lesser experience, and I had an absolute blast.
13. Bristol is one of the best cities in the world
To some this is common knowledge, but it was unknown to me just how wonderful Bristol is until I moved there back in 2016. It has everything you could possibly imagine, and it will always hold a special place in my heart. To find out the main reasons as to why I adore Bristol, check out my last blog post: What’s to Love About Bristol.
14. Communication skills – perfect for aspiring journalists (aka me)
You’ll have to make small talk in your first week at university, and you’ll probably have the same conversation of ‘where are you from?’ and ‘what are you studying?’ hundreds of times, but it will build your confidence and serve you well when you meet new people in the future or even graduate interviews. Plus, studying English practically serves the skills to you on a plate.
15. Graduation day is amazing
As stressful as the lead-up to graduation was with making sure I had all the necessary documents and making our way to the venue on time, my graduation day was by far one of the best days of my life. Everything went smoothly, and the whole day went as well as it possibly could have.
So trust me when I say that all the blood, sweat and tears you’re putting into your degree will all be worth it.
16. Get out of your comfort zone and embrace the new
University presents you with the chance to experience new cultures, languages, places, skills, people, food and more. Essentially, uni opens you up to an entirely different way of life. So embrace it! I’ve met some of the most wonderful people from all over the UK and the world, with all different types of backgrounds – and it’s no secret that Bristol has a vast range of people and places, as well as amazing international cuisine. So try new things and embrace the changes, because you’ll be glad you did.
17. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done
From starting university in September 2016 to releasing this blog post today, I’ve endured a loss of self-esteem, hours of counselling, a broken heart, countless sleepless nights and the loss of some extremely special people. But amongst the anxiety, grief, sadness and exhaustion, I began a life in a new city, completed an internship, met multiple big names, travelled to new places, accumulated enough books to start a library, started this blog(!), made valuable friendships and learned more than I ever have before.
I went in an 18 year-old village girl with big dreams, and I came out a 21 year-old with not only an honours degree but a stepping-stone towards the career I’ve always wanted – and I couldn’t be more grateful to UWE Bristol for making it possible.
And that’s it! I’m positive there are 1,000 more lessons that university taught me, but these are just the ones I managed to think of. If you’re a current or previous university student and can think of any more, let me know, and share this post with anyone you think would enjoy it. Thanks for reading x
Living the Knight Life 
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