For me, University was simply an inevitable choice; all my friends were going, I did well academically and my A Level results were OK, I had no idea of a career path and in all honesty probably didn't want to begin working full time at 18 years old anyway.
I went to approximately half of my lectures, I slept in half the time. I partied A LOT and I found love for the first time. I didn't join any sports or social clubs and I didn't take the opportunity to work for the University Radio Station or Newspaper- something which I really regret now.
I left in 2010 with a 2:1 Undergraduate Degree in the knowledge that if I had attended all my lectures, read all the books that I was supposed to and didn't leave assignments till the night before they were due that I could probably have walked away with a First Class Honours.
I didn't hate University.
I didn't love it.
It just...happened.
Please don't think that I am trying to dissuade anybody from enrolling at University here I just think that it is helpful to sometimes have a realistic portrayal of what life is like as an Undergraduate student rather than a rose- tinted account of it being a constant American Pie- esque frat party of hedonism.
In reality, starting University aged 18-19 can be very difficult. For most people its the first time that you move away from your parent's house, you have to learn to budget very quickly with what is often a really small amount of money, you have ultimate freedom and there are no repercussions from authority figures for your behaviour (within reason) e.g. if you miss a lecture you won't get a letter sent home to mum and dad, you have to learn to live with complete strangers all of whom have different ideas on what constitutes cleanliness and living etiquette and it can be a struggle.
There's been a lot of discussion recently surrounding what some are calling a period of 'extended adolescence' from the ages of 18-25 where, neurologically, a lot of people in that age bracket are still living as teenagers. Plenty of those in their late teens/ early twenties are adopting a 'live for the moment' mentality which unfortunately does often include excessive drinking and reckless behaviour with little thought for consequence.
There are those lucky folk that go to University with a concrete plan of their future and they have the elusive 'where will you be in 5 years time' question rehearsed and ready to deploy to Careers Advisors, family members and teaching staff whenever necessary and to those people- I salute you!
There are however a huge bunch of people like myself who merely went to University because it was just what you did and although I am not going to deny that having the 'BA Hons' title on my CV has opened a few doors for me, I am acutely aware that simply having a degree is not enough anymore and that experience in the field and extra- curricular knowledge is now just as sought after as a Bachelors Degree.
Ultimately what I gained most from University were the non- academic lessons such as learning to live with others, learning to cook (badly) and do my own washing (rarely), having the confidence to meet new people and leave the bubble of my hometown. I discovered a lot about aspects of my personality too some of which were great, some which needed working on and importantly discovered my sexuality- something which I doubt would have even occurred to me had I stayed living at home.
These 'life lessons' have all shaped who I am today and I am glad that I can learn from the mistakes that I made at that time and grow as a person because of them.
My advice to anybody who is maybe considering going to University is the following:
1. Understand that it will not be easy all of the time and that you will feel like giving up but such is life. Travelling, working, motherhood, relationships are all never easy all the time and feeling sad about things sometimes is 100% OK.
2. Try to get some part time work- no matter what anybody says, there is always time for a weekend job whilst at University- you will have a bit more money in your pocket and you'll make friends outside of your lessons/ halls.
3. Try and be as empathetic as you can- understand that everyone is living away for the first time and trying to figure out this funny world as best as they can.
4. Join as many social groups and get involved in as many extra curricular activities as you can such as the Newspaper or Student Council because these things really will make your CV stand out compared to your peers and its also a good way to extend your friendship group.
5. Boring one...do try and go to as many lectures as you can, read more books and plan your time more effectively. This is easy to say now with hindsight on my side but it really is the truth because putting in a little more effort in those three years really isn't too hard and you'll have plenty of time for Netflix binges and sleeping in till noon when you graduate and can't find a job anywhere (joking...kinda).
Hello and welcome to This Ruth Is On Fire, a UK blog which is a haven for random thoughts and sarcastic observations.
I'm also into books, clothes and visiting places too.
