My University Experience

The past 4 years have been a whirlwind of emotions...to say the least. From nervous first days to exciting opportunities and stressed out finish lines. Believe me when I say that I have been through it all! But it's all been worth it for the amazing people I've met along the way and the memories I've gained.  

I was one of those people who was excited about starting university, a new chapter (as they say) and the thought of meeting new people in a new environment excited me. And, yes, of course, a part of me was slightly anxious whether I would fit in and would find "my kind of friends" but this was soon forgotten when I was thrown into the buzz of university life. First-year was a blur, (in many ways ;)) thinking back now, I cannot remember what even happened to my first year of uni! The year flew by and it made me realise that I needed to slow down, appreciate and enjoy my time at university whilst it lasted because these years certainly do run away from you.

Second-year was the toughest year of them all, the workload was intense and I did struggle to find the work and social life balance. I turned down a lot of social events due to stress and worriedness of not being able to complete work. Looking back now, I wish I had done things differently, such as enjoyed time with friends more. Despite this, I still managed to end the year on a high with all my best friends.

For my third year, I took on a placement where I got the opportunity to move to London for a year to work with a fashion brand. It's been a goal of mine to live and work in London to try out the big city; to see whether I would fall in love with it or completely hate it. My overall experience living and working in London was positive, I loved my job, the workplace and the people. The placement, itself provided me with invaluable experiences, I worked with the utmost understanding colleagues and they allowed me to travel across different departments to feed my curiosity of various jobs. With this, I managed to take on a few roles and in turn get the most out of my internship. I gained so many opportunities and memories, throughout that year and it was a lot different from what I had expected to say the least.

I went into my final year of university, with mixed emotions. Apart of me did not want to go back into education after taking a year out to work, the nervous feeling of how I would manage a stressful, full-time student life again. I was reluctant about the workload, although previous students did say that the final year is a lot easier than some of the previous years. However, a huge part of me was not ready to finish my university experience. It was a smooth year, all the projects were spaced out well so there were no overlapping between assignments. Furthermore, I became an expert at time managing and organising my work well. Therefore, I was completely happy with the outcome of all my projects.

Also, I managed a good work and play life. As it was my last year, I said yes to a lot of social events as I knew I would be regretful if I had not attended. This year, I met SO many new people, whom I now call my close friends. I found new hobbies, which I will be carrying on from here on out. I went on a holiday with my friends to Thailand to finish off our university time together, before "real life" begun. Lastly, for me, the final year flew by, just like my first year. But regardless of all the deadlines, stress and worries, I loved my uni experience and being a student. I would do it all over again if I could.