Yes. I've been away for a long while. But, in that while, I have gained a First Class Honours Degree in English from University of Birmingham. Or, to elaborate, I am two weeks away from officially obtaining the paper for said First Class degree (and slightly terrified of walking up those stairs in heels!).
So... Now what?
I feel like the above three words are the most often used in relation to the situation I now find myself in.
I should be scared, right?
Well, every fast-paced millennial (and somewhat slow-paced older family/extended family member and acquaintance) would like me (and many others in this situation) to answer 'yes'. Yes, I should be slightly scared that I have my degree and, as yet, no source of income for the next few months. That I don't know immediately where I'm going from here, that I'm seemingly going to 'waste' my education on the wrong career.
But... I'm not.
And I want to remind anyone reading this in my situation that it is ok, contrary to popular belief, to not have a master plan. Aged 21, you do have the time and ability to take a step back, breathe and not get caught up in the degree --> graduate job --> immediate money cookie-cutter mould.
For me, these next few months are those of personal growth, re-evaluating my passions and motivations, travelling, and deciding on my next move.
After spending a good 18 years in education, and having the past three years of stressing over deadlines, balancing said education with some sort of social life, it's been easy to lose track of my overall aim. So, rather than rushing into an anonymous graduate scheme for immediate money, I want my job search to be more related to gaining experience, following up possible leads and recognising that I'd rather be in a job that I love than simply work for the sake of it for an as-yet unknown outcome.
So, let's take this leap together.
Showing posts with label university of birmingham. Show all posts
Showing posts with label university of birmingham. Show all posts
Wednesday, 21 June 2017
Friday, 24 October 2014
Beginning to feel like autumn.
Some days it's beginning to feel like autumn.
The leaves falling off the trees at university have kinda reminded me of how much of a new start I'm going through right now. At the risk of sounding overly poetic, since starting I've had so many amazing moments, but I'm also starting to realise how transient not only these moments but other aspects of life can be. This part of my life is already passing by so fast, sometimes it's difficult to sit back and enjoy it happening.
I'm way too excited for Halloween, the Pumpkin Spice Lattes are already back up there on my must-drink list and I'm getting more wear out of my new scarf than I thought I would at this time in the year. Despite the week-long warm spell, I think Britain (or the Midlands at least) is starting to get back on track weather-wise - the leaves are finally crunchy!
In all, this is almost another catching-up blog, but coming up soon will be some wish-lists - Halloween or Christmas, depending on when I can get round to searching (University is seeming pretty chill one day, then slightly daunting the next, so that will also be a factor in the amount of posts I'll be making).
There's been a change or two on here in the past month too - I've connected to Bloglovin'! A small step, I know, but I'm ready to start making the most out of this space, and I hope you'll be interested in watching this small section of the internet I'm trying to make my own grow into something more?
Saturday, 20 September 2014
Starting University + Freshers
Friday 19th September marked the start of my time at university. It was daunting, scary... yet also a great day.
As someone who's not necessarily the best at speaking, let alone to groups of people I've never met, I was a bit apprehensive before attending the first 'Meet-up' for local students. These initial worries were soon put aside, however, as everyone seemed really friendly and ready to talk. After you start, you realise that you're all in the same boat - no-one's going to judge you if you're nervous, but at the same time you should be ready to make new friends and understand that everyone's hoping to meet new people.
A top tip for anyone, especially those thinking of staying at home / local, would be *cliche as it sounds* to get involved in conversations! Most of the time introductory sessions will be aimed at breaking the metaphorical 'ice' between all of you as new students, so the university should set up certain activities to do just that. One of the easiest to get talking would have to be 'Human Bingo' (basically walking around the room trying to find people that correspond with a certain trait on the bingo sheet - some of the most interesting we had included 'Can stand on their head' and 'Has been bungee-jumping'!), since you can naturally get to speak with nearly everyone in the room.
It's also probably pretty clear that, for the first few days at least, some of your favourite sayings will be along the lines of "Hi, I'm _____, and I'm studying _____, what about you?" and "Where are you from?". If all else fails, discussing how terrible that History A-Level paper was will always be a safe bet. While you won't necessarily talk to all of these people again, or even add them on Facebook (since these things usually end on a first-name basis, unless you're doing the same course / can somehow track them down), these introductory sessions are definitely useful to go to if you're worried about being the only one commuting. It's surprising how many different people you'll get talking to!
I'm planning to live at home for my first year, mainly out of convenience and affordability (not to mention the opportunity to keep a clean bathroom to myself!). In all honesty, there have been a few times I've had second thoughts about this decision, but I'm hoping that writing about my experiences over the next few weeks, months, or even years, can help others thinking of staying at home to recognise the opportunities that are still available if you choose to do the same.
The next week is packed with various freshers events, ranging from introductory lectures (Ahh!) to fairs - then ending with Freshers' Ball! I'm really excited to get started, especially with how fast the past few days have gone, and can't wait to meet more people on my course.
As someone who's not necessarily the best at speaking, let alone to groups of people I've never met, I was a bit apprehensive before attending the first 'Meet-up' for local students. These initial worries were soon put aside, however, as everyone seemed really friendly and ready to talk. After you start, you realise that you're all in the same boat - no-one's going to judge you if you're nervous, but at the same time you should be ready to make new friends and understand that everyone's hoping to meet new people.
A top tip for anyone, especially those thinking of staying at home / local, would be *cliche as it sounds* to get involved in conversations! Most of the time introductory sessions will be aimed at breaking the metaphorical 'ice' between all of you as new students, so the university should set up certain activities to do just that. One of the easiest to get talking would have to be 'Human Bingo' (basically walking around the room trying to find people that correspond with a certain trait on the bingo sheet - some of the most interesting we had included 'Can stand on their head' and 'Has been bungee-jumping'!), since you can naturally get to speak with nearly everyone in the room.
It's also probably pretty clear that, for the first few days at least, some of your favourite sayings will be along the lines of "Hi, I'm _____, and I'm studying _____, what about you?" and "Where are you from?". If all else fails, discussing how terrible that History A-Level paper was will always be a safe bet. While you won't necessarily talk to all of these people again, or even add them on Facebook (since these things usually end on a first-name basis, unless you're doing the same course / can somehow track them down), these introductory sessions are definitely useful to go to if you're worried about being the only one commuting. It's surprising how many different people you'll get talking to!
I'm planning to live at home for my first year, mainly out of convenience and affordability (not to mention the opportunity to keep a clean bathroom to myself!). In all honesty, there have been a few times I've had second thoughts about this decision, but I'm hoping that writing about my experiences over the next few weeks, months, or even years, can help others thinking of staying at home to recognise the opportunities that are still available if you choose to do the same.
The next week is packed with various freshers events, ranging from introductory lectures (Ahh!) to fairs - then ending with Freshers' Ball! I'm really excited to get started, especially with how fast the past few days have gone, and can't wait to meet more people on my course.
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