Starting university has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.
But what nobody seems to mention is how hard doing all that actually is. I spent a lot of semester one feeling anxious, worrying I’d made the wrong choice. Should I have moved away from home? Should I have chose to live in halls? Is this degree really what I want? What if I never make friends? What if I’m not good enough? Starting university has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.
Faced with a lot of anxiety, (which was definitely not helped by the numerous iced coffees I consumed throughout Semester one) I accepted that if I actually wanted to have the “university experience,” I’d need to push myself. For most of my life, I attended the same school with the same people and same teachers that I’d grown to love, but I had to accept that I couldn’t go back. That chapter was closed and now I need to make the most of the “newness” I was faced with. I knew I couldn’t spend all of university at home wishing for it to be different. It wasn’t going to happen automatically. I had to force myself to make that change.
I can achieve so much when I stop holding myself back.
If Semester one has taught me anything, it’s that I can achieve so much when I stop holding myself back. Who cares what people think? I have to put myself in situations that I find awkward and scary because the outcome is often so worth it and so much better than I hoped. Semester one felt like a test and somehow, I’ve just about passed. Semester two brings new modules, new routine, new people but this time, it doesn’t feel as scary. I’m starting this semester as a Courier Sub-editor (past Kate would never have believed that would be possible!) alongside a newfound confidence and overall, a better outlook on university life. Roll on the rest of Semester 2, you’ve been good to me so far!
Great reflections on what you learned in semester one it really got me thinking about my own experience! I used resources like https://www.studyinuk.com/to help plan and organise my studies in the UK, and it made a big difference. Thanks for sharing your insights!