What Now?

My final term at uni is about to begin, and then it's out into the big wide world. Like many, I'm sure, I am going through a range of feelings whilst coming to terms with the end of my university journey.

My Beloved Uni House

I have been studying at Falmouth Uni for almost three years now, and WOW - it has flown by. I still remember my first night in halls of residence; the smell of the sticky floored kitchen, the people I met and how it felt to be by myself, living away from home for the first time.

Not forgetting of course the time that the washing machines broke and I had to wash my clothes in the shower and hang them up in front of the oven to dry, underwear and all.

The days of airing damp socks on the window sill seems like forever ago, making my transition from first to third year rather a blur, but one I am so glad to have been a part of.

I never wanted to go to uni, you see. It wasn't until results day that living in Falmouth actually seemed like something I might be able to do and enjoy. And now, here I am looking back at it all with complete nostalgia, as well as fear and excitement for the future.

Moving away from home for the first time and finding your independence is possibly one of the scariest things people may have to face, let alone getting to the end of this journey and realising it's about to happen all over again with the next stage of life.

Jobs. Houses. Cars. Travel. AHH.

The truth is, I have no real plan for when I'm finished. I might go travelling, I might go back home and work. The possibility of doing a Masters degree, staying in Cornwall, living in another country... they have all come up as potential paths for my next adventure.

It was overwhelming to begin with; sometimes it felt like I had no options, sometimes it felt like there were too many to choose from.

However, I have come to the realisation that not everything has to be decided right here and now. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for forward planning, but I'm learning to find excitement in the uncertainty of what is to come.

Laundry Day in First Year

Life has a funny way of changing things. The plans and dreams you were once set on might suddenly change course, bringing you to a new destination that you weren't expecting.

And just like that, your world becomes full of opportunities.

Yes, I am sad to think that I'll be leaving my wonky little Cornish house in a couple of months. I don't like not knowing where my friends will be, and feel a little lost with my own life plans, but it's so important to enjoy the stage I'm at right now.

Instead of fearing what is in the distant future, I am focusing on the fact that I have lovely house, a good social circle and so many things to look forward to before life really starts.

For instance, I'M GOING TO NEW YORK. That's right - I had to announce it at some point soon because I'm super excited. We're going as a class trip in March. I also have my end of year course meal to look forward to, graduation celebrations; yes I have a dissertation to write, but it's creative, and it's mine and I am looking forward to that sense of achievement when it's finished.

Every big turning point in education is made out to be such a big deal. Right from GCSE's we are told that these exams, these subjects, will decide our future. For me, that's just not true. Learning what you do or don't want to do through education is perfectly acceptable.

My expectations of uni were full of fear and doubt, and it took me a long time to settle in and find my feet. It took me an even longer time to find the right friends, and feel comfortable in my own skin. Looking back at it now, I have loved my time at uni. It has taught me a lot about myself and the way I live, and the independence has been a big step into adulthood for me.

University isn't right for some people at all, and that's completely fine. If I think about my first term here, I had myself down as one of those people. But, I stuck with it, and I think that is the biggest sense of achievement I feel about my whole time here.

Whether you're just starting out, are halfway through the journey, or are simply looking back at your life in education - you have already achieved so much, and still have so much to look forward to.

Who knows what the next stage of life will bring for any of us... How exciting is that?