This is my penultimate blog that I will be writing as a UCBlogger! This is super sad for me because I’ve loved writing blogs about my uni experiences and any tips or advice I have.
I’m also really sad because it’s the end of my university experience altogether. I figured it would be fitting to use this blog as an opportunity to not only tell you guys about my time at university, but also use this as a chance to reflect on my experience for myself.
I will be completely honest and tell you that I came to university for all the wrong reasons. I had very little knowledge on what doing a digital marketing degree would entail, I knew nothing about University College Birmingham and I wasn’t even sure if I wanted to get a degree at all. Truth is, as naive as it sounds, I got my heart broken back at home and I didn’t want to be there anymore. Reflecting back on that time in my life, it was horrible, and I was in a bad place but I am so glad it happened. If it hadn’t, I would never have come to University College Birmingham.
My first few weeks at uni were amazing – I made so many amazing friends and had so much fun. I settled into my classes and loved the University and my lecturers. However, after a month or so, I started to feel homesick. I missed everyone I left behind. I spoke to my cousin who had just graduated, and she said that it was normal to feel this way and that I should try to ride it out. I’m glad I did because a few months later I was back into the swing of things, and I haven’t felt homesick since!
I think when the excitement of freshers and having new friends and classes settles down, a lot of people feel a bit lonely, but this is just a phase for most people! You just have to get used to the constant changes.
After about six or seven months of being at uni, I got sent home because of Covid! I remember me and my mates discussing it in halls, assuming we’d be back in less than a month. We weren’t… After four months of being in lockdown, me and my dad drove back to The Maltings to move me out. I felt really cheated out of my uni experience! I had lost months of living in halls, and because we all had to move home so quickly due to lockdown, we never really got to say goodbye. I never knew at the time how that night in my bedroom was going to be my last night! I know that putting it into perspective, that misfortune is much less serious than others at this time, but it still made me upset.
A month later I moved into a house with three of my uni mates. Again, it wasn’t what we expected – everyone was still in lockdown so we couldn’t do a lot, but it was still fun. My second year of uni was a bit weird – all of the lectures were online, most things were still shut, so I pretty much spent the year in my bedroom. I worked hard though and still came out with good grades, while the lecturers were really supportive and tried to make things as normal as possible. My second year flew by and finally, things (Covid-wise) were starting to get back to normal.
Over the last academic year, we were allowed back to in-person lectures. It was great being able to experience uni properly again. I ‘remade’ friends with my course mates again and threw my all into my final year. I feel like I started my final year about a month ago, it has gone so fast. I’ve had so much fun doing things with my housemates and attending lectures again. I can’t believe it’s all over already.
I think back to when I called University College Birmingham to see if they would take me back in 2019, they said yes and that was that. My next three years had been decided. I am so happy I decided to come to university. I now have a great degree, I made some amazing friends and I experienced so much. Not everything I experienced was good – some times were difficult, some were upsetting. But everything made my experience what it was, and I wouldn’t change it!
I know this blog wasn’t full of advice or tips or anything really. I just wanted you to know my true uni experience – the good, the bad and the ugly! If you haven’t started uni yet, I hope this blog makes you throw your all into it. If you’re already at uni, well I hope this blog entertained you!
I have one final blog to write after this one, where I suppose I will just say goodbye. But for one last time, I’m just going to say… see you next week!