To say "life is a blur" is a statement that's all too easy to push away, and disregard as an overused cliché. After all, we all live lives. To say that life is a rollercoaster to a fellow human is not going to be breaking news for them. And yet, it's almost impossible not to say at times - times such as starting your first ever week of Higher Education.
But before I get to that, I want to briefly slam this train of thought into reverse gear and reflect back on my previous form of education - Sixth Form. Right up until the summer months of 2016, I was essentially spoon-fed all my tasks and information; my only job was to memorise all the alphabet soup that was being injected into my brain. All 'reading' was done in class, and all homework was non-critical to the final grades. It was essentially education on cruise control.
Almost whilst sleepwalking, it feels as though I have just stepped into a completely different life. Suddenly I find myself saying goodbye to Bedfordshire (mind you, not much love lost there), and hello to this strange new place they call Coventry. Suddenly I have my own living space, I'm making my own meals, I'm doing all the chores, and managing more bills. It is, understandably, incredibly overwhelming to take in.
Thankfully Universities are not oblivious to that fact. One of the major things that occur to help you settle in is something called 'Induction Week', where all the modules and tutors are introduced to you. That has been and gone for me now, so I want to use this little slice of a webpage to reflect back on how this first week has gone for me.
However, as important as Induction is, if I wrote solely about that then I would be completely neglecting the 'other' side to the student life. And no, there's more to the other side than just alcohol. Not much more, granted, but enough to write about.
Let's start with the accommodation. From the very moment I took a step into my private room, it hit me, and it hit me hard. All this is here was mine, and mine only. All of this that I see in front of me is now solely my responsibility to upkeep. I was nervous but damn excited to have my own freedom. The thought of doing what I want, when I want was making me giddy with excitement, but I knew it wasn't going to be plain sailing.
With the first day fears quickly eradicating, it was time to tackle Induction. Once again, this was another time to have butterflies in my stomach, simply because I didn't have a hoot of a clue of what to expect. However, there was only one way to find out...
The easiest way I can sum Induction up is this: whoever originally came up with such an idea, I owe my life to them. As someone who is inherently a bit on the quiet side, Induction really allowed me to settle into the groove of things before the modules had even begun. Tutors were warm and friendly, guest speakers were insightful and fascinating, and course mates approachable and funny. I was particularly engaged with the lead editor of Yahoo Movies UK, Tom Butler, whose brilliant combination of humour and intellect provided a unique insight into the world of online journalism, and how the trade works, right down to the nitty-gritty.
So here I am, on the other side of the first week. I now know where my rooms are, who my tutors are, what my modules are about, and even have a few decent friendships forming already. Now, if only someone could teach me how to perfect ironing...
But before I get to that, I want to briefly slam this train of thought into reverse gear and reflect back on my previous form of education - Sixth Form. Right up until the summer months of 2016, I was essentially spoon-fed all my tasks and information; my only job was to memorise all the alphabet soup that was being injected into my brain. All 'reading' was done in class, and all homework was non-critical to the final grades. It was essentially education on cruise control.
Almost whilst sleepwalking, it feels as though I have just stepped into a completely different life. Suddenly I find myself saying goodbye to Bedfordshire (mind you, not much love lost there), and hello to this strange new place they call Coventry. Suddenly I have my own living space, I'm making my own meals, I'm doing all the chores, and managing more bills. It is, understandably, incredibly overwhelming to take in.
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| Welcome to the Jungle |
However, as important as Induction is, if I wrote solely about that then I would be completely neglecting the 'other' side to the student life. And no, there's more to the other side than just alcohol. Not much more, granted, but enough to write about.
Let's start with the accommodation. From the very moment I took a step into my private room, it hit me, and it hit me hard. All this is here was mine, and mine only. All of this that I see in front of me is now solely my responsibility to upkeep. I was nervous but damn excited to have my own freedom. The thought of doing what I want, when I want was making me giddy with excitement, but I knew it wasn't going to be plain sailing.
 |
| "Home", sweet "home" |
How right I was. The first night was particularly difficult, because once the adrenaline starts to wear off, you suddenly realise that you're at least sixty miles away from even the closest family member, and despite literally sharing a building with hundreds of other people your age, you feel isolated and abandoned. I'm just so incredibly thankful that my flatmates were so warming and friendly to me.
With the first day fears quickly eradicating, it was time to tackle Induction. Once again, this was another time to have butterflies in my stomach, simply because I didn't have a hoot of a clue of what to expect. However, there was only one way to find out...
The easiest way I can sum Induction up is this: whoever originally came up with such an idea, I owe my life to them. As someone who is inherently a bit on the quiet side, Induction really allowed me to settle into the groove of things before the modules had even begun. Tutors were warm and friendly, guest speakers were insightful and fascinating, and course mates approachable and funny. I was particularly engaged with the lead editor of Yahoo Movies UK, Tom Butler, whose brilliant combination of humour and intellect provided a unique insight into the world of online journalism, and how the trade works, right down to the nitty-gritty.
So here I am, on the other side of the first week. I now know where my rooms are, who my tutors are, what my modules are about, and even have a few decent friendships forming already. Now, if only someone could teach me how to perfect ironing...