1/6 of the way through…
– After a week of deadlines and assessments – the time has come.
IT’S CHRISTMAS TIME!
This afternoon myself and a rather large hot pink suitcase will be boarding the train home.
Home for 3 weeks!
Home with my family, friends and my boyfriend.
PERFECT!
I decided that this was the perfect time to share my semester one experiences.
After the overwhelming support I had on my ‘Freshers Experience’ post, I decided that a little follow up on all aspects of my first term would be helpful to those who felt the same as I did about starting university and also anybody who is waiting for offers and will be starting uni next year.
– I was sat in my lecture just yesterday and my lecturer mentioned that we are now 1/6th of the way through our university careers.
I had to grab my thoughts for a second because that scared me into the realisation of how quick time is flying and will fly.
******
After four very strange months I am happy to say that I am now in a much sunnier place.
I was having great difficulty adjusting to living away from home, trying to hold onto a long distance relationship, start a degree and arrive here in Liverpool with nothing but a blank canvas.
It has taken some time but I feel okay now and in a much better place.
Since September I have found a number of truly lovely friends, I have found my ‘place’ so to speak and I have understood what exactly a journalism degree is all about.
(Which I might add is different to my preconceptions)
I believe that it takes quite a bit of time for people who don’t like change to adjust.
But this is a message to everyone.
Things do get better and you eventually find your place, your friends and your new life.
The journalism degree
– For years I have been adament that I want to be a journalist and I was sure that I wanted to study a journalism degree to do that.
Although I am enjoying certain aspects of my degree thoroughly, there is some parts of it that I never expected and at the beginning they tarnished my faith in my training as a journalist and made me question if that is really what I want.
I spoke to my lecturers and tutors after hitting a little bit of a low point and they were really helpful.
It is a great idea to get to know your personal tutors because they really can help you!
I was informed more clearly about my course and I realised that ofcourse it is the right course for me!
Journalism opens up so many doors and you become competent in a number of diverse skills, perfect for any number of jobs!
(Everything I harped on about in my personal statement and already knew!)
Once those doubts floated away, I started to enjoy my course more and really embraced it.
I think everyone has a little bit a of a wobble.
But you don’t know until you have tried it!
The halls experience
– A smile creeped upon my face as I typed the above.
I will be honest, for the first three months I found this aspect HARD.
I was all set to transfer home to a local uni whereby I could commute I hated it that much.
But something stopped me.
I love living independantly, I don’t love living with a temperamental, disgusting, aggressive individual.
I’ll be honest I couldn’t handle it.
I then grew much closer to the other people in my flat who shared a mutual hate for this chap and things improved.
He got the hint and rarely stayed in a flat, a sense of harmony took over.
I now rather like living where I do, I have two of my closest friends here and it is much better.
My dad bought me a television licence and that helped enormously, now I have the girls in my room every night watching Sex and the City with a cuppa.
I have accepted that I am in no way a party animal and who cares?
I tried to be someone I wasn’t and it failed on me.
As my boyfriend told me
“Do what makes you happy”
Once I started doing that.
The world changed.
The world changed.
Overall
It took me until around November to finally feel at ease.
I now have a job here, I have some great friends, I enjoy my course and my living situation has improved.
I feel at peace with myself and I have started to realise that I did make the right decision to move away and to also stick it out here.
I have found being in a long distance relationship unbelieveably difficult but on the occasionss that we do see one another outweigh all of the issues that come with distance.
I want to say to anybody thinking of doing it.
In the beginning, it will turn you into ‘that girl’ who cries down the phone, wonders what he’s doing 24-7 and daren’t look at his Facebook.
But if your faith and trust in your relationship is stronger than ever.
You will be okay :)- I promise.
And with that I am on my way home, ready for a lovely break.
I am happy knowing that I will be returning to Liverpool a happier person and with a knowledge of what to expect!
I hope this post helped 🙂
Love, Holl
xo
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this sounds exactly like my experience, i hated everything so much at first but something stopped me from transferring! i'm glad i haven't transferred but i still find it pretty tough some days & i'm in my second year! the worst bit is being in a long distance relationship, but every time i get to see him it is so so worth it & that is what keeps me going! 🙂 hope your uni experience continues to get better for you!
L x
http://www.xloulabeth.blogspot.co.uk
I love your University posts because I feel we are going through very similar things, I'm too in my first year at uni and have struggled immensely! However I know things are improving:) Have a lovely Christmas!
Emily xxx
thebeautymist.blogspot.co.uk
Aww it's lovely to hear that you're handling uni! You've all grown up and I am proud of you! I know studying journalism is hard but will power and determination will get you through it :). I had a low point with my NCTJ course as I'm on a very intense fast track course. You know I'm always here if you need help too. Look forward to seeing you around x
Thank you so much for this – I'd put money on the fact that when I start uni next September I'll feel the exact same way that you did in your uni post at the start of the term! I've been with my boyfriend for nearly 4 years and we'll probably be separate, I get home sick plus I'm REALLY not a party animal at all! This has really helped to assure me that I'll be ok and I CAN do it, thank you 🙂 xxx
Im in the first year at uni doing journalism as well! And i feel just the same about halls! I love being on my own i just don't like certain people that come with it! Amazing post! :Dx