Set the scene, you've spent the entirety of your earlier terms of your A2 year putting together your UCAS application for a degree, then waiting on responses and ultimately waiting on results. You study DAMN HARD and hope for the best, only to then decide less than a week before results day that the academic life isn't for you and you want to be more creative... Maybe study a language, or an art... Maybe JAPANESE. Yep, this idiot made a very last minute change from a politics degree, to Japanese. The lovely guy on the phone explained it was a complete beginners course and you didn't need any prior knowledge and that my expected grades were more than enough. Sure enough, results day rolled around and I had success, gaining myself a place at the University of Sheffield to do Japanese Studies. Honestly, I was excited.
Then term started...
The "beginners" course was a rather loose term, and the pace of learning was quick! If you have a talent for languages or are already on basics terms with Japanese this course would be perfect, it's really interesting and works at a pace that you could hold your own in conversation within a year. Not to mention how exciting the year abroad would be. But for little old me who hadn't even mastered the Japanese alphabets by the end of freshers week, not so great. The first term was hell, I tried my best to turn up to every session and I didn't go out much because I was studying (or napping) a lot, but very quickly I felt myself giving up. Speaking sessions brought me to tears and the catch up sessions were deemed pointless by the fact that I didn't even know the previous weeks work, never mind catch up on this week. I never, technically, failed anything... But I definitely quit whilst I was ahead.
I never returned to lessons after Christmas, I took leave of absence that eventually led me to drop out in the summer. Despite the fact the I couldn't stand my course, my Sheffield experience was far from bad. For one, I had the most amazing flatmates and they are friends I will hopefully have for life. The memories I made from sitting on the couch for bake off to messy nights at Corp and Poptarts I will cherish forever.
Medics Bar Crawl (Did Tom mention he was a medic?)
Halloween (I've never been more proud of anything than Dylan's face paint that night. My university success right there)
Thank you to these beautiful humans for making my uni experience worthwhile.
Not forgetting my coursemates who never stopped making me giggle when we'd sit in Sophie's flat to avoid speaking class watching Korean TV dramas, or that one time we thought Ben had gone home but he'd actually been past out drunk in the toilets for two hours.
Oh Ben.
So upon leaving, I was not a happy gal. But I was lucky enough to have full support from my friends and family. I got a job after a few months and my confidence came back in drabs. I made a few decisions about my future, to no avail, applying for jobs I wasn't quite qualified for and a course I wasn't experienced enough to do. Which all led to this point, with a quick decision that is actually a complete 360, i'm going back to university... To do politics.
This is where a lot of people were like, see you're doing what you wanted to do in the first place, but they couldn't be more wrong. There is nothing, a year ago, I wanted to less than politics, I was over doing what people wanted me to. That's why my advice to you here is threefold:
- Don't be scared to say you're not ready.
When I finished college, I hadn't thought about options other than university. I applied to do one of the three subjects I had from a levels and thought that was going to be my decision. I knew that deep down, at the time, I was academically exhausted. I needed time and advice, both things college and expectations don't seem to help with. Take your time, rash decisions get you somewhere you are completely unprepared for and down on yourself. - If you're not sure, don't bother.
Are you just going to uni because you don't know what else to do? Do you actually enjoy this subject? You don't have to know where you are going with it, you just have to know that you want to spend at least 3 years getting there. Be confident, it'll get you far. - University isn't as scary as the memes would lead you to believe, you'll be fine.
I have some of the best memories ever from my time at uni, even with how awful my academic life was. And whilst I am scared to go back, I'm twice as excited to see what this year has in store for me. The uni meme pages often petrified me because I assumed I'd be out of my depth. Just be prepared, have fun and be honest with the people around you, especially when you need help.
To those starting university this September (whatever year), best of luck. You'll smash it! And to those who are thinking of applying for next year, do your research and don't be afraid to apply in the direction you think is best, other people's advice can only take you so far.
Much love,
- Chloe x
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