Almost one year on... My Uni experience

1 year ago around this time there were about 41 days until I left home for Uni, time was ticking and the days were approaching where I would have to say goodbye and move 87.0 miles all the way to Buckingham. Home for me is South East London Catford and has been for almost all my life. As a young person I would say you yearn for independence at some stage in your life. The ability to be alone and have your own space without hearing your Mum at 7am on a Saturday morning shouting your name and telling you that you haven’t cleaned the dishes yet. I certainly do not miss that!

Although optimistic and excited I felt all sorts of nerves and I remember thinking to myself what would life in a Private University be like? My first thoughts and expectations was that I would be bored and that there wouldn’t be much to do in terms of activities because prior research let me know that Buckingham was a very small town. Believe it or not I even feared for my eyebrows, I thought to myself “Where will I go to get them threaded”? Simple things like that you see… Not to worry my eyebrows have not grown into a bush I have found where to get them done lol! 

Even better there is an onsite salon which keeps us students looking prim and proper!

Asides that I was scared if I would make friends and what my uni accommodation would be like. I even pictured myself as a recluse because I didn’t imagine that I would have time to socialise as it is a two year intensive degree. Even the thought of meeting my future husband crossed my mind once or twice, ok maybe even three times. “You never know Zoe you could meet him” “A lot of people meet their spouse at University” Truth is everyone’s story is different and just because it happened in a particular way for one person does not mean it would be the same for me. It is a year on almost and nope I haven’t seen my future husband yet lol! ;)

But you’ll be pleased to know I am not a recluse and I have found plenty of things to do to have fun. Buckingham isn’t boring after all. 

Saying goodbye on the cold windy day of 26^th of September to my family and crossing the bridge on Hunter Street to the OTM was not easy. I could tell my mum bid me farewell quicker than I could even say bye to avoid the awkward exchange that would result in tears. Even as I watched her drive off the gulp in my throat became inevitable and I shed a few tears as I made my way across the bridge to the  Old Tanlaw Mill where the life and personality of my fellow students old and new breathed forth. I felt like I was walking into the unknown but there was no turning back. I could hardly look at anyone in the eye I think I was even shyer than a 5 year old little girl by that point. 

I didn’t know who to talk to, how to even socialise or where to start from. Everyone looked like they had made friends already and were already so chatty and bubbly. I thought to myself was there a book that I should have read prior to coming to know how to make friends? I wanted the ground to swallow me up. But before it could happen my now good friend Harriet saw me sheepishly walking up and down the bar area contemplating if I should scurry back to my room. She introduced herself to me and we got talking and we have been inseparable since then. 

From then up until this point there have been so many memories, I have found my one year experience here to be very interesting. Very much like any other student experience there have been times when I have cried myself to sleep as I have felt so homesick but then I think to myself ‘Zoe you are only one hour 30 minutes by train away from home”. My eyes have been opened culturally as there are some many diverse people here. You would think each season we are in a different country, from Holi, to Nigerian Independence Day to society fair days. It has been amazing!

Oh and the 4am party nights where you end up coming home and finding that you can only sleep for about 5 hours. 

Uni has been an amazing experience so far and I look forward to the remaining year. I've almost seen it all I think, from people walking into class half asleep in their pyjamas to people doing their assignements last minute until early hours of the next morning and then getting a better mark than me :( I haven't mastered the art of lastmin.com yet.

I am enjoying every moment of it, the trips to Milton Keynes to shop, my communications, Media and Journalism degree is amazing and I feel fulfilled.

If you search Buckingham news on YouTube you may even see me anchoring the news :)