Don’t be afraid to say yes…
The word ‘yes’ is a key
which opens to door to a world of experiences. I have learnt that it’s good to
try things which are offered to you, be it a new sport, an event or a society.
You can always rethink later if it’s not for you, but you never know until you
try. At the start of September, I would have never imagined that I would be sat
writing this reflection as a full fledged member of the salsa society, but I said
‘yes’ to a taster session and now I absolutely love it. University has made me
so much more open to new opportunities; I may even conquer my ultimate fear
this summer, camping (!!!!!!) at a festival. Who knows, it might convert me
into an outdoor living enthusiast.
… but
don’t be afraid to say no
When you arrive at
university, opportunities are thrown at you like one of those automatic tennis
ball machines and it can be very overwhelming. I have learnt that it’s ok to
take time out sometimes, we all need a break. So, you don’t have to say ‘yes’
to that big night out if you really don’t fancy it and it’s ok to tell the
enthusiastic man handing out ‘Chemistry Society’ leaflets that you’ll pass on
that one. Life is about balance, as long as you say yes to some things, it’s
healthy to say no to others.
Asking
for help does not mean you’re stupid
I have never been someone
who likes to admit defeat. I used get stressed about coursework at school
because I was afraid asking the teacher for help would confirm the voice in the
back of my mind telling me I wasn’t clever. This voice has been a little too
present in my brain for a little too long and it was starting to really affect
my confidence. Luckily, the tutors at university are so approachable and everyone
else asks a lot of questions so I am slowly learning that asking for help doesn’t actually lower your IQ (who
knew, eh?).
People
are nice
Countless nights post
results day were spent on the sofa with my mum, panicking that “everyone one
will be SO mean”. I was convinced that everyone would hate me and that I
wouldn’t make any friends. As I’m writing this, it seems such an irrational
fear but at the time I was seriously worried. Thankfully, I have made some
wonderful friends after only a short period of time; some who I’m sure will be
my friends for life. I eventually came to the realisation that everyone was in
the same boat, in a strange city with no one familiar, and so everybody wanted
to make friends. Being mean was going to benefit no-one, we all needed each other.
My parents
are heroes
You don’t realise until
you move away from home how much your parents do for you. My mum used to cook
me delicious, nutritious meals every night and my dad used to tirelessly wash
and iron my clothes. These are the obvious things that I knew I was going to
miss, but I’ve realised there is a whole lot more. When I’m walking to
lectures, I miss being able to sweet talk my dad into giving me a lift to sixth
form on cold, wet, winter mornings. When I am feeling stressed, I miss my mum
bringing me a cup of tea and helping me to organise my workload. This is
starting to sound like an emotional blog about how much I miss home. I don’t
get homesick at all, but moving away has made me so grateful for everything my
parents did for me while I was living at home. I feel like I will be saying
“thank you” every time either of them lifts a finger over the holidays.
So that’s what I’ve
learned from my first 85 days at University. It has been an absolute blast and
I am so excited for what is to come. It sounds cliché, but I can already feel
myself ‘growing as a person’ and I look forward to being able to write another
reflection at the end of this year.
