So university is finished with (providing i don't fail which knowing me i probs will) and it has been a mixture of the worst and best three year of my life.
Coming into first year I was a young naive little kid who couldn't handle her alcohol, and in that sense, not much has actually changed. I'm still ridiculously naive and let myself be walked over and my alcohol tolerance has only marginally improved, i'm still a lightweight but i can drink a bit more now!
I also hated Cheltenham when I moved here, and it stayed that way for at least 6 months until i realised that this would be my home for a good few years and i actually fell in love. I've fallen in love with Cheltenham so much that I've cried at least once a day for the past 2 weeks at the thought of having to leave in a few weeks time and not knowing if i'll be returning to live here ever again.
I've met some amazing people who have influenced me so much, and sadly a lot of these people aren't in my life anymore, whether we simply grew up and grew apart, or I was a stubborn bitch that argued too much, nearly everyone who I lived with through my first and second years here will hold a space in my heart forever.
Second year was absolutely shite and a complete and utter write off, my mental health was an absolute state and this meant my social life was even more tragic than it is now, because trying to get through a social situation and having to bail early because of panic attacks wasn't the way I visioned my university life going!
Mainly, the three girls who have kept me insane and mainly loving life have been Anna, Ellie and Kirsten and I have no idea where in the world I would be without them. From Anna making ridiculous comments, to Ellie and I taking regular squad pictures with a flower pot and Kirsten and I spending nearly the entirety of the duration of the rugby world cup in bed watching all the games, I couldn't have asked for three better friends who have kept me grounded as well as regularly fuelling my already oversized ego!
Leaving these girls is without a doubt the hardest thing I'm going to have to do, and it's breaking my heart even having to think about it. I can't believe how much I lucked out when these three ladies walked into my life and I really hope they never leave it!
Obviously these aren't the only 3 people who have been bloody brilliant through out uni, the rest of the 'original 7/8' have been amazing and supported each other loads after the hell whole of second year! Also, Mike has been bloody great, he started as a collaborative practices colleague and is now without a doubt one of my favourite people, who I know i can message with any problem and he will help me with as best he can! He also drove me to subway one time but I'm pretty sure the walk from the car to subway was longer than the car journey itself!
My 21st
Course Awards
End of uni celebrations
(Get yourselves friends like these, you'll be grateful for them!)
5 of the original 8
Now, heres the part for life lessons:
For all the freshers at UOG, you have absolutely no idea how lucky you are, especially the MMM students! Over the past year I have gotten ridiculously angry every time a lecturer has even dared to mention the fact that you guys are going to have an amazing course because of the issues we've had with ours that have since been rectified. So for my sake you bloody well better appreciate what sort of education you are getting!
Enjoy the next few years of your life, whether you spend it entirely in the library doing work or you spend the entirety of it on the dance floor of Moo Moos and Fever, make it count, because all too soon you guys will be in my position and I can't even begin to explain how shit it is.
I actually strongly advise going to more than 8 lectures a semester, it will really help when it comes to your assignments, also go to all the gigs you can go to, mainly because some of the musicians in this town are so bloody talented! Drink your body weight in vodka, make lecturers buy you absinthe in foreign countries and if you bump into the street pastors in town make sure you bag yourself a pair of size 8 pink and white stripes flip flops. (or just have a best friend like Ellie, who acted like a right little boyfriend the other day who gave me her vans to wear on the walk home while she carried my shoes, what a babe!)
(Also, start looking for jobs soon I haven't and I think that's one of the reasons as to why I'm so heartbroken about leaving, because I have nothing lined up!)
I'm off to cry into a roast dinner, which is exactly what I did when I found out the date of my graduation, Yorkshire Puddings seem to be a comfort food for me!
C'ya!
Emily xo
