Graduation, Celebrations and Your Questions Answered

Some of you may know that I have recently finished my three years at Bath Spa university and yesterday I can proudly say that I got to wear a cap and gown whilst accepting the official certificate on a stage infront of hundreds of people at Bath Abbey.  So I thought I would take this opportunity to tell you about the day and hopefully answer any questions/worries that you might have about graduation. 

What is graduation?

Graduation is the name of a formal ceremony that you attend after completing your degree at university (or college if your American) whilst wearing a mortar board and gown. 

So up early at 6:30am and out the door by 8 for a 10am ceremony...I had a lot of nerves and so only ate a very small bowl of rice krispies. Before getting to the Abbey I had to  register in a hall where they also fitted your gown, hood and hat onto you and gave you a seat number. In the hall there were loads of tables set up for registering and gown fitting as well as a professional photo area, a fun photo booth and a number of advisory alumni 'what to do after uni' type of advice stands. We then walked over to the Abbey where a crowd of graduates with their family and friends had started to gather outside and we all started taking many photos together. I hadn't seen many of my friends for almost 2 months so it was nice to take the opportunity to have a catch up. It turned 9:15 and the front doors opened so everyone started to file in, I left my family with my belongings to go and sit in the graduates area where I found a programme full of names of everyone graduating on my chair which made a nice souvenir. I was fortunate enough to be sat near a few people that I had worked closely with so we got chatting.  

The ceremony was announced open by the head of the school of Humanities and Cultural Industries. He announced the arrival of various staff whom then paraded solemnly through the middle of the Abbey, taking their seats on stage to a piece of music that could easily get played at a funeral. The head of the school then made some long speech about the digital industry evolving throwing in a number of jokes and references about Brexit and taxes whilst of course congratulating everyone on finishing their degrees. They then started reading out names as we each got our moment to cross the stage, shake our head of departments hand, collect our certificate before sitting back down. This surprisingly didn't take as long as you might think and whilst waiting for your turn you clapped as hard as you could clap each time one of your friends names was read out. The student valedictory then gave a brilliant speech,  quoting Lord of the Rings before we were told to take off our caps. The ceremony was then announced as closed where the staff started a procession back out, this time followed by graduates to a much happier tune,  another crowd was waiting outside of the Abbey to watch everyone leave where we then continued to socialise and take more photos this time with our degree in hand. 

After the ceremony, still in cap and gown we decided to hop in the car and to take some photos up at The Crescent, The Circus and throughout the picturesque grounds of uni. (If you go back to 'Bath' you'll find some info on what the circus and Crescent both are) We all had a lovely family meal at one of the first restraunts we visited in Bath when I first arrived before returning my cap and gown. I stayed an extra night in my old student house with all of my fellow housemates as we of course decided to go out for cocktails in celebration of our achievement!

Question time!

I had a lot of questions and worries before graduation and starting uni so I thought I would answer some of them here as well as Q's about my own degree for anyone with the same thoughts. (Disclaimer: different unis may vary this is just based on my own experience)

What degree did you do?

Media Communications BA (Hons) and I achieved a 2:1.

How hard is university?

Very hard but don't let that put you off because I can honestly say that it was the best three years of my life. You meet so many new people, create so many memories and learn how to live in the real world.  

Can anyone go to university?  

Yes...well technically yes, you have to earned the awards before reaching university age. In the UK that means you need GCSE's and A-Levels (or equivalent).

Is it scary attending graduation? 

Like I stated above, I was super nervous right up to the point of being stood by the stage waiting to hear my name but the second they call it you immediately forget the nerves and just concentrate on walking, shaking a guys hand then sitting back down. 

What if my cap and gown doesn't fit?

Before you graduate you have to fill out a form with your measurements but they have a pile of different sizes on hand as well as a big pot of hair pins to hold your hat on your head if need be.

What if they call my name wrong?

They confirm your name on the day before you go up onto the stage and if you have an unusual name then they contact you in advance to confirm the pronunciation of it. 

Do I have to attend graduation to graduate? 

No, they just send your certificate in the mail but you don't get to wear the fancy hat.

I don't drink and I feel uncomfortable in social situations is uni for me?

SNAP! This is me all over and on the first day of Freshers week after being dropped off I sat in my room and cried through fear. The uni tends to offer non party events through out as well as a more recent thing of an alcohol free event. I sucked it up and forced myself to go out with my housemates to the parties to be social but then left after 30-60mins. The people I came across had so much respect when I said I didn't drink (confused after my night of cocktails? I started to drink in 3rd year). To answer the question,  yes uni is for you as it is so much more than parties and drinking.

Should I go to uni?

Personal choice, more and more other ways are becoming available to those who don't want to go to uni they are just a lot less advertised. 

If you have any other questions feel free to drop them in the comments and I shall try to answer them.

I did it! - Bath Abbey

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Social Anxiety

So this blog post is more of a serious topic, I am quite a shy person and just over a year ago I was diagnosed with social anxiety. This is something I have had to deal with all my life along with many other people, it made school life really hard as I found it hard to talk to new people and when I did make friends, after a while I would become very paranoid which made me feel like they didn't really want to be my friends and that they were simply putting up with me. When I got to college life didn't become any easier as I was placed into a class of just guys and then little old me and considering I only had one friend whom went to a different college I became very lonely.

During this time at college I quit my job working at a hotel because my boss was a terrifying person, which again made my life easier as she accused me of being rude and various other things simply because I didn't say hi to her each day. So I left my hotel job to work in a cafe that was just starting up, everyone that worked there turned out to be lovely and 3 years down the line I am still working there between my studies at university.

Ok so that was a lovely story but what was your point Sammy? I am saying that as terrifying as getting a job, one of which consistently required endless amounts of socialisation with the customers each and every day it was one of the best things I could have possibly done. My confidence improved and I soon found that my day was basically scripted, greeting each customer with the same "Hello how are you today?" taking their order and then saying goodbye. Because of working at this cafe in such a friendly environment I gained the confidence to go to university, even though I panicked several times during the summer period before leaving home and cried on the first night after being dropped off by my parents because of how terrified I was about doing the whole social, club nights, drinking thing. The fact that I didn't drink and had never been to a party/club didn't help but I can honestly say, being sat here now 3 years down the line and about to graduate I am so proud of myself for doing it. I have a great group of friends who are in the complete know about my paranoia and will listen to me and re-assure me that I am crazy when I do freak out.

So for anyone who is in a similar situation to what I was 3 years ago I advise you to make the jump and to get a job and go to university as you will find people that understand you and how you feel. I don't feel like I am in a situation of telling people what to do I just remember feeling so crappy and scared about things and so I'm simply saying that life can get better.

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Learning about Life and Responsibilities

So amongst all of my excitement and anticipation over the past couple of years about the day that I finally get my own place which lets be honest is not going to happen until after graduation potentially for a little while (unless someone who works with a company who needs an Artworker see's this then drop me a message for my portfolio). I have spent so much getting excited and essentially designing and deciding on what it's going to look like and what I am going to buy to go in it that it has taken until now to actually realise that I have no clue about paying bills, getting the gas, water and electric's set up, finding a handy man to fix any problems I have. How do you learn this? Who tells you what you need to do? Is there someone I can call to do general DIY things around my house? I'm not stupid and I am sure I could work it out pretty easily but it wasn't until this year I found out that I need to use a special detector before putting nails into a wall to find out if there are any electrical wires going through it. As a three year university student living away from home I have learnt a lot but because I have always been in a group of which we have a lead tenant I haven't had to worry about setting any of this up...my job is to just make sure I transfer money for bills and rent to their account each month on time.

There is a great checklist over on this blog which I shall leave the link to >>> Checklist when I find out about paying bills and things like that then I shall get back to you to all so stay tuned!

Just some random brain farts coming out of my head that I have decided to write down, I haven't posted much recently (I know I still need to do my weekly PLL post) I have been incredibly busy with assignments for uni as I have had several deadlines. I have an entire week off soon, a trip to Center Parcs, 2 trips to London, with one being to see Adele at the O2 and another trip to see Little Mix in Cardiff and so I am hoping to get a few interesting posts lined up as I know that the closer I get to my dissertation deadline the less time I am going to have to focus on this blog. 

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Things I learnt as a student

I worked out this morning, whilst in the shower that I am now just over half way into my third and final year of university so here is a few things that I have learnt over these 3 years about life as a student.

1- Judgement free zone - When you first start uni you soon discover that it is a judgement free, care free zone, people honestly don't care if you turn up to class in a onesie, if you decide to spend the day in bed watching Netflix, people are understanding and they won't question either of these things.

2- A place for everyone - Whether you just want to get your head down and spend the three years working or if you want to go out and party every night of the week even if you have an exam the next day there will be other people that will be doing the same thing as you. Saying that, this is where societies also come into place; you name it and there will be a society for it, a place for potterheads, photographers, bakers, gamers.

3- Yik Yak is the place to be - Yik Yak is the place full of all of the campus gossip and where rumours are made, you hear all sorts of different confessions about what happened the night before on there and it can be a brilliant read whilst enduring the bus ride to campus.

4- Jobs aren't all that whilst your studying - Its the time when you want to be making the most of your life as you have minimal responsibilities and your a student so people don't have high expectations from you for anything. If you can afford to live off of your student loan then do and if you do have a job then make sure your employer is understanding enough to let you have less shifts when your deadlines start to build up.

5- Organisation is key - Everyone has their own ways of being organised, some have diaries, some have to-do lists but during your time at university I have found that having these things make life a whole lot easier. I currently have a calendar on my wall, a calendar on my laptop and phone, a list of deadlines on my wall, a smaller list of important dates coming up in the next 2 months on a whiteboard. You can get good grades, enough sleep and a decent social life you just have to plan ahead!! Not to say that I stick to my plans but its a start...

6- We all need Netflix - Netflix is the one to have, someone is always talking about what they watching on Netflix last night and it can be a great conversation starter. It might just be because I am a media student but my lecturer in first year started every session having a chin wag with us all about what happened on Breaking Bad.

7- Make the most of your uni life - Everyone says this before you go to uni and I can honestly say I agree with them. If your in a different part of the country to your home town then explore the area, meet new people, travel the world, binge watch your favourite movies. My housemates and I spent our first year hosting 'shit movie nights' where we would watch movies that had a rating of 3 or below on Imdb.

8- Choose your housemates wisely - the number of people I know that after living in halls in first year with people who they became very close to that are no longer living together is crazy. My house got lucky and I have been living with the same people for the entire 3 years because we just get on so well, sure we have our ups and downs but its because we get on so well that we get over them.

9- Student accomodation is...interesting - First year is halls, the best year for getting to know new people and being able to rely on a cleaner and knowing you'll always have wifi, hot water and central heating but...the cleaner will only clean if its clean already...yes I quite literally mean what it says. Our cleaners were really fussy, if the bins hadn't been taken out or if the dishes were still out on the side then rather than cleaning it we would receive a written warning...3 warnings and the entire block gets a fine.  Independent student housing is still great because you've chosen who you wish to live with this time but thats when the arguments come in...how much do you have the heating on? When is it the right time of year to turn the heating on? The house very quickly becomes a tip and slightly drafty...walls are paper thin meaning you hear EVERYTHING and the landlord tends to be a bit of an asshole so it takes a lot of messaging to get anything fixed (took us a year to get 1 of our showers fixed).

10 - You'll get sick of people asking you what your plans are for after graduation

But most of all...just make the most of it...as cliche as that sounds they are genuinely the best 3 years...stressful but full of fun when you can get away with so much

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