b r y o n y l a u r a

Though I'm writing this in advance, when this post goes live on my wee blog, it'll be the day I am officially due to Graduate from University. Yep, Bryony Dodds, upper second (2:1) graduate in Fashion Communication & Promotion. Mouthfuls aside, and without sounding like a summertime scrooge, I admittedly feel the whole 'graduation' thing is a little over hyped. Your moment, over and done in a matter of seconds. Having said that, reflection can be a beautiful, beautiful thing, so with today being such a significant day of my life, I thought I would type up a ponderous post on the subject.

When it came to the consideration of University at 17, there was an undeniable amount of pressure involved. Not from specific individuals, but applying the year before educational fees tripled unsurprisingly meant there was a whole lot of competition from fellow students. Whilst I had always seen myself going to University, being so young, I was, in all honesty, unsure of other routes to go down, so didn't really give it a second thought.

Following the stress of UCAS and interviews, in the run up to the big move, conversations on University life would more often than not, involve the likes of, ''boy, uni is the best time of your life!'' and, ''you won't ever want to leave''. This definitely upped the pressure to have a total blast, and now I'm on the other half of my experience, I personally see that that's not necessarily the case for everyone. I definitely learnt a lot from my four years as an undergraduate student, and despite saying this, I certainly don't regret going. However, what I will say is that, like all aspects of life, things aren't for everyone. I went to University in a small town in West Yorkshire, and looking back, I think I would have had a completely different experience if I'd gone to the likes of London. Plus, four years (I did a sabbatical in my third year) is a very long time, and once I'd reached the end of my second year I was itching to get out into the real world and hop onto the 'ol job ladder.

I'm not really sure where this post is going, but what I do know is that with each assignment throughout my degree, I gave 100%, meaning no matter my final classification, I would be satisfied that I'd worked the hardest I physically could. I'm very proud to say that the grafting, tears and chocolate overindulgence resulted in a 2:1. Though I did this throughout my years as a pre-university student, when fees are so steep, it would have been daft not to.

Whilst I sure do enjoy busting a move and going out with my pals, I gotta say, I don't think I'm gonna be a contender for the next season of Geordie Shore anytime soon. University culture quite accurately lives up to its partying/'getting smashed' name (or at least it did where I attended), but naturally, that's not for everyone. Obviously there's a whole lot more to University and students, but in my experience, it does make up quite a big chunk. If you wanna chill in with Netflix and a tub of ice cream every now again instead of hitting the town, then you do just do that. However, you're only a student once, so be sure to enjoy it whilst it lasts!

Also, whilst there will likely be apprehensive feelings over such a big lifestyle change, that doesn't mean that going to Uni solo is a bad thing. Quite the contrary, in fact. I'm personally not speaking from experience, but realistically, I think going completely on your own gives the opportunity to start a fresh and throw yourself into the opportunity. It'll be your story to tell ten years down the line, so if you do choose to attend/not attend, remember that.

When I left for University at 18, I'm not afraid to say that was pretty young minded. I'm 22 now, and whilst I still may look about 12 (at a push), I've definitely, as expected, changed a lot through that time. Though I'm still no pro chef (ha!), I've become a lot more focused, mature and educated (duh, bryony). As my degree title would suggest, I primarily learnt about writing, but also on the other types of human beings on this delightful planet and the kind of direction I want my life/career to go. I also started my blog after the first summer thanks to boredom, so that's always worth a mention, no?

Before this transforms into a second dissertation, I think I best wrap things up. Whilst I may not be going keyboard crazy, screaming about the madness of my University experience, I'm instead super stoked to start the next chapter of my life. As I mentioned, Uni taught me a whole lot of things - I certainly know how to balance five thousand deadlines at once, now, and perhaps more importantly, to step away from that goddamn palette that made my eyebrows look like this.

Did you go to University, or are you planning to head there soon? I'd love to hear your experiences!

*on a slightly lighter note, how bloomin' pretty is this (^) flower in my garden?*