My First Semester at University

Forget the cliché of ‘a lot can happen in a year.’ Everyone knows that a year is a pretty long time. Four months though, is not so long. Just over 120 days to be precise. The last four months for me have been packed with probably the most change I have ever had in my whole life.

“Of course university is going to be daunting because it is a big change in your life”. I’ve heard this last sentence so many times from my Mum since I moved over a hundred miles from the place I have lived all my life in September. There are so many stories and guides around with regards to what life at university will be like. Truth is though, that there is no way of telling until you pitch up at halls on the day you move in because everyone is different. Well that was what I felt anyway.

Since the very day I moved in, my first semester at university was a mixture of up and downs with emotions coming at me left right and centre. There was the usual: “I’ve never lived on my own before”, followed by the “What if I can’t budget properly and starve to death!?” as well as the “What if I lose contact with my friends at home?” which were all eventually topped off with the ultimate question of: “How do I get all of my work done before the deadline?”

The answers to all of the above as I soon learned were “don’t worry.” I’ve been a worrier all my life but there comes a point when, at the end of the day, you realise worrying about what might or might not happen will trip you up more than anything. The stress will pass like every other moment in life and will be replaced with opportunities to have fun. These opportunities will be when the memories are made here but if you spend all your life worrying about making the odd mistake here or there we all know that you’re never going to learn anything.

So here’s to the second semester or the less stressful semester as I hope it will be called when I look back in future years. This time around I will do things differently but for the better and try less hard, but in a good way…of course.