Five things I've learnt on my University Journey.
3:10 PMSo graduation time is here again and it basically brought back memories of when I became a graduate of the University of the West Indies. A...
So graduation time is here again and it basically brought back memories of when I became a graduate of the University of the
West Indies. At first I wasn't excited at all to attend the ceremony
and wait forever for my name to be called amongst the sea of social science
students anticipating their honors. But as the speeches were made and the
scrolls handed out, it dawned on me what a milestone this actually was and how
extremely proud I was of the person I had become at that moment.
It was during
that very ceremony that I began to reflect on the journey from beginning, where
every little thing about University life scared me; to the end where I was
determined to not let the many hiccups of my final semester stop me. I have no
regrets with my overall journey and I'm gonna share Five things I've learnt on my University Journey and how they helped me cope.
I will never say that university is one of the easiest
things you will experience but given the chance it can be one that you will
grow to love and definitely will remember, the good and the bad. I, for sure, had my fair share of stress the whole
four years I was there, from the sleepless nights, to the buckets full of tears,
to the loads of assignments that felt impossible, burdened by the overriding
thought of giving up and dropping out.
But I also remember all the friends I grew to love who shared in the
stresses with me, the days of just liming away on the “front line” on the guild
lawn just so I can relax, the countless beers limes and fetes I attended and
maybe just maybe consumed a lil too much alcohol (sorry mum) and generally all
the extracurricular activities that allowed me to meet new people, laugh
endlessly and grow an appreciation for being there. So generally just be open to the new
opportunity and accept everything coming your way, no regrets allowed.
2) It is OK to change your mind.
Change is inevitable and it is up to you to accept these
changes and keep moving or stay stuck in your tracks. At the beginning I thought science was all I
knew and that a biochemistry degree was all I could really gain from my alma
mater. After a year of failing miserably I was at cross road where I would
either drop out of school or change majors. At that age, I was so terribly
disappointed in myself and felt like a change in majors would only lead to more
failure, so I kinda stuck on the idea of dropping out. But with support from my
mum and a few close friends especially my dear friend Shaka, I decided to stick
it out and do a degree in Management with Marketing. I had no idea about this field and was
terribly afraid of disappointing myself further but 3 years later I’m a
graduate with upper second class honors. What more can I say.
3) University is a melting pot. Don't be afraid to meet as
many people as you can and make plenty new friends.
I can truly say this is one of the easiest and most exciting
ways of meeting new people and experiencing cultures very much different to your own. Just ignore the urge to be shy and reach out to a stranger and you
never know, you may make a friend for life. If anything, the people you reach
out to have a lot more to worry about than you do, considering they are miles
away from their home and everything they know. So why not try to make the
experience a little less overwhelming for them. Go to the events, the beer limes,
the fetes, the culture nights and introduce yourself. It all starts with a
simple hello.
4) It’s an experience that can bring out the biggest changes
in you. Don't be afraid to grow with these changes instead of limiting
yourself.
Your life will make changes throughout this journey, some
big and some small. Embrace change and find ways that it can empower you and
allow you to be the best you can be. Even though some changes may be unexpected and
hard to accept, there is a high possibility that it can open doors to success. After all Gail Sheehy rightfully says “If we don’t
change, we don’t grow. If we don’t grow we aren’t really living.”
5) Every day you feel like giving up or dropping out, ending
your journey and graduating will be one of the best and most liberating
feelings you will ever have.
This whole experience will of course test you. Some tests
will be small and easy to overcome and some will drain you and feel impossible.
But one thing I can tell you to do, is to keep your eye on the endgame. If you
work hard, stay motivated and keep the course nobody can tell you, you don’t deserve
that degree. Soon enough you’ll be walking across that stage, shaking the
Chancellor’s hand with a huge smile on your face grateful for the whole
experience and memories of what it took to get there.
Loads of Love
-V
Loads of Love
-V
