Prepare yourself for an in-depth review of the ups and downs of second year at University...
When I first started writing this post I sent a picture of the text I had written so far to my housemate joking which jokingly read "It sucked". It's hard to really start and put into perspective as to how this years gone but I'm going to try and break this down in, hopefully, a fathomable way.
TIME FLIES WHEN DEADLINES ARE BY THE TON
Definitely not how that saying should go. It feels like only yesterday I was moving into my second year house and readjusting to uni life. We were warned about this year from older Psychology students that it would be tough but I don't think any of us were really prepared for it. Before I knew it, Christmas exams were here and I didn't have time to prepare for the term from hell that waited around the corner. With a jam-packed second term with a deadline a week and 9am lectures on the daily, I was starting to believe that what everyone had heard about uni wasn't true. I had no time to enjoy myself. The term flew by and not in a good way. I don't think I properly breathed until that last assignment for second term was handed in. And even then, all that meant was summer exams were fast approaching. It's strange to think that next year I'll already be in third year.
IT CAN BE LONELY
Compared to some subjects, I had something on almost every day of the week . If I wasn't in uni, I was at my part-time job in town or I was with my housemates. I kept myself busy enough to not have time to think about missing home or missing friends. But then, the off day that I didn't have work, I didn't have lectures and my housemates were busy, it was strange to sit in my room and think. I can be surrounded by familiar, friendly faces and yet still feel a little lost amongst it all . I wrote a post years a go called "ALONE vs. LONELY" and that post still resonates with me today. Times when I'm alone I love, it gives me time to relax. But at points, it can be lonely even if you try and stay busy. I know it's something a lot of people struggle with at uni and I found it particularly hard this year.
MISSED OPPORTUNITIES
Every uni student that has gone through Freshers knows about signing up to a hundred and one different societies and events that you think you'll definitely be going to throughout your time at university. Most also know that your attendance at these, even after countless emails, is most likely not going to happen. For me, nothing changed in second year. I wanted to make time for societies and events but deadlines took over and so did my job. It isn't really until now with the year finished that I realise how much I feel like I missed through having a job and a course that has so many contact hours.
THERE OF COURSE WERE SOME GOOD PARTS...
It's nice to know that some hard work does pay off. While I'm yet to get my official end of year result, there were times where, throughout the year, I surprised myself with the marks on essays and reports I was getting. While my end of year results weren't as high as I would have liked, they were still good and I know I'm being hard on myself when I say they weren't good. I was scared that having a job in second year would really hurt my grades and, maybe it did a little, but I turned out pieces of work with the highest scores I've ever got. It confirmed in me that what I'm doing is the right thing and that I chose well coming to uni to do Psychology.
FRIENDS
Having a good group of friends at uni, I feel, can make or break the uni experience and, for me, I'm lucky to have met some lovely people along the way.
You might be familiar with the first year mistake of living with the people you lived with in first year, in second year but learning to hate them along the way. Thankfully, this hasn't happened in my house. Yes, they're annoying at times, but who isn't? While we have decided to live in different houses in third year, I can guarantee I'll be nagging them for movie nights and trips out next year. We've grown a close little group that have become so comfortable with each other. Some of the best memories of this year haven't been anything extravagant but been one's where we've spent the evening curled up on the sofa talking and laughing at awful jokes and watching films. While I'm not a soppy person, If you're reading this, just a little thank you for putting up with my weirdness, listening to me babble on about things you aren't interest in and making me laugh every day of the year.
It was also nice to have a close knit group of course friends. They were a support system going through exams and knowing and it was reassuring to know we were all at the same point when the stress level hit new heights during the year. While in third year we are all split off into different modules, there's no doubt that we'll still be meeting regularly. I'm so happy to have a solid group of girl friends that I can rely on.
It's hard to know whether the pros have outweighed the cons of this year. I'm so lucky to have the opportunity to be at uni and to have great friends come with it. However, it's hard to know if I'm really yet to embrace the opportunity I've been given. Only time will tell, as I head into third year, if it's all been worth it.
I hope you enjoyed this post and I'm hoping to be giving you some more uni-related posts over the coming months in preparation for anyone going to uni this September in hopes that it may give you some honest insight into uni life.
Are you a student yourself? Was there anything you found challenging about your time as a student?
Hope you're doing great,
Sarah x
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