Just the
other day, I ran into someone I used to go to school with. You know the kind of
person I'm talking about - the one you haven't seen since your last toy day in
Junior School, not because they moved, but because you've spent the rest of
your days avoiding them. The one who you always disliked for no damn good
reason, and the one who you hoped would just go to college or Zimbabwe already.
Anyways, I hadn't seen this person since starting at university, so we had a
nice chat, witty repartee and an awkward silence when I was inevitably asked:
"So what are you doing with yourself these days?"
Make no mistake that the
awed silence I was hoping for did not follow my response that I am studying a
BA in History at Swansea University. She looked at me with a look of disbelief,
and began ranting about her own life in college. Not one question about
university. Absolutely zilch. I should've at least thought she'd ask me about
my life as a student or why I decided to study at university but nothing. And
so, I've decided to give her an answer, (despite the fact that she didn't want
one), on why I'm at university and why most people probably should be too.
So, why should students go to
university? Let's start with the off putting facts.
In the beginning, it will probably
be awful, I'm not going to lie. It will seem like you have gone back in time to
the very first day of school as you cry for your mother, stop caring what you
look like when you go outdoors and begin to wear your backpack on both
shoulders all over again. You will start believing that dancing in the rain is
a legitimate activity and you will find yourself being greeted all over campus,
while you wonder who the hell just said hello to you. Exactly like nursery, you
will soon realise how necessary snack time is, start crossing the street
without looking for cars, realise how important daily naps are and you will
never eat any of the healthy food that you are supposed to eat. I suppose that
I'm making it sound slightly of chronic, but there is a plus side to all this
'growing up'. (Oh ignore the irony.)
Knowing you have finally settled
into university life is marked by certain milestones which are usually achieved
throughout the first year; You'll find yourself walking at least two miles for
a party, wearing dirty socks three times in a row, (and thinking nothing of
it), going to sleep when it's light and
waking up when it's dark and looking out the window as a form of entertainment.
You will know the pizza boy by name. You'll rather clean than study (isn't that
weird??) and suddenly, rearranging your room becomes a new hobby. Having a phone
in your bedroom means prank phone calls, you start scheduling your classes
around sleep habits and shows and you realise that the weekend lasts from
Thursday to Sunday.
After all that, if you're still
determined to go, here are the reasons why being a student is just plain
awesome.
1. You can make your A-levels a horrible memory
It seems bizarre, but I found that
the best way to move on from A-level results days was realising that I was soon
venturing into the big bad world of university. When you're at university,
nobody actually cares how you did in your exams. You were smart in Secondary
School, so what? There are more interesting things to talk about, like who threw
up all over that girl they fancy last night after having 10 shots or the
winning strategies of the lottery.
2.You'll actually be interested in what you're learning
At school, you have no say in what
you get to learn but at university, you do. Studying History, I choose what
eras I want to study. You don't even have to stick to the parameters of your
course - I'm taking a module in media studies this year. Just for the lols.
3. Cash
When we consider the long term
effects of going to university, you can't deny that there are a few benefits.
You're much more likely to be living it large one day. The average graduate
this year earns a salary that starts at £26,000. That's 4% more than graduates
were earning in 2009. Realistically, there's not really been a better time to
study a degree.
4. The
wonderful benefits you can bring to your country
The UK is,
let's be honest, slightly deprived of skills, and is in desperate need of
highly educated people. And university, well, it educates people... highly. So,
by studying at university, you can tell all your distant relatives who have
taken a sudden interest in their soon-to-be graduate relation, that you're
working for Britain. Of course, don't
let it slip that working means sleeping all day, dossing around and bringing
severe damage to your liver. Which leads
nicely to my next point.
 |
| Time to doss around! |
5. It's the one chance you get to
doss around.
If you're one of THOSE people who
thinks that the benefits of leaving education and launching yourself into full
time work is better than the student lifestyle, think again. Admittedly, the
average wage that young people and students earn isn't all that, (and that's if you can even find a job),
but weigh that against our way of life. It is a
rare moment in my life when anyone in my flat is awake before 9am. The average
boss wouldn't allow you to put your feet up at half past nine every morning to
watch Jeremy Kyle, never mind the benefits of 1:25pm and 2:15pm viewings, which
is a necessity if you, like me, are not awake until past midday.
6. Tell me what else you're going
to do?
No, seriously. Without a degree,
finding a good and well-paid job is tough. All your student friends will be
calling you at 1am from a far, honouring you with drunken texts declaring their
love for you and telling you how much fun they're having. You'll still be
living at home. You'll still be living with your parents. You'll still have a
curfew. And you'll be constantly nagged by family members to apply to
university already. You might as well bite the bullet, and get going.
7. Remember, it's never too late.
You don't necessarily have to be
fresh out of school to be able to cash in on a student loan and go to
university. I know people on my course
at university who are nearing their thirties, (and doing a much better job than
me at passing their degrees.) One of my friends took a gap year last year to
doss around and travel. It's never ever too late to get educated.
8. Getting to meet people
The first day of moving into your
brand new accommodation is one of the most exciting and scary days that you'll
ever experience. Sharing accommodation with dozens of teenagers is a
once-in-a-lifetime experience. The kitchens will become rat-ridden, the sink
will be piled high with moldy plates and cups and there will be arguments
about borrowed milk or bread, but, you will make amazing lifelong friends. You'll learn how to do magical things called
cooking, budgeting and being independent. And it's actually fun, especially
when you're surrounded by like-minded people to either sympathise with you or
to laugh at when things go wrong.
Plus, you have the most incredible
times with these people. I particularly remember having a high speed chase with
my friends in our flatmates car during a fire alarm at around four in the
morning, where we bought skittles from a petrol station, drove along deserted
roads and got followed by a mysterious person in a blue car. It was scary at
the time, but we can now look back on it and laugh.
9. You'll have crazy experiences
that you can't find anywhere else.
Since being at university, I've
joined the student newspaper, History society, photography society, media
society, French society... So maybe I haven't been involved with all of them,
but that's just because I've been making friends, working and watching Jeremy
Kyle. I've made last minute decisions to sign up to societies that I know I
wouldn't be able to be a part of in a million years, like Cheerleading or vegetable
appreciation groups. I've stayed up chatting until dawn and won an award for
writing an article about prostitutes. (Don't ask.) I've stayed in clubs until
closing time and even had conversations with hobos at 4am. Student life will
offer you opportunities that go way beyond education.
10. There's a very small chance
that you'll 'go down in history.'
(Check out this link to prove that! ---> Celebrities that went to college )
By the time that you graduate, it
may turn out that your course has inspired you into new found greatness. It's
the ultimate reason to go to university: spending three years meeting new
people, enjoying yourself and figuring out who you are might push you to work
out what it is you want to do with your life.
So, if I were you, I'd go for it.
There are another good few reasons not to give it a go but, that's for another discussion. If you're going to university this
year, good luck! And if not, well, good luck for when you do decide to go.
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