UNIVERSITY FIRST YEAR | ROUND UP

It's truly hard to believe that my first year at university is properly over. It feels like just yesterday that I was sitting in sixth form for our induction day back in September 2015. I remember the feeling of getting given my exam timetable for my A Level exams last year. I remember exactly what I wore, how I felt, what I did on results day in August. I remember the traumatic day in September when I had to leave my home, my cat and pretty much everything I've ever known to move down to London - a city I've loved for as long as I can remember but also a city two and a half hours away from my family and friends (and even further away from my friends who moved away for university - they all went North while I popped down to the South). And now my first year is complete.

Okay so, September. Ahh, September. I honestly hated being there in September. It wasn't the city - I'll always love London, no matter what - but almost everything else just seemed to be completely the opposite of what I'd hoped. My course was great - it's still great - I genuinely believe that it's the right course for me. My living situation? Not so great. Moving day was fine. I didn't meet all of my flatmates on that first day; I met three of them - two very briefly and I sat in the kitchen with another for a couple of hours. I'd been stressing a lot about the flat situation. After all, it's hard going from living at home with your family, who you know like the back of your hand, to going to live with five complete strangers - even without sharing a bathroom (I am truly eternally grateful that these halls have en-suite bathrooms). Either way, initially I thought 'what if I don't make any friends? What if my flatmates hate me? What if it's awkward? What if we don't get along?' but that fear seemed to go away during that first day or two but hint hint: it came back. I cried a lot. And when I say a lot, I mean I cried for hours everyday for the first week. It didn't help that I'd been really ill (and was still ill) so my spirits were down, and it meant I didn't actually go on any fresher's events (apart from inductions and the fresher's fair at the university itself).

It was hardly a great start. But then my course properly began and things started to fall into place. I met some lovely people and made some great friends - some that I would now consider to be some of my best friends - and, although my flat situation wasn't necessarily improving, everything else was. By October, it was my birthday, I was well and truly in the swing of things and I finally felt comfortable there. My flat situation was never great throughout the year - my flatmates were nice and I could get on with them well but we just weren't friends. It was hard seeing my friends at other universities being all friendly with their flatmates when my flat just wasn't really like that. We'd say hello if we bumped into each other and there'd be the odd conversation but, to be completely honest, I don't remember the last time I had a proper conversation with any of them except one. Again, I'm not complaining - and I don't mean it in the way it sounds - it's just that we all were on different courses, had different timetables, friends and generally different lives and you just get on with it. You know, you just accept that things are the way they are and that was totally fine with me because I had other friends.

I'll tell you something, though. The one lesson I learnt during my year in halls was how different other people are to you. People just do not have the same mannerisms and habits as you. The common decency that you may have, is alien to other people - and that's hard to adjust to. So, coming in at 4am and slamming doors, screaming down the corridors to each other and being generally loud when people have lectures in the morning was a pretty constant occurrence in my accommodation - I mean, each to their own but I didn't think it was very fair. But, again, you get over it. People blocking the sink with their leftover food instead of putting it in the bin was also pretty common. No washing up being done, people leaving crumbs and general dirt everywhere in the kitchen and using your freezer space are things that would regularly happen. I went into the kitchen a couple of weeks ago and someone had left the hob on on the oven, with nobody in there and nothing cooking - I will stand by my statement that if I hadn't walked in at that time and turned it off, the flat probably would've burnt down. People are just different to you and that, I suppose, is what university is like. It's all a learning experience and you do get used to it - but it's definitely an adjustment.

I've briefly touched on this already but London is the most amazing city to live in. It's been pretty much my dream for as long as I can remember and nothing has changed since moving here. I adore it. Having the tube system and access to pretty much anywhere right on my doorstep is my favourite thing. You can never get bored because there's always something to do - and there's a lot of free things available. It's honestly a dream. And I genuinely think that it's one of the best decisions that I've ever made.

And, don't even get me properly started on the friendships I've made since being at university. They're friendships that I wouldn't change for the world and, quite frankly, I feel like I've known these people for my entire life. It's so crazy to me that there are people in the world that you just click with. People that are so similar to yourself and that spending time with them is just easy, effortless - that's the best kind of friendship.

All in all, I wouldn't change a thing. First year was an adjustment - to say the least - it was an incredible experience, and I genuinely believe that I'm in the right place for me. I couldn't imagine life any differently, and that's a great feeling. I, for one, can't wait to get back to the city for  second year - and to move into our house and make it a home. I'm counting down the days.