Consumed with anxiety and fear, I moved into university accommodation when I was 21 years old with very little knowledge on what to expect. My ability to adapt was overcome with nerves, however I was eager to discover what lied ahead. I never thought I would get into university, let alone fly the nest so quickly. Everything was new to me; the notion of living with strangers, the importance of budgeting and the unfamiliarity of a town that wasn’t home. I was massively out of my depth, yet impatient to find out what was next.

Nobody tells you that university is not only a platform to academic achievements, but also an opportunity to fully discover yourself. Of course, some mature students had already reached this enlightenment, but for a young student, I was subjected to a magnitude of new emotions and prospects. The moment I arrived, my mind was encumbered with the abundance of unanswered ignorance induced questions. What will my flatmates be like? What happens if I run of money? Where is the campus?

Usually these questions would intimidate anyone, but for me, it only fuelled my excitement to explore. In that moment I almost felt invincible. It really didn’t matter what happened next. It was a constant high I felt even during my later academic years. Even now, I truly miss being younger and unburdened by recurring adult responsibilities.

It is truly hard to articulate the transformation you go through both academically and as a human. It is not a simple case of learning the ‘soft’ skills needed to survive, but rather a higher-level of self-discovery that encapsulates. The pre-uni version slowly detaches, then inevitable jettisoned into history becoming someone who you used to know. University is a journey that I would recommend to anyone. Not only for academic triumph but personal expansion.