Wow! How that first term has flown by! It’s so hard to think that only a couple of months ago I was a nervous wreck, stressing over getting to all of my lectures on time and constantly getting lost – even walking into the wrong lecture a few times. Ok… the getting lost still happens but at least I know now when I am in the right lecture as I recognise a few friendly faces!

So far, so good though. I am actually enjoying my course much more than I hoped and am so pleased that all of my lecturers so far have been really enthusiastic and inspiring (which could be hard when dealing with a theatre full of awkward and tired students). Of course, there have been some aspects that I’m still adjusting to, such as how to manage the work load, but luckily everyone seems to be in the same boat and it’s great to know that we are all in it together! I’ve really appreciated how some of the modules I’m taking involve group work as it’s meant that we have all got to know each other pretty quickly and it means that lunch breaks are no longer such a lonely ordeal.

Although living at home means that luckily I haven’t had to suffer with homesick feelings at all, it does mean that I have had to manage working and all my university activities around my family life, which I must say I’m still getting used to. Being a local Bournemouth girl though, it’s nice to have a bit of know-all about the area so I can show my new uni friends some of my favourite places around the town to go as well as discovering some new ones that I have never heard of before!

Highlight of the first term? Probably camping with the Wildlife and Conservation Society! It was such a good way to get out of the uni bubble and a good excuse to explore the New Forest. Bring on next term!

By Imogen Byers