I recently finished my degree and have since been doing very little with my time; apart from applying to countless jobs and trying to stop myself from going crazy since coming home, but one thing I have been thinking about is what I’ve learnt from uni.

When I started way back in 2013, I was nervous and wasn’t sure I would be able to do the course or live by myself. It was a scary thought to think I would be away from home for the next three years and would have to fend for myself and make a bunch of new friends, but actually it was all good.

In my first year I learnt a lot about myself as well as what it is like to live on your own and I’m going to tell you, it’s really not that bad. After my first year, I realised that calling the doctor, an interviewee or a company really wasn’t as scary as I thought it was and that despite having to think about what to eat for dinner and do cleaning, when you have friends around you all the time, there is never a dull moment. Now I’ve finished, I can easily say that ringing the doctor comes easily, as does talking to interviewees and cooking for myself. In fact, I would go so far as to say these are all things I now enjoy doing!

There is something you have to remember: university isn’t just about getting a degree or living the high-life of a student for as long as possible, it’s also about growing into the person you’re supposed to be. It might take a couple of months, or even the whole time you are doing your degree, but when you finish you will realise that you are the person you are supposed to be and will feel more like yourself than you have ever done before. Let me tell you something, I am nothing like the person I used to be (despite still being as short and looking the same), but I am glad I went to uni and learnt how to live on my own and who I really am.

By Alice Fiancet