Starting University?

A few people I know on twitter are starting University soon. I thought I’d share some small pearls of wisdom…

Firstly, realise that university isn’t for everyone, despite the mainstream narrative that says it is. Give yourself a couple of months to settle in, but if you are desperately unhappy, remember that it’s not the be-all and end-all, and you can go to another university. Or leave and not go at all. Not enjoying university doesn’t make you a failure. Some people don’t like learning in formal environments, or find it difficult to adjust. Go with your instincts. If it’s not for you, don’t make yourself stick it out for years – but give it a chance. I left Westminster University after a couple of months because it just wasn’t what I was expecting and I had the worst time in my life. But I took a couple of years out and eventually went to Bournemouth University, which I’m pleased to say I just graduated from. There’s no shame in realising that one size doesn’t fit all, basically.

- Everyone is just as terrified as you are.

- Join student union clubs but don’t do too many at once – because you’ll find as time goes on you won’t be able to fit it all in. I joined jugglesoc in my first year, and I learned how to spin poi and started learning staff and juggling. I ended up performing with fire outside our union club, which was terrifying but a great feeling. So I’d recommend joining a group where you learn new skills, or where you’re doing things as a group. Most unions have acting clubs, choirs, etc.

- Sign up with a doctor!! Needs no explanation but do it as soon as you can. No one wants to be filling out forms when they have really bad freshers’ flu.

- Stock up on vitamins and medicine and stuff. You don’t want to get ill first thing, because you’ll start missing lectures and it’s hard to catch up once you’ve missed one or two.

- If you’re moving away from home, check out all-unied, I got my stuff from them and it saved a lot of bother with regards to getting enough stuff into halls for cooking. It was delivered to my halls so was pretty much hassle-free.

- Wilkinsons, Asda and other cheapish sort of places will become your saviour over the next few years. I got quite isolated living away from home and found it difficult but I spruced up my room with loads of cheap stuff from Wilkos and it made the room feel more ‘mine’. I think this really helped me to settle in.

- Be aware that you only get one bit of the loan per term, and you have to eke it out over however many weeks. I ran out of money in the first few weeks as I went out to everything I could during freshers’ fortnight. Then I had to live off of my savings. Big mistake!

My gran’s advice to me was “Don’t get involved in politics or religion, and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do” – of course, this didn’t happen, and I’ve only realised this in hindsight. Overall I’d just say have a blast but don’t get so caught up in the fun that you forget to look after yourself (easy to say, harder to do). Make sure that you don’t over-do the drinking too! Loads of people reach uni and go overboard because it’s their first taste of freedom. Remember: You have three years of uni to have fun, make friends and all that guff, so don’t burn yourself out before Christmas.

The day I changed school trips forever

It was several years ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday… This morning I was on LBC talking to Nick Ferrari about a press release that the Association of Teachers and Lecturers released yesterday, saying schools are banning British bulldog and conkers, and that school trips are on the decline. He wanted to get the views of three generations, and I was the youngest alongside Jane Fearnley-Whittingstall and Rachel Johnson.

The report is quite interesting. It suggests that due to injuries and worries about health and safety that conkers, British Bulldog and all those kind of ‘rough’ games you play as a kid are being seen less and less. And that due to bureaucracy, school trips are on the decline. Truth is, I know teachers are under a lot of pressure these days. I know so many teachers who would love to take kids out for small trips – trips that would benefit them far more than sitting in a classroom would – but it’s a headache to organise all the paperwork for it, and sometimes it’s just too much hassle.

I do however, feel partly responsible.

LBC with Nick Ferrari

So, the full story, then. When I was in sixth form I studied history at A Level, and every year the teachers arranged a school trip to Berlin, to help get a better understanding of what we were studying. We were there for three days. As a treat, and because we were old enough and had argued the case for it, one night we went out ‘clubbing’ (teachers in tow). We got the train there, and everyone had a good night. On the way back, I asked how long it’d take to walk home, as I wanted to get the train back – and I was told it’d be a long walk back to the hostel. I asked around but no one could tell me if the train lines were closed or not. There was a crowd of sixty people walking along the street in the same direction and I quickly ran to the front so I couldn’t lose them – “How hard is it going to be to find a group of sixty people?” I thought. I ducked out of the crowd and went to the station. Closed. Came back up and there was no one to be seen. I looked along the road and saw no one. I can’t have been gone more than 2 minutes. And yet all was silent.

So I panicked. I was approached by 3 young German men, who circled me and started saying things to me in German. Terrified, I ignored them, carried on, and then realised I had no idea where the hostel was, had no contact numbers for the teachers on the trip and didn’t have my mobile with me. It took me a fair while to find someone who was willing to give me their mobile to ring England, but in the end two German girls let me use their phone, and stayed with me until I was found. I had to ring my parents, who then rang the headmaster, who then rang the teachers that were in Germany. Unsurprisingly, my parents were distraught. After a lot of phonecalls back and forth, one teacher eventually picked me up in a cab and took me back to the hostel, telling me how unimpressed they all were. When I got back, I was greeted by one of my favourite teachers who was propped up at a bar, drunk. “THERE you are Sophie! We thought we’d lost you!” – he pulled me in for a hug. I’ve never seen anyone look so relieved to see me before!