April 3, 2017, by Ali Morris

Has uni lived up to my expectations?

For my whole life, I’ve lived in a small rural town in the depths of the Shropshire hills – eighteen years of knowing everyone in the community, being able to distinguish between the different types of manure based solely on their scent (definitely a downside of living in the country), and having to travel sixty minutes to get to the nearest city.

Moving to Nottingham was a huge change for me. Not only was it the first time I’d ever moved house in my life, but it was my first time in a city, my first time living on my own, and my first time at university. But has university lived up to my expectations?

Some of my expectations of moving to uni included:

• Being in a huge city that I would most certainly get lost in
• Meeting many incredibly talented human beings and feeling incapable in comparison
• Getting homesick frequently
• Worrying that the only social activity would be going clubbing (which I don’t particularly enjoy)
• Noisy halls of residence
• Struggling to make ends meet

You’ll be pleased to know that pretty much all of these expectations were very different to the reality of university.

Despite getting lost a fair few times, I’ve fallen in love with Nottingham. I’ve met many talented people, but I’ve also realised that I have something unique to offer, too – university has taught me how to find my skills, embrace them, and extend them. I wasn’t as homesick as I thought I’d be, and going clubbing is only a tiny fraction of the activities and social events available right on my doorstep. My flat occasionally gets noisy but it’s never unbearable, and no matter how skint I feel I’ve always managed to get through each week.

The reality of university life far outweighed the expectations, and I have been pleasantly surprised many times along the way. It is an incredible opportunity to not only learn more about your chosen field of study, but to grow as a person – enjoy it, value it, and use it for your good.

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