The inspiration for this blog came from something exciting that happened recently.
Something that only my fellow blog team will probably understand.
We’ve been stuck on the same record ‘amount of views in one day’, for ages. But my previous blog ‘5 reasons to love the city of Worcester‘ alongside a load of the other bloggers’ posts, all came together with a great amount of views and beat our record.
I had a momentary sense of pride (with a couple of high fives as well) and then I had a thought. Something so little as beating our blog record made me seriously happy earlier, but in years to come I will probably never think of this moment.
It was a moment so irrelevant to many, but a great achievement for those of us involved.
So basically, this led me to think of all the things about being a student that we probably take for granted.
University is going so fast, and before I know it, it will be over. I want to be able to say at the end of my degree that I appreciated every little thing about being a student whilst I could.
Yours will undoubtably be slightly different, but here are a few of the things about being a student that I feel we should appreciate before we enter the real world:
1) Doing something that you love.
For a great chunk of us, we have come to University to do a course focused around a topic that we love. Something that will enhance our skills and interest, and for lots of us, lead us down our perfect career path.
Although my course can sometimes be stressful and there are times when I am overloaded with stuff to do, I seriously appreciate the fact that I have been able to come to University and spend three years of my life studying and training to do something that I love.
In the future we will all have a million and one other responsibilities on top of our careers, so enjoy your course whilst it is the main focus of your life, and remember why you came to University to study it in the first place.
2) Being surrounded by your friends.
Being at University, either in Halls or in Student Housing means that our University friends are right there. A quick walk or drive over, a catch up in the cafe or a trip to town is so easy because your friends are all in the same place.
When we all leave University, move away and get jobs, you won’t have everyone there, right on the doorstep. For me, this is probably one of the most important things to appreciate, because friends are what make the stressful times at University bearable!
3) Time.
I know that sounds like a silly thing to say because I know so many students, including myself, that don’t have a great deal of free time. There are busier times of the year, around exam period, assignment deadlines and placement when we have no time for anything else. But there are also quieter times in the year as well.
Free evenings, weekends, or days off? Make the most out of them and appreciate the free time that you do have, rather than moan about the days that you don’t have off!
And just for the record, I think that it is perfectly acceptable to spend a whole day off watching back-to-back Game of Thrones… anyone else?
4) The new experiences.
A lot of my previous blogs have talked about the various different experiences that I’ve had. Being at University means that opportunities just fall on your lap sometimes. Placements, studying abroad, extra activities, extra qualifications.. etc etc. You won’t get the chance to do many of that again, so make the most of it whilst you’re a student.
Writing these blogs for example is something that I never thought I would do, but an opportunity that I absolutely love.
5) Freedom.
For most of us, University is the first time that we have lived away from home. Living independently away from your family gives you so much freedom, and I’ve definitely grown up at lot because of it. Not only does being a student make you appreciate having a new lease of freedom, but it also makes you appreciate your family in a different way. It makes the random weekends that I go home much more valuable, and the occasions that I celebrate with my family, such as my nephews christening, much more special.
On this very embarrassing, soppy topic of family… it’s also my mum and step dad’s wedding anniversary, and this is a picture of a message I wrote on the day of their wedding 9 years ago…..
Being at University means I can cringe in the safety of my own student bedroom at this. (Slightly unrelated, but it’s too cute not to put in!)
So there you have it.. a few of the things that I think we should appreciate as students!
Congrats to all those who have already successfully made it through the last stint of the uni year and your exams. Maybe the long summer break will make you realise what you appreciate about being a student.. leave any comments below! 🙂
Worcester Student Life 