At the end of high school back in Romania, just thinking about my future life as an International Business Management student at the University of Worcester, was surreal.
Feelings were all over the place and this is not an overstatement. I’m sure many of you in similar situations feel the same now, but it can be hard to express these feelings, right?
So here are the emotional phases I believe every other future student is going through:
1. EXCITEMENT: You are starting a new life. Living in another city or in some cases in a totally different country, studying an interesting course, making new friends and being all independent are definitely things a future student looks forward to.
It all feels like a chance to start from scratch and make the best of it. Plus…Freshers’ week is not too far away!!!!!
2. SATISFACTION about what you have achieved. Applying to university is a complex process through which you encounter some obstacles.
Many of you are now waiting for the results day (GOOD LUCK!) and I’m sure that getting into your preferred university – hopefully Worcester – will be a dream come true.
Not to mentions that the realization that your hard work wasn’t in vain is the best feeling in the world.
3. MOTIVATION: Learning something completely new, in a different manner, with new lecturers and new methods of assessment is rather challenging.
Before starting the university, I had a look at my course on the website and…did a bit of investigation on my potential lecturers. Reading about their work and their interests is very inspiring and I felt grateful to be able to learn from them.
4. COURAGE: because you can only be brave when you’re afraid. University means a new beginning, an adventure and what you imagine is not even close to how a student’s life actually is.
To be honest, not knowing what to expect is a bit terrifying. And you also feel some kind of need/pressure to figure out who you are and what you want to do in life, which is the scariest thing of all.
5. ANXIETY: Seeing problems where there are actually none. You may get stuck on the whole ‘how am I going to move all my things’ problem or worry about not making friends, etc.
I was a bit scared of getting lost – it was a new city and a new country after all! I also worried about not being able to understand what people say – the famous British accent sounds great in movies, but it’s a different thing when you’re in a lecture and you have to take notes…
6. SADNESS: Moving out, leaving family and friends behind is definitely not easy. I’ve always hated goodbyes, especially knowing that they come with the possibility that some friendships may grow apart and end. Sure, technology nowadays helps, but we all know it’s not the same.
It’s in a way reassuring that you are going towards something new and exciting – new friends, new lifestyle, but it’s not a great feeling when you think of those you’re leaving behind.
So here are some emotions I experienced before starting my life at Worcester and I can say it’s been a fantastic journey so far! It’s normal to have lots of questions, worries and emotions before this big step, but the most important thing is to be open and ready to start this new chapter. And also…learn to cook if you can!
Good luck, future freshers!
Beatrice 🙂
Worcester Student Life 