“I spent my whole school life alongside my younger brother, as we went to the same primary school and then neighbouring secondary schools, so moving seven hours away from Kent to come to university was a really big step for me. I came straight from sixth form where I studied A levels in Geography, Maths and Spanish, and I wanted to make sure I was properly prepared before starting.
Throughout Year 13 I worked in Sainsbury’s because I wanted to start saving early so I could feel comfortable at university and not have to worry too much about finding a job straight away. I really wanted to enjoy my first year, focus on a new course and adjust to living independently. Working there also helped me become friends with people of different ages, which made the idea of meeting new people at university feel much less daunting.
I briefly considered taking a gap year to be completely secure in my course and location choice. However, I decided it was important to keep the momentum from school. I wanted to maintain a healthy work and life balance, continue multitasking, studying and doing exams, and carry that student mindset with me into university. Even though Geology wasn’t offered at my sixth form, I prepared myself to take on something new and felt ready for the challenge.”
