Next on my list of interviewees is Emma who studied Psychology at the University of Worcester. I worked with Emma back in Cornwall before she started university and whilst I waited to go into my second year. She kept me entertained during our work hours with her sense of humour and her ability to be straight with people and at times, hilariously blunt. Whilst I only got to know Emma for a short few months, it's great to hear from her and also hear about what made her university years so great.

Have you enjoyed your time at university? 

Absolutely! 

Do you have any regrets? 

I regret not using the free gym enough.

Is there something that you really wish you had done, but never got the chance to? 

I’d have loved for my course to have a placement, I think that really would have benefited employ-mentality. I also wish I’d done my second year abroad, but I didn’t apply in time.

Do you feel you’ve changed over the years? 

Definitely. I’m more confident, independent and much more self-aware.

Has your friendship group changed much? 

It’s become smaller as we’ve all grown into ourselves, and what’s been left is a really tight-knit friendship group. 

What was your biggest achievement? 

The independent research into homelessness and mental health that I did alongside a local home-less service. Because of the research we did, we managed to get more mental health services provided to the service users. 

Do you feel like going to university has been worthwhile? 

Definitely, I loved every minute. 

What are your plans now?

I’m interviewing all over the country for assistant psychology jobs and mental health work, so until something good comes of that I’m going to go home to Cornwall and chill for a bit. Then I plan to do my masters in 2017. 

How do you feel about graduation day? 

I’m excited to get a new dress and new heels. 

What was it like doing a final year project? 

I’ve never felt so unwell in my whole life. What a stressful experience. 

Would you do it all again? 

In a heartbeat!

A snapshot of Emma's friend Adina whilst out enjoying the countryside

How do you feel about leaving Worcester behind? 

I’m going to be super sad to leave Worcester. Even thinking about it makes me cry! I’d like to come back here, but I also miss the ocean. I’m also happy to move somewhere new and make new memories and have new experiences. I’m pretty adaptable!

What’s your plan after graduation? 

I’m going to sleep. My brain needs to regenerate BIG TIME. Other than that, I want to be a char-tered Clinical Psychologist. So I still have 4 years of training left. Not to mention the insane amount of experience I need to gain to even get on the training programme for chartership.

And finally, what advice would you give to students going into their final year? 

Do ALL the formative assignments, the feedback is a god save when it comes to the final write-up. Also, start your dissertation as early as possible and don’t slack on it. Procrastination is not your friend. Work really fucking hard (am I allowed to swear? - I'll let you off on this one).

MissIsGoode

*All photos are courtesy of Emma

My next graduate is a beautiful soul named Ana. I went to school with Ana but we grew apart over many years and different directions in life. During English lessons she used to write poetry on my arms and her words are still as beautiful now. The thing I love most about doing these interviews is getting to know people who I've grown apart from all over again, and this is a lovely read.

Ana studied Philosophy and Theology at Heythrop College in London and graduated last year. 

I loved university. I had a ball! I studied at Heythrop College, a small specialist college that's part of the University of London. I met the most fantastic and interesting people and made the very best of friends. My studies opened my mind and challenged me to question who I was and who I wanted to be. Words cannot do justice to just how much fun I had. Would I do it all over again? In a heart beat. 

I went directly onto a graduate placement with International Citizen Service and moved half way across the world to Malawi, the world's second poorest country, to be a part of a cultural and skills exchange. It was nothing like I had imagined, but somebody very wise told me on a particularly tough and really rather lonely day in Malawi, that your experiences aren't always what you want but they are certainly what you need. He was right. 

When I came home, from what I now remember as three life shaping months, I had clear direction, passion and I knew what I was capable of. My host family, my team and Malawi will always hold part of my heart. 

I want to be a teacher. something I vividly remember swearing I would never want. When I was 16 I got a tattoo and my college tutor told me I would never be able to be a teacher with such an mark on my arm, I believe I almost laughed in his face - assuring him that that wouldn't be a problem because there was no way I was going to end up like him. 

How wrong was I? I now believe being a teacher is the best possible path for me and the way I can best impact the world and...heaven forbid, try and make it a better place. I know I'm niave but I'm okay with that. 

I am passionate about education for all and using creativity in the classroom. I intend to teach, research and write so that every child gets the best possible start, whether they're dyslexic, dysfunctional or difficult - they're the kids I love most and they're the ones that all too often get left behind. 

I've spent the past few months shadowing in schools, working as a waitress and trying to learn to surf because I, like so many graduates, moved home to Cornwall. It's very weird moving back home but I have been extremely lucky to have had a really great experience of it. My boyfriend came too (a huge sacrifice on his part and one I am eternally greatful for), and was horribly suprised when he realised it really does rain every day in Cornwall during the winter. On the most grey days I struggled and wondered how I had ended up back in Kernow. As my time at home comes to a close I am so happy I had the opportunity to come home and to draw closer to my family who I had neglected during the whirlwind of university, most especially my mum (you really are so great).

Right now feels like a new beginning. I start my PGCE in September, I'm moving to Oxford in the next couple of months and I'm currently sat in the foothills of the Himalayas half way through a tour of India and Nepal with my amazing boyfriend.

MissIsGoode

My blogging interviews have followed me throughout the years and it was in May 2013 that I shared my very first interview, inspired by blogger Liv, who you can check out here. I read a post from Liv sharing the university experience of a friend and thought it was a brilliant way to get student voices heard. Rather than share every voice, I've shared the ones that follow my timeline and added a new experience each year. So now that graduation is almost a year behind me, it's about time you all heard from someone other than me about what life is really like after graduation...

Samantha graduated last year with a degree in Psychology from Edge Hill University. I met Samantha through VESL volunteering and was supposed to go to Thailand with her to teach English, unfortunately I had to pull out but Samantha went along and did some amazing work, and has, since I've known her, been a real inspiration to me, so I've always had her in mind to share some wise words about university and graduate life on my blog.

So, how does it feel to be a graduate? 

There are times when I have loved being a graduate. No more essays, and free time to myself. BUT the working world is pretty boring for me right now and the thought of doing a job I don’t like forever, terrifies me! I guess it’s bittersweet.

What’s been the biggest challenge? 

Getting a job was the biggest challenge. I had to work in a job which didn’t even require GCSE’s in order to get experience to do something I actually want to do, so it felt like going backwards. Countless interviews, and even though I had a first class degree, I've found that paid experience seems to mean more sometimes. 

What’s your living situation?

I live back with my parents now and it was hard at first to adjust. You have your independence taken away from you a little bit but luckily, my family are all pretty independent anyway so I still live my ‘own’ life. 

What are the best and worst things about graduate life? 

The best thing has been securing a graduate placement in Sri Lanka. Because of my degree, I was offered a place to volunteer in psychiatric hospitals for 3 months and travel at the same time which was the BEST experience ever. The worst thing though has been moving away from all of my best friends. Moving back home has been a lonely experience in some ways because my best friends are now scattered all around the country and it’s not always easy to find a time to suit both of you, and to then travel 100 miles to go and see them. 

What’s been your biggest achievement since you graduated? 

Definitely spending 3 months in Sri Lanka doing a psychology placement. I grew so much as a person, saw the most amazing things, and gained the most amazing experience I could have ever imagined. 

Do you have any plans/goals for the coming months/years? 

Yes! I have been accepted onto a masters course to study Social Work and I can’t freakin’ wait to go back to Uni! 

Is graduate life as you expected? 

To be honest, I don’t know what I expected. I think it’s probably harder than I thought it would be to get a job and I think life can be boring now that you have to make your own entertainment - so I guess, life’s what you make it! 

If you had the opportunity, would you do university all over again? 

I want to say yes, but no I wouldn’t. I LOVED uni but I’m glad my undergraduate degree is done and dusted. You can’t stay on the same page of your life forever. 

What’s your social life been like as a graduate in comparison to what it was like at university? 

Haaaa, awful. Tinder is my new best friend :’) It’s a lot harder now that you’re not just thrown into social situations, let’s put it that way! 

What would you say are the biggest differences between the first year of university life, and the first year of graduate life? 

First year of Uni was all about new things, and learning to be an adult whereas my first year of graduate life has been both boring but also incredible. I guess I’ve been lucky in that I’ve spent 3 months abroad because I think I’d have lost my mind otherwise. 

Do you feel you’ve changed much since you graduated? 

I now know what I want to do with my life, whereas when I graduated, I didn’t really have any direction. I’m also a lot more confident in myself and care less about what other people think.

Samantha with friends from a recent experience volunteering in Sri Lanka

How does it feel to be considered an adult? 

I can’t say that I actually consider myself an adult.. does anyone?! I think we’re all making it up as we go along aren’t we?

Do you think that university was worthwhile? 
Yes, absolutely! I know university isn't for everyone but for me it was 100% worth every moment. Going to university has played a huge part in who I am today. 

What advice would you give to those soon to be graduates? 

Embrace the time you have left at Uni because the real world isn’t always an easy place to be in. You have to create your own opportunities, and for some, it’s not always the easiest thing to do. Also, start searching for jobs (or failing that, go travelling until you know what you want to do/run out of money!).

Finally, I'd just like to say thank you for interviewing me and good luck to all those undergrads who are about to take on the world!

If you'd like to know more about Samantha's adventures and graduate life, check her blog out here. 

Sometimes when I come to write these post I sit and contemplate for so long thinking 'What did happen this month?'. My mind tends to go a bit blank and I find it hard to reflect on what's been going on. 

It must be old age. 

But in all seriousness, after a bit of thinking I remembered that it's been a bit of a busy month that's really flown by. On the 29th April I went for an interview for a higher position at Boots, after patiently waiting a month to hear whether I'd even got the interview. I went along, gave my all and was offered the job. The whole of May then became a big count down to the start of my new job, with four weeks notice to work and a lot to do before I left - including training two new people on my current team before I made my move onto greener pastures. 

When I started working in July last year I had planned to progress or move away from Nottingham within a year but when my boyfriend and I made the decision to settle in Nottingham at least for the time being, I decided it was my time to make a career move and start climbing up the ladder. I'm extremely proud of myself for taking the leap and working hard for it, and now I'm five days into my new job and can certainly see the challenge that awaits me at the end of my training. 

My new job isn't what I imagined myself doing after university, because if I'm honest I had no idea what I wanted to do, but so far I've met some really lovely people who I can call my friends and new windows of opportunity are opening up for me every single week, which is exactly what I was looking for. 

Other than hard work on the job front, I still took time to relax with friends. I visited Faye and caught up with the rest of the girls back in Keele, and it was our very last night out at the Student's Union, and upon reflection, that's actually quite a depressing thought. When we headed out to the union I still managed to bump into a few people I knew, which was a nice feeling, but for the most part it was full of unfamiliar faces and changes that are all part of the university's development. I think I took the fact that Faye was still at Keele for granted, and didn't take the time to visit on more occasions. Now it really is in the past for me and I'll never really have a reason to go there again. It's certainly the end of an era of sorts.

It'll also be lovely to be able to have friends and family come and visit me for a change.

I also recently bought a new camera and Michael and I have been taking it out on our weekend walks. Here's a little shot he took of a flower whilst out in the countryside. We've not mastered the art of an SLR yet, but practice makes perfect!

Referring back to my times of relaxation, Sally, whom I work with, and I went for a few meals this month. We started the month with a tapas place in Nottingham called Yamas. The service was lovely, though the tables a little too close for my liking. The food was excellent too and we left positively stuffed. Later in the month I saved Sally from being ditched by replacing her guests who had bailed and went with her to Nando's. I've never been a huge fan of Nando's if I'm honest, it's a little overrated and expensive for what it is, but none the less I enjoyed a steak and stilton roll and chips.

Then, as my boyfriend and I are hoping to go away with Sally and her fella, we decided to arrange to go for dinner to give Michael and Sally the opportunity to meet. Whilst I was more tempted by Wagamamas, we ended up in Turtle Bay and hell, that place does some spicy food! It's a caribbean chain of restaurants and I went for the pork belly and sweet potato fries, and whilst it was tasty, it was so spicy that my boyfriend had to finish eating it for me! Fortunately, Michael and Sally got along well so next we just need to meet up with her boyfriend and then holiday plans will go from there!

Finally, on the very final day of May, I finished my job on the helpdesk that I had spent 11 very busy and fast months on. In that time I learnt so much from the team and the job, and it 100% paved the way for the role I'm in now. I was given gifts including Prosecco, chocolate and a gift card along with a few other bits and bobs. After my final shift we all got together and went for a meal at George's Great British Kitchen in Nottingham. Some of the people who had left the team joined us too and it was lovely to sit down outside of work and catch up with everyone. I'm sad to have left such a fantastic group of people, and if I'm honest, I've never enjoyed being around colleagues so much.

Oh, and, if you haven't already seen on Instagram, I've also had my hair done and gone for a completely new colour!

So June is now all about getting stuck into my new job role. Having had a tiny bit of experience working in Supply Chain in my previous role, everything I've been trained in so far is making sense. This training is also a lot less daunting than that which I experienced when I started at Boots almost a year ago - but I'm sure there's still time for that to change!

I hope everyone had a lovely month and is already having a lovely time in this sunshine at the moment. Wish me luck with my latest career move and I hope everyone has a equally as lovely if not better June!

As promised, my student interviews are making a comeback. I've been getting in touch with students and graduates all over the country and have many names in my notebook and posts to be shared. First, I'd like to kick it all off with James from Falmouth University, who has been studying Digital Media. James took part in my interviews in 2014 when he had just finished his first year at university,which you can read about here, and now, we leap forward 2 years later and James is fast approaching graduation...

I originally came to University hoping to find what I wanted to do with my life. Whilst I still haven’t fully confirmed that, it’s helped me grow as a person in so many different aspects. I’ve enjoyed so much of it, and I’m so glad I opted to give University a second attempt.

Naturally, there are still things I regret not doing. As I progressed through my years, I became less drunk and more hard working. There are many silly things I regret such as missing a lecture as a result of passing out drunk in the shower, sleeping in my own vomit and just generally being a moron when drunk. Ironically though, as I became more invested in the work side of university, I began attending the video game society and getting involved in more voluntary projects. I took part in silly film projects that were reminiscent of CBBC competitions as we got to gunge the losing team, as well as campaigns against the University for announcing our course closure.

I think my biggest regret is not involving myself with these types of voluntary things from the very beginning! I’ve met a lot of great friends in the video game society and genuinely wish I’d been attending for the past two years as well. It’s through them that I’ve established myself as one of the best Super Smash Brothers players in the society, as well as attending local tournaments and even coming 3rd against some super high quality players!

What was the highlight of my university years? I’m going to have to be massively cringey and say that it was meeting my girlfriend! I met her at the very beginning of second year and we’ve been together ever since. She’s my best friend, and has helped me grow into a much better person. At the end of my first year, I was experiencing a rough patch battling with depression. It was through learning to overcome it and losing a lot of weight that gave me back that confidence in myself and helped me to meet her, and immediately hit it off. Although, I’m sure she won’t hesitate to tell anyone that when I first discovered the attraction was reciprocated, we were in the town’s local nightclub. Out of sheer panic of not knowing how to approach the situation I ran off for an hour and got absolutely slaughtered until I had the confidence to talk to her and make my move. She definitely provided a much-needed element of stability in my life during second and third year that helped me plough through the ever-increasing workload, never missing a single deadline.

When I began to approach my final year, I instantly told myself that this was the time I had to be as serious as possible. I didn’t even know Fresher’s week was happening because I spent the entire week working and planning one of my final projects. My favourite project, and proudest achievement was that I got to fulfill a childhoold dream! A very good friend of mine worked with me on building a fully functioning 2D platformer game. It only had four levels due to the time limit, but I’ve never been so proud of a project throughout my time at Falmouth. Cheap, shameless plug: you can now download Nutty The Squirrel for your PC or Mac at www.jamesslinn.co.uk/portfolio right now! Feel free to tell me if you ever beat the final boss! I spent so many sleepless nights writing the mechanics in C-sharp and the end result felt so worth it!

In my first year, I was an absolute party animal. Naturally, this helped me make an absolute ton of friends. As I calmed down over the years, some of the friends fizzled away but the ones that really counted stuck around. They know I’m a boring stick in the mud nowadays, so any time they find out I’m planning a night out; it ends up being a massive event. I’ve got a wonderful friend called Arthur, who always gives me a good snog whenever we’re drunk together, and a bunch of other members of the Digital Media crew that never fail to make every night out a great one. They just happen far less often now, because at twenty-two, I’m getting far too old for this hangover malarkey. But as for my favourite night out of the whole journey, I’m going to be super cringey again! My favourite night out was the Snowball Christmas party at Penryn Campus. My girlfriend and I lost all of our friends early on, so we just decided to get absolutely hammered by ourselves for a few hours. Countless flavoured shots and pints of cider later, we were having an awesome time dancing at the front of the crowd right by the DJ setup. It was just one of those nights, that was so much fun because we did it together.

My advice for students going into their final years: be super boring and make a routine! Allow yourself time for a hobby and a way to de-stress. For me, that’s exercise and playing competitive Smash Bros. For you that could be anything, going to a bar and playing pool once a week, or allowing yourself an evening to watch your favourite YouTube series! My system works like this, I get up early and exercise so that I’m ready for the day. I then go to the studio and get about four to five hours worth of work done every day so that I can relax in the evenings knowing I’ve done enough and that keeping up this pace will prevent me from falling behind. Consistency is key; do not leave anything to the last minute. A twelve-week module should be easily chipped away at over twelve weeks, not rushed in three.

If you’re still here, thank you for reading what I have to say. If you’re heading into that dreaded final year, stay determined. Everyone around you is in the same boat so you’re not alone! ☺

MissIsGoode

*All photos are courtesy of James

At the end of April I reflected on taking a bit of an unplanned blogging break and I've managed to do it again throughout May, having only posted my April update and a very belated reflection on my experience at Kiehl's blogging event in Nottingham.

I've become more closed off from social media than I once was. My Instagram isn't updated on a daily basis, barely even a weekly one and I rarely post anything on Facebook. As of late I've been sharing a few throwback posts from years gone by, but that's about it. I've been thinking about closing it all down, including my blog, for some months simply for the peace. I find I get too attached to social media and begin to withdraw from the world around me, which to me is a horrible thought.

However, after all the work I've put into this blog and all the people that have commented or told me in person that it's helped them, I'd hate for it to all disappear or become completely disused. 

So, I'm taking this blog back to basics - I don't like following a schedule with something I view as a hobby and I began to force myself to do so. My day job has enough schedules and deadlines, and as I've just started a new job, I'm a bit tied down with training, spreadsheets and new information coming out of my ears. The last thing I want is my hobby to be a second job. I praise people who manage it as such, but it's not for me. I'm trying to remember why I created this blog, and it was never to be a second income or to be a blogging phenomenon but instead to share life stories, and that's what I'm bringing it back to.

I've had the pleasure of getting to know many people during my years of education, so all their tales will be appearing and reappearing on this here blog. This blog was never meant to be just about me and my life, so I want people's voices to be heard through it, not just my own. 

I hope to bring some more helpful content back, and ensure anyone who wants their voice heard about their university experience, can share it on my blog...so keep your eyes pealed as some lovely blogging interviews will be back very soon...