So, it's time to pay another visit to a final year student. I had the pleasure of being friends with Krisi at Truro College and when it came to picking her next place to study, she decided to stay a little closer to home (a choice which I sometimes envy!), and studied Graphic Design at Falmouth University...

Have you enjoyed your time at university? 

I've really enjoyed my time at University! Without wanting to sound cliché, it has definitely been some of the best years of my life. 

Do you have any regrets? 

Not really, apart from maybe wishing I had done more in first year and gotten more involved with the activities and societies. Once you get to second and especially third year you start to realize how much free time you had and how much you took it for granted! 

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

I don’t think there is anything I’ve missed out on! I’d say I’ve had a pretty standard and well rounded University experience overall! 

What was the highlight of your university years? 

There are so many things to choose from! Probably the study trip we went on in Second year- going to Amsterdam with a group of close friends, and getting to visit so many great design studios and museums was amazing, and definitely gave me a renewed passion for my course. 

How do you feel you’ve changed over the years? 

We were given a postcard in our first week of the course and asked to write to ‘future us’. We were given them back recently and I can definitely say I’m a bit more ‘fun’ now- First year me tried to be all serious, telling me to ‘not get too drunk before lectures’ and ‘remember to call home’. All important points- but I’ve definitely developed more of a ‘work hard, play hard’ ethos over the years! Also I can pay bills and do other grown up things now, so there’s that… 

Has your friendship group changed much?
 

Definitely! I didn’t move far to go to University, but most of my close friends did! I do still see my old college and school friends from time to time when they’re home, and I’m still good friends with a few who stuck around. – but obviously I spend more time with friends I’ve met at Uni . What was your biggest achievement (doesn’t have to be academic)? Finishing my degree! It may sound silly, but getting through all of those all nighters and making it out in one piece without failing is definitely an achievement! Also losing the weight I put on during freshers and second year (all 45lbs of it!) is something I don’t really like to ‘brag’ about, but I am pretty proud of.

How do you feel about graduation day?



A bit nervous that I’ll trip over myself in front of everyone, but also excited! Our Chancellor Dawn French should be there- so that’s pretty cool. What was it like doing a final year project? A bit mental at times- having 3 projects that ran throughout the entire year was a huge change from how I was used to working- but it was great fun too. And it was great to finally see them all set up for our final degree show. 

What advice would you give to students going into their final year? 

Make the most of it! Try not to be overwhelmed by the workload, and take any and every opportunity that is offered to you. 

What was the best night out you had at university? 

It’s going to sound a bit lame, but probably the themed Pirate Party night during freshers. Going out with your flatmates you’ve only known a few days during ridiculous themed freshers events at the SU is always great fun. 

How did freshers week feels as a final year? 

I didn’t get a chance to attend freshers week during my final year- but watching all of the freshers going out and having fun, just starting out at University, definitely made me nostalgic! Everything during first year felt so grown up and exciting; moving out, meeting new people, starting a new course, whereas starting third year just seemed a bit daunting. 

How did your nights out change as university went on?



I definitely went out more in first year- during second and third year I had a lot less free time to spend going out or being hungover. But I like to think that just meant that when I did go out, I really made the most of it, haha.

Do you plan on settling down near your university, moving back home, or going somewhere new? 


I currently live with my boyfriend of 2 years, and we’re planning on staying in Falmouth for a while so that I can complete my PGCE. After that- who knows! I’d love to get out of Cornwall and explore a bit though. 
 (And the last questions that everyone hates to hear) 

What’s your plan after graduation?



‘The plan’ is to complete a PGCE, and become an A Level/FE Graphic Design lecturer - or possibly branch off into some other form of creative education. I’d definitely love to try my hand at museum and history related informal education- so we’ll just have to see!

MissIsGoode

*All photos are courtesy of Krisi 

I used to always be a big believer in not having regrets, but one day I thought, who am I kidding? It's so hard not to regret things. Whether it's something you should have done, or something you wish you hadn't, regrets are quite simply a near unavoidable part of life. Whether you say yes to everything, or say no - how do you know which one is really the right answer?

As a 22 year old,  I don't have many regrets, but most of the regrets I do still harbour lie within my teenage years, as I'm sure they do for many!

So, here goes...

I regret never getting braces - I was offered braces when I was younger, free on the oh so wonderful NHS, and what did I do? I said no. I witnessed my older sister, who's 5 years my senior, go through the pain of having braces. She was limited on the amount of chocolate and sweets she could eat (well realistically I don't think she was supposed to have any) and she complained about the aches and pains. I also witnessed many of my friends go through the wonder years of braces, and whilst straight teeth appealed to me, the timeline and experiences of actually having them didn't seem all that worth it to me at the time. 

And now, of course, upon reflection, I'd do anything to have braces for free on the NHS. I greatly regret my decision, and part of me wishes my parents hadn't been so liberal in letting me make my own choices when it came to doing or not to doing certain things. I know that I can still get braces, but for the prices they are without the NHS having my back, it'll be a few years off before I'm earning enough to make that a priority. 

I regret not accepting my body - it's not something I tend to admit a lot, but I had a hugely hard time accepting this ol' body of mine as a teenager. I feel like almost all teenagers experience this, male or female, and whether it's not feeling right in your own skin or just not being happy with the size you are, body hang ups are different for everyone.  In my teenage years I felt like my body still looked that of a slightly overweight child. I never felt like I was becoming a woman, I didn't have curves in the right places, and both my boobs and bum seemed flat as a pancake. I tried to exercise and eat right, but I tended to prefer fun over being cautious about what I ate and what I did to burn it off. Of course, now I've educated myself on health and fitness a little more I understand that it's not about restricting your lifestyle to such an extent that it's no longer enjoyable. 

Had I perhaps learnt to accept myself at a younger age, maybe I would have treated my body better.

I regret not having a better attitude - I remember when I was rolling into the teenage years my Dad always used to call me out on my 'bad attitude'. Of course, I'd response with an eye roll, a big sigh and likely slump off to my room. Or sometimes, I'd argue against my bad attitude...with a bad attitude. I wasn't a tough teenager, at least I don't think I was, but I was always very flippant towards everything. I'd sit in mock GCSE exams and cover my arms in artistic doodles instead of actually trying to take a test paper. I focused more on my friendships and flings than I did my own education on some occasions, and whilst clearly it hasn't hindered my educational achievements, I just regret not trying a little bit harder.

I regret letting boys get in the way of my friendships - Because, as I said above, I never really liked my body or felt like I was an attractive girl, I went a bit weak at the knees anytime a boy would pay me attention. It was desperate in a way, in almost every way, in fact, but because of this I often became absorbed in my own little world with him. Whilst I wouldn't now like to say a bad word about one of my long-term exes, the time we spent together did drive some of my friends away. It wasn't just that he didn't like me hanging out with a particular male best friend, but more so because we just felt like we wanted to be together all the time. I'd immerse myself in these relationships and miss out on seeing my friends and important personal life events of their's, all because I was utterly wrapped up in myself and my 'love-life'.

On that note, I regret being so selfish and taking people for granted - I don't consider myself to be a selfish person. I enjoy putting other people's needs ahead of my own, buying them gifts and I enjoy doing things for others but I certainly wasn't always like that. I'd borrow things off my friends and never return them - it was always a genuine accident, but once I had actually forgotten who it belonged to, I'd just leave it lying around my room. Or I'd borrow things and borrow them for far longer than my friend had expected. I lost a close friend over my selfish attitude as a teen. She was, at the time, the one person who kept my world spinning. She'd cook wonderful meals for me, she'd laugh with me, she'd record Teen Mom so we could watch it during study leave. We were inseparable. And sometimes I treated her like shit, so she finally stood up for herself and gave me what for. We're no longer friends now, which still hurts me a little.

I regret not being nicer to my parents - again, I wasn't a horrible teenager, but when I reflect upon all the moaning and groaning I did as a teen, all the 'life is so unfair' declarations (said in my head more than out loud) - I soon ponder what it was like for my parents, and I can quite confidently draw the conclusion that it wasn't easy. I was never the type to turn and say horrible things to them, but with my party antics and 2 week sleepovers at friends, they sure did worry about where I was a lot. I did crazy things like sleeping in an abandoned quarry, walking 8 miles to the beach and going for a skinny dip, sleeping by the local river without a tent, and beach party after beach party. Growing up in Cornwall there were 1. Plenty of opportunities for an expedition & 2. Not a lot around for a growing teen to do. We made our own fun, and a lot of the time it probably had our parents worried sick.

My chilled parents taking a break at St Michaels Mount

So this is a public apology to my Mum and Dad. If I ever worried you, karma will probably bite me in the arse if I have children of my own.

I regret not learning my limits - this applies to university more than anytime of my life, but boy did I take over the top drunk way over the top. I was wild during some occasions at university and I'd always try drink everyone under the table. Sometimes, I did a pretty solid job of it. But did I remember it all the next day? Did I hell. Whilst I had an amazing time at university, I do wonder, had I perhaps learnt my limits or just taken it easy, I may have remembered more and made some mistakes that could have easily been avoided. But hey, who hasn't woken up after at least one night declaring they will never drink again and regretting everything from the night before?

Plenty of people probably haven't, but they are a lot wiser than I am.

My list of little regrets goes on, but of course, I don't let anything hold me back. Whilst I regret losing friends and not learning from my mistakes, I've come to realise that actually, regrets aren't as harmful as I once viewed them.

I used to be very adamant that you shouldn't ever have regrets, but as I said at the beginning, how's that possible? In some situations, you simply don't know which way it's going to go. You can't say yes to every opportunity, because you may even regret that decision. I clearly haven't always done what was right, and I take these experiences on board. Regrets are all a part of living and learning.

Is there anything silly or simple that you still regret?

My next graduate is the lovely Hannah who studied Media and Journalism at UWE. Hannah graduated 7 months ago and has since moved back to Nottingham to live with her parents.

How does it feel to be a graduate? 

Okay - I'd probably feel better about it if I were in a job that uses my degree. But I would never change the 3 years of uni I had, they were amazing. 

What’s been the biggest challenge? 

Finding out what I wanted to do next. I kind of went to uni because I thought it was the right thing to do not because I found a course I was passionate about. So coming home was difficult, I had to try and automatically have some kind of plan for my life which was definitely not easy. 

What’s it been like living with your parents, after 3 years away from home? 

It felt nice to be surrounded by my family again. Although, there were some growing pains. I got too used to the freedom of having my own place so there was some adjusting to do. 

What’s the best thing about graduate life? 

Actually having a full time job and earning my own income without having to worry about student fees. 

What about the worst?
Deciding what I wanted to do after uni, and I'm still not sure to be quite honest. 

What’s been your biggest achievement since you graduated? 

I got a promotion at work. I'm officially an Events Supervisor, so, lots of responsibility!

What are your plans for the future? 

I plan to do some travelling, it's the only thing I've ever been sure of. Like many, I went to uni straight away after sixth form, so it would be nice to see some of the world before settling down. 

Is graduate life as you expected? 

Pretty much, life is just a constant blur of work and trying to fit everything else in in-between. 

What did people tell you about graduate life - and has any of it proved to be true? 

That you have to enter the real world now and get a full time job - which is partly true, but I felt more like an adult in Bristol surprisingly - probably because I had my own place. 

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

Yes, but I'd make sure I knew exactly what I wanted to do first to make sure I wasn't wasting time or money. 

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

More difficult. Moving home meant leaving all my friends behind. Some people don't get how hard it really is. I get to see them every few months or so. Home is difficult too, I seem to be working constantly and sometimes struggle to fit a social life in, sometimes I feel like I'm 30 rather than 22.

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

Expectations are incredibly different, you go into your first year of uni excited for what is to come, excited to meet new people, to go out and socialise (and get drunk of course). First year of graduate life, on the other hand, is actually quite depressing. There's so much adapting to do and changes to overcome. It's definitely not exciting. 

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

I feel older, more responsible and, sad to say, I feel like I'm not as fun. I feel older than I should. I still have the same dreams of seeing the world before I settle down which is a nice constant and something to look forward to. 

Have you seen your university friends much since you graduated? 

I see them every couple of months. My shifts don't allow for much time to travel down there, it's not that close and I don't drive. So it also depends on me being able to afford the £60 train or bus fare. 

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

Don't expect a lot. Real life takes some adapting which can take a while. You might not know what you want to do but that's okay. Get a job while you search for the one you really want. It's okay to not know straight away. I didn't, and still don't 7 months on.

Do you feel that going to university was worthwhile? 

I do, it taught me a lot, how to live by myself, be responsible. However, I wish I had picked a different course, I think I would've enjoyed something else more.  

And a final bit of advice from Hannah...

Make some time for yourself after you graduate. You've been constantly busy for 3 years, remember to take a break and enjoy life a bit before you have to be an adult.