With the new academic year beginning, I feel it is only fitting to write about the transition from Secondary School to University!
I was born and raised in Aberdeen, so fortunately for me I did not have to go through the daunting process of moving away from home. Despite legally being an adult I certainly didn’t feel like one. Moving away was just not the thing for me, but hey, that’s not the only intimidating process. For me the most unnerving part of University is the process of making of new friends. However thanks to social media, I joined groups specifically for RGU and Aberdeen students as a whole and met many people online. This made the fear-provoking Freshers so much more enjoyable. After a full on Freshers fortnight, it was time for the dreaded first day, which as a matter of fact, wasn’t that scary!
The Five Things I Didn’t Expect When Transitioning to University
1. How quickly the first day came around…
I remember opening my unconditional acceptance letter all the way back in February and thinking, ‘September is ages away, no need to think about that now’. It was always in the back of my mind, but I was preoccupied with other stuff during the summer. Thus when 1st September arrived, I was stunned with how quickly it had come round. I felt completely unprepared for uni life however, soon I realised that I was not alone and there were thousands of other freshers who were on the same boat as me.
2. How relaxed I was…
Despite being overly worried that I was going to be late for my first lecture and might end up doing the walk of shame in front of the entire class, I was surprisingly relaxed about my first ever day of uni. By that point in time, I had not properly studied since May so I was ready for some sort of routine. At first the Aberdeen Business School was pretty daunting as it was so huge, but by the time I had found where I was going my nerves had completely disappeared. It was such a bizarre feeling but I suppose that’s always a good thing.
3. How international the University is…
Again a quick shout out to social media for number three! By using a course mate finder post on one of the groups, I was able to find a couple of Scots, a Spaniard, an Italian and many more fellow classmates. It was exciting to ‘meet’ people over social media and find out why they chose the course etc. When it came to my first day, I was eager to meet them. My class was so diverse and people from all over the world had come to RGU and it was incredible to see.
4. How crowded the bus was…
Yes it’s true, I had no idea just how many people would take the number 1 and 2 bus from Union Street every morning to Garthdee. I had never really taken the bus on my own before; I was petrified I wouldn’t be able to find the bus stop I had googled the night before. However, more than 20 people that looked the same age as me took the same route as me, so that was a relief. The bus was absolutely packed – welcome to student transport!
5. How friendly everyone was…
As I am a stay-at-home student and forty minutes from Aberdeen centre, getting lifts to and from was a bit of a nuisance. For example, the “late” train was 22.50 – the time most students go out. However, students gladly welcomed me to their halls to get ready with them and even stay over. It was so sweet and it was then I knew I had chosen the right university.
All in all, I think it’s fair to say the transition from secondary school to university is one that can be affected by many different factors, and this one has been mine – a very enjoyable experience to say the least.
What was yours like?
Georgia
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