I Did It, I Got A Degree!

This really feels like a real life Elle Woods moment for me. An underestimated blonde girl proved the doubters wrong, worked hard and got a degree. So, how did I do it? It's been a journey to say the least.

Let me take you back to 2014 when I received my A level results. I walked in to sixth form that day feeling sick with nerves but also kind of hopeful. I opened the letter, stood shocked, ashamed, embarrassed and feeling like a failure, and walked straight back home again. I called some of the uni's I'd applied for desperately trying to get accepted in through clearing but it wasn't enough. I had come out with 3 D's and a C, I'd basically failed.

School was never for me and, if I'm being honest, A levels probably weren't the best choice for me, although I loved my time there. I was good at the creative, practical work, but when it came to playing the remembrance game for exams I was useless. I just couldn't get it, even though I worked so hard. Sixth form was a constant battle of trying to find something I was good at, but also feeling like I was fighting a losing battle. However, even though my exams let my grades down, I knew I wanted to carry on studying media.

So, what did I do? An apprenticeship in retail. I know, pretty different, but it was actually the best thing I could have done. After enrolling in a 4 month retail course to get a bit of business experience, one of the tutors asked if I'd ever considered an apprenticeship and in all honesty it had never crossed my mind. Apprenticeships weren't really encouraged at sixth form, it was either uni or nothing, but by this point I was up for anything. So I went down to a little boutique in my local town called Kiwi boutique and ended up doing a year's apprenticeship there, followed by a further year working as a sales assistant.

I learnt so much at Kiwi, mostly thanks to my manager who was an amazing mentor. I learnt so much from her not only about working but also how to be a better person, and she is still someone that I look up to a lot today, even though she probably doesn't realise it. I learnt how to run a shop by myself, opening, closing, cashing up, the full shebang! I also learnt about independent businesses and how much hard work goes into running a business. That apprenticeship really shaped me as a person and looking back I'm so grateful I accidentally ended up there.

However, I was still wanting to carry on my study of media, so I looked into a foundation degree, and ended up enrolling on a foundation degree studying media production in Newcastle. I commuted in and saw it as a bit of an adventure, and was thrilled to finally be getting a qualification in media, but after a year I realised I wasn't enjoying the course that much and really missed the theory side of media as opposed to the practical side of it. Then, one day, one of my friends on the course said they might be going to manchester uni next year and when I asked how he was getting into manchester he explained that the year we had already completed of a foundation degree earned us UCAS points, and after looking in to it I realised I might actually have enough to get in to a uni to do a bachelor's degree.

After that I enquired about doing a bachelor's degree in media studies, and to my amazement I was accepted! And do you know what? I'm actually so glad I had that two year gap. I wasn't ready for uni at 18 and I ended up meeting the most amazing friends at uni that I wouldn't have done if I had gone a year or two earlier. 

It really is the perfect example of everything happens for a reason and I had the best uni experience. And the best part about it? It was ALL COURSEWORK, WOO! I was finally on a course that I enjoyed, could do and actually excelled in, and it was the most amazing feeling to know that I actually could do it and that I actually got myself there.

Fast forward to today and I have officially graduated as a Bachelor of Arts with a 2:1 level Honours Degree in Media Studies. 

I couldn't have asked for a better graduation day. The sun was shining, the prosecco was flowing and I was surrounded by my family and friends. Putting that cap and gown on was such a proud moment for me, in fact it was a day filled with pride. I'm proud that my family are proud of me, I'm proud of my friends and course mates for doing so well and I'm proud that I actually got a degree. 

I will forever look back on graduation as a magical day, and my 3 years at uni as some of the best years of my life. 

Till next time,

Lucy x

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