Everyone is either talking about university or about to start it. Today I thought I would share my opinion and my little experience on the subject. Where I come from, going to university is a big thing. You just grow up doing everything that will lead you to that one day when you leave your parents house to pursue further education. To illustrate my point: when I decided to come to Scotland, someone told me 'why don't you just do your exams, finish your high school, go to university, get a job, then you'll find someone, get married and have kids'. I was 18 years old and even then I knew I wanted more from life than just university-job-marriage-kids.
Today, a few years later, I am about to start university in a week's time. I am 23 years old, foreign in this country, all my classmates back home have graduated and it's fine. Sure it was a hard to see them all finishing their degrees and here I was still waiting to start mine. Was also hard to miss out on so many academic traditions back home but deep down I knew this was the best option for me.
A lot of not so wise choices have led me here but I have no regrets. I studied sciences back in high school. I've always wanted to be a veterinary but chemistry happened in my life and we just don't go along. I hate it, I don't understand it and I've given up trying. Then came the Law. I was set into applying for Law back home before moving here. When I made the jump in September 2011 I still intended to study it over here. I applied to university to start in 2012, got accepted but due to financial reasons I wasn't able to go. European Nationals are not entitled to a student loan until they've been residents in the UK for 3 years. My parents couldn't help me given the economical situation of our own country. So I postponed it and that was the best thing that ever happened to me.
Since 2011 a lot has changed and so did my mind. I studied a couple of modules on Scots Law which made me realised how much I enjoyed Criminal Law. That's when the doubts started. I enjoyed Law but I was much more passionate about the criminal side of it. Last year I did a HNC in Legal Services (with Criminology and Police Studies) as I wanted to find out if Law was what I really wanted. I enjoyed it a lot and I learned so much but I quickly realised I wanted something within the Criminal Justice system and more practical.
This seems like a big ramble but it's all just to show how much your ideas can change and that's perfectly fine. I'm glad it all happened this way because today I'm much more certain of what I want to do. I'm grateful for all the experience I gained along the way which helped me through the process. I've considered not going to uni. I've considered doing something completely different too. There is no point going to university if there's nothing there for you. Paul (my boyfriend) is a good example of that. Started one degree and dropped out. Started another one which he finished but at the end of the day, he did it because he was sort of pressured into it. He doesn't miss it, didn't enjoyed it at all and wouldn't go back (his words).
Here's what I know: we all have doubts. If you ask me 'am I 100% certain?' no, definitely not. But I'm far more certain now than I was 5 years ago. And I can also tell you that I have that feeling of excitement and 'can't wait to learn everything'. And that is because I have a huge interest on the degree I am about to start. Hell, I screamed like a maniac and jumped around the house when I got the update saying I got accepted to this course. I guess that means something. You should feel the same way. There are so many successful people that didn't go to university or did go but now they are doing something completely unrelated to their degree. Just take a look at some of the most recognized Bloggers and YouTubers! Do something that you love and know that is never to late to go after your dreams.
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