University, for some people it’s a must to attend. They believe it will open doors for them once they step out into the real world or they look forward to “turning up” but for others, university is unnecessary stress and a lifetime debt.
My older siblings went to uni and it was just naturally expected for me to follow in their footsteps. I admit it, I was excited to move away from home and be truly independent but now I’m in my third and final year, I can’t help but feel a little disappointed by the university dream. Back in sixth form, I was promised “the best three years of my life” but to be honest it really hasn’t been.
Tuition fees rose back in 2012 and I was among the first cohort to pay the new fee. For the £9,000 a year tuition I’m paying, I expected a lot more help and to be TAUGHT rather than given information I could easily find on Google. I’m not saying that all universities are like this but the things I’ve learnt outside the classroom have been more valuable than what I’ve learned in them.
Learning to budget, developing my cooking skills and making friends from different backgrounds have been three main things I’ve learnt how to do and I did those without the help of lecturers.
I don’t regret going to university but if given the chance, I wouldn’t do it again. With graduation around the corner, I can say I’m very much looking forward to resuming my own life back in London.