Right-o, here comes a quick recap of the events of my final term at Nottingham.
Starting with the work, since that's the reason I went to university in the first place! I was absolutely thrilled to get my joint highest mark on any piece of work for the Cognitive Poetics (language) essay I spent two months hammering into shape. Hurrahhhhh! Funnily enough, I got exactly the same mark in my Literature and Medieval modules as I did in their counterparts in January - I'm nothing if not consistent!
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| Essay-writing craziness. This must have been a good day where I actually left the house, I'm not wearing a vest and sweats. |
We produced two final issues for the Uni magazine, which fell among exams, essays and end of term madness. Luckily the new Ed in Chief has made the wise decision of only producing one issue for the summer term next year, because we seeeeeriously struggled to shift them. We also held elections for the new team next year, and I was more than happy with the new PR team - I'm wishing them all the best for next year, and I've already promised to pop in and see how they're doing if I'm ever visiting.
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| Me and some of the girls from Impact ♥ |
Now, where was I... the end of term. Lots of parties and celebrating, as one by one we threw our stationary down and declared ourselves finished. Graduation Ball was the big event on the calendar, something (the girls, at least) had been planning for months. I bought my dress over the Easter holidays, a stunning floor-length silk affair from Warehouse. The modern style was in stark contrast to the 1920's theme of the ball, but I didn't care, it was love at first sight (thank God for
A., who spotted it, and her fantastic taste in clothes).When I'd slipped into it, finished my hair and make-up and added the finishing touches, I felt like I could burst in excitement. It was my third ball (although my two high school ones were hardly anything to get excited about), but I'd never felt so happy with every aspect of my outfit before - I told my housemate as we giddily checked each other over that I'd never felt so pretty. I Skyped my mum quickly, missing her suddenly, as she'd always excitedly helped me get ready for my balls and big nights out before.
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| Just finished getting ready :) |
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| My beeeeeeeaaauuuuutiful housemates |
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| So much love for this photo! ♥ |
The venue was gorgeous, and while the entertainment was a little hit-and-miss, the queue for drinks genuinely
ridiculous, and the layout with it's numerous scattered marquees more of a hinderence than a help thanks to the oh-so British rain, it was still a lovely evening.
Pub golf, a nineties-themed birthday party (I consider the 90s the decade that fashion forgot, so I went for 90s-ish make-up and hair), and my early birthday (part 1) followed. I chose to recreate a classic Campus 14, which was a staple event in First Year - the group visits every bar in each of the 12 halls on campus, with a drink in each, followed by a drink in the Union's bar and club venue. It wasn't entirely successful, but a good night regardless!
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| About halfway around the Campus 14, starting to show it. |
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| The 90's grunge theme was popular. |
All of this was topped off by a final trip on the last night of term to the cheesiest club to possibly ever exist - the one and only Ocean. Not to be confused with the Oceana, the chain, Ocean is Nottingham's staple Friday night venue.
Everyone goes to Ocean. The drinks are over-priced, your shoe frequently gets stuck to the carpet, and it's compulsory to take your top off and swing it over your head when they play the Baywatch theme. Don't ask me why. You just do. We've discovered that this is a trait unique to Nottingham, and it's always entertaining to watch visitors gape in confusion at the mass-stripping that occurs whenever Baywatch is played.
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| Housemates! |
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| Florence Boot-ers! |
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| Mid-Baywatch |
After a solid six hours of drinking and dancing holes into the disgusting carpet, the lights flicked on and the music ground to a halt, prompting the thousands of students present to sit (or, if possible, hover over said carpet) in protest, and chant until the lights dimmed and more cheesy music was presented to satisfy our cravings, until we surrendered to exhaustion. It was the perfect ending to the year, surrounded by my friends from my hall in First Year (Florence Boot corner was an established part of Ocean's floor ♥).
And two days later, I finished packing my belongings, pulled the last photos from the walls, and left Nottingham for - almost - the last time.
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| Depressing stuff. |
It was a bizarre feeling, the days slipping by with alarming alacrity. Even now, I can barely believe that it's been three years. That I've already emerged from the dark tunnel of final essays, stood blinking in the blinding reality of Adulthood. Studenthood is no longer an excuse, and aide. I've nothing between me and my career now. No more essays, no more seminars or lectures, no feverish skim-reading of a book due to be discussed the following day.
It's a scary prospect. I'm good at being a student, I thrive in an educational environment. My mum has attempted to reassure me, telling me that we never stop learning. And while I agree with her wholeheartedly, there's still something about the structure and familiarity of education that I will sorely miss. I'm not chomping at the bit to get out and earn millions, to throw myself into a suit and march off to London. Not right now at least. I had always anticipated that I would feel far more prepared for this moment than I currently do. I only hope that when I get a job and settle down into a new routine, and get excited about it the way I did about the stage of my life that I have just, regretfully, finished, I will be ready. xo.
