What should you really expect from university?
The realisations, regrets and recommendations of final year student, Nicole Bradford.
Applying for university was one of the most difficult decisions I have had to make. Which university, which course? Looking back now, I wish I had been more relaxed about the process. I was so caught up in the idea that these decisions were final and the choices I made would stay with me for the rest of my life. The reality couldn’t have been further from the truth.
I had originally secured an unconditional place at a university I liked, but didn’t love. Honestly, this decision was based purely on the fact that it was unconditional so it felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. It never felt quite ‘right’ though, which leads me to my first realisation — that you should always listen to your heart. As cheesy as it sounds, there is a lot to be said for following your heart and believing in yourself. I wish I had the confidence to believe in myself from the beginning as this would have saved me a lot of stress trying to change university on results day! However, if all else fails, it IS possible to change your mind and it is so worthwhile to do this if things don’t quite feel right. The University of Sheffield just felt right from the offset and I honestly believe that I wouldn’t be as happy as I am now elsewhere. However, this was not my only change of heart throughout my university experience, which brings me to my regret — choosing a course which I was not passionate about.
Originally, I had chosen an English course as I felt like this would ‘open up more opportunities’ than something more specialised. Three lectures in on week one and I knew it wasn’t for me — again, it just didn’t feel right. So, I changed course to Education, Culture and Childhood and I credit this decision as being one of the best I have ever made. I always had a passion for working with children but I wasn’t sure if teaching was for me, which made me weary of choosing the course. But I was wrong — studying education does not limit you to teaching at all (although I loved my primary school placement so much that I decided to go down this route after all!) I have learnt so much from this course, from issues surrounding educational policy and practice both past and present, barriers to learning and what it means to ‘learn’ in traditional and digital classrooms to name just a few. Most importantly however, I have had to face difficult conversations and have had the benefit of learning from and discussing with a fantastic, small cohort of students who all share the fundamental desire to help shape the lives of young people in one way or another.
While the university experience differs for every single student, mine was not always smooth sailing. Making two huge changes was a scary prospect, however my recommendation for future students will always be to follow your heart and choose a place and course which will make you happy. University is a time of immense change and development and from personal experience, I can vouch for the fact that this is much better when you feel happy and content with your choices. Remember, there are always options and comparison is the thief of joy — the only person living your experience is you!
Nicole Bradford is a student on the Education, Culture and Childhood BA at the School of Education, The University of Sheffield.
