End of an era!

Bit of a dramatic title there, but for me it really is.

So I have finished the exams and the presentations, my last term has ended and now all I have left of my educational journey is my results and graduation day.

I am getting ready to say goodbye to 18 years of formal education and Although I am seriously looking forward to it, I would be telling one big porky pie if I said that it didn’t scare the pants off me.

I mean when I graduate I leave behind that cushty safety net that is “I’m a student”. The amount you can get away with when you state the is unreal.

 Example:

“you haven’t done laundry in three weeks?!”………..”I’m a student”.

“you ate pizza for breakfast?”……………….”I’m a student”.

“you went into lab wearing your pyjamas?” …………….”I’m a student”.

I mean where on this earth am I supposed to find a lab that will employ me and allow me to wear my pyjamas to work?

But in all seriousness, it did get me thinking. now obviously I cannot speak for every student but The security of being attached to a university as I entered full blown adulthood was invaluable and it did provide that help which I don’t think I would have got if I had moved out of my mum’s house and gone it alone. It was 80% independence and 20% we’ll hold your hand and we’re here if things go wrong.

So much has happened over the last three years here that I could fill a whole blog with stories (don’t worry I won’t) that I would have never fathomed when I was that 18 year old pulling up with my dad on my very first day with a boot full of stuff that would be the start of my world for the next 3 years.

I have made friends and lost friends. I’ve Found the people that will be there forever and those that impacted a small part of it. i’ve been heartbroken and found love. I ‘ve cried desperate sobs and laughed till nearly peeing myself. I’ve got very drunk, and danced until my feet bled. i’ve joined sports clubs and societies.  I’ve done countless library all-nighters, acquired a pretty impressive set of text books and done more lab hours than I dread to think.

I have grown up, and although I enter that scary and cut throat world of “career” I feel more ready for it than I did at 18.

So as my friends and I run around campus taking those “last day” shots, I’ll leave you with some photos that encapsulate my last three years:

Note: these are mostly pictures of myself, and obviously I did make friends, but firstly i'm not sure how they would feel about having their photos paraded over the internet. ;) and secondly, it documents well the change in myself and my my choice in clothes. 

Be warned, this is heavily pictorial and will go in some form of chronological order. 

My first day - Rabbit. Headlights. Velvet. spring to mind.

The view from my bedroom window in my first year. Pretty decent eh?

Fresher's ball 2009

The buggers that stole our food where we were out!

First year Summer Ball 2010

Our first student house! (it was a disgrace)

Upsettingly one of my only lab photos. But you get an insight into my mature sense of humour.

Trying to be Pin-up in my rowing lycra. I still think it can work. 

Second year Summer Ball 2011

Sports Ball 2012 

And then we reach here. 

I hope you stuck through all of that.Congrats if you did! 

These photos show nicely the times when I was dolled up and smiling, which deceivingly hides the stress. Most days were actually spent walking like a zombie in trackies and a lab coat ;) but of course there is no photographic evidence of these :)

More to come soon!

Steffie x