It sounds incredibly cliched, and as a writer I endeavour to avoid these like the plague, but uni does really make you realise who you are. I hate to use the term 'find myself' because that immediately sets a scene of me backpacking across Australia with a braid in my hair and a koala bear on my back. Certain things I have learnt about myself are:
-I'm actually quite a feminist. Whether this has been triggered by the endless gropes from strange men in clubs, or just growing up and deciding what i think is right and wrong, I don't know. But either way next year i want to be actively involved in the feminist society in university, as its something I'm quite passionate about. Before uni i hadn't really given it much thought.
-Hangovers only happen on cheap vodka. This is an important one. Smirnoff may not leave me freshly cut in the morning, but I'm sure as hell better off with that than Glens or the dreaded 'Imperial' vodka. No more cheap paint stripping vodka in 2nd year. Just no.
-My girlfriends are the glue that keep my sanity together. If I'm feeling down, missing home, stressed about assignment or anything else a girl gets emotional about, I know I can just turn to the girls to put a smile on my face and a drink in my hand within seconds.
-I'm pretty introverted. It takes little for me to be content. I don't need to go out drinking every single night of the week, I tried that for the first month of uni and I think it just proved that month-long hangovers do exist. And freshers flu is very real. This is okay with me though, because it means when I do go out I do it properly. And it gives me time to catch up on the never ending reading list on my course.
-Writing really, really is for me. It's what I do best. I think my biggest fear about uni was turning up and realising that actually I can't write very well, and I'm on the wrong course. Luckily the exact opposite has happened. I'm happier than I've ever been and its down to my course, largely.
-Long distance relationships do work, and its really not that hard. It just takes effort from both ends, a few hours on the train every now and then and a nightly FaceTime call. Not a day goes by when I don't speak to Sam, and thats the way it should be. It's made me realise how strong we are as a couple, and how right for each other we really are. I love going out, spending time with the girls and doing whatever else I do here, but I know that I wouldn't be half as happy if i didn't have him at the end of a phone whenever I need him.
-Drinking makes you put on weight. Its really not a myth. Whether its the sugary mixers, the calorific wine and cocktails or the drunken takeaways and hangover cures that do it (or a combination of all of these), it takes it's toll. Go for a walk and eat some lettuce once in a while. Your body will thank you.
Some are more insightful than others, admittedly, but all of them go to show what an amazing first term in uni I have had. I can't wait for second year to move in with the most amazing girls in the world! This whole uni malarky is going to just keep on getting better.
