Ramble: Graduation

**original post on my blogger here**

   Today's post is late and very much non-music related because yesterday, after three long years at the University of Birmingham, I finally graduated!

   The day itself was brilliant - the sun was out and stayed out, the ceremony went well, and I felt like Harry Potter in my gown (always a plus). I got to speak to a couple of my lecturers which was good because I got to thank them. The reception was really great, too - plenty of wine and soft drinks available free to the graduates and their guests (all of whom were welcome, regardless how many guests we brought which was nice because only two were allowed in the ceremony).

   Over the past three years, as cheesy and annoyingly clichéd as it sounds, I've changed a lot as a person. I don't think it's possible to leave home for three years, meet so many new people, and be in such a different environment from what you're used to without changing. And I've learnt a lot, not just about my course but about life in general. I think these are the most important things I've learnt, and I think everyone comes to realise at some point in their life:

1. Don't be afraid to try new things. That's how we learn and grow as people. How are you going to find out what you enjoy and what you're really good at if you don't try it first? Never be deterred by fear of the unknown, because most of the time the rewards make it worth it.
2. Everyone makes mistakes. It's how we deal with these things that really matters. Weird as it sounds, it took me a long time to sit back and think 'I keep doing this to myself, something needs to change'. Sometimes you get stuck in the same cycle and keep making the same mistakes, but it's important to see that if it's making you unhappy, learn from it rather than ignoring it.
3. Not everyone is going to like you, just like you're not going to like everyone you meet. But don't waste your time with the wrong people, or trying to please someone you know you're wasting your time on. Sometimes you have to accept that you can't please everyone. In he workplace, yeah, you have to deal with these people. But in your own life? Cut them out, they aren't worth the trouble. 
4. Be yourself. Don't change to suit other people. I'll be honest, I didn't enjoy my first year at all, mostly because of how I was changing as a person - all to suit other people who, in hindsight, weren't my friends. In the uni environment, it really shouldn't matter what other people think about you. You don't act like them on a night out? That's fine. You don't feel like going out and just want to stay home and watch a film? Go for it. You don't get along with the person they all worship? That's OK, too. You want to wear clothes you're comfy in, that they might judge you for? Screw them. No one should ever make you feel bad about who you are, and your friends never will. If someone's bringing you down, they aren't your friend.
5. Enjoy yourself. Another cliché, but make the best of all your time no matter what you're doing. Don't sit wishing you were doing something else, get out there and do it. There's no point regretting things you can change.

   There's a lot of things I wish I could change about my time at uni, but I think without them I wouldn't be the person I am today. We live, we learn, and we build on our experiences. It's up to us to make sure we experience as much as we want with the time we have. 

New blog and a ramble

   I made the decision to run a Wordpress site here alongside this blogger. I'll still post on both, same posts on both, at the same time, but hopefully I'll reach a wider audience this way.

   I’ve just completed a degree in English with Creative Writing, which involved a lot of writing (it also explains why I’m so behind on posting. These last few weeks have been busier than I’d anticipated). I’ve always loved to write – it’s something I really enjoy and for me offers a release (that’s why I have a blog). But sometimes when I tell people what I study, some people seem to think it’s a ‘doss’ subject. Not true. I’ve worked so hard these past three years because writing is hard.

   Everyone can write. Just like everyone can sing, or everyone can dance, just some are better than others. The most difficult thing about creative writing for me is that I don’t think it’s something you can learn – there’s no one way to write, and it’s purely subjective as to what is considered ‘good’, and what is considered ‘bad’. All you can do is read a lot and write a lot to improve; I’ve experimented with a lot of different techniques to find what suites me and I think that’s all you can do.

   The worst thing about doing a creative writing dissertation was knowing I had to write something, but being unable to. I find I have to write to suit my mood, which is hard when you’re suffering from intense writer’s block. The second hurdle is coming up with an idea. For my course, it can’t just be basic – you have to know your entire plot, even though you’re only writing a chapter. It’s incredibly hard if, like me, you prefer a basic direction then write and see what happens. There is always a fear of accidental plagiarism, which luckily I have yet to do, but hearing someone in your group pretty much state the plot of The Time Traveler’s Wife only with the woman time travelling instead of the man begins to make you doubt yourself.

   So when people tell me I took an easy course, they couldn’t be more wrong. The amount of thought and work I’ve put in is immense. Writing is really difficult; you have to think about making believable characters, an entertaining original plot appropriate for your audience, and writing well. On top of all the other literature essays and exams. I love writing, and the work is worth it to be able to do what I enjoy.