Hi! My name is Naomh, I’m a third-year student at York St John university and I study ‘Psychology with Child Development’ BSc. I’m writing this blog to share my experiences of university for those who may be interested in going to university in the future.
As I started my A-Levels, I began to think about university and what I would like to study. For me, university always seemed to be a big, scary thing that just loomed in the near future. Yet, the more I learnt about university and all that it offers, the more relaxed and willing I was to apply. I decided to attend university because it seemed like such a safety net, whilst giving me the independence that I wanted. I am the first in my family to attend university, so attending open days and going through the application process seemed overwhelming but equally exciting, for the whole family.
I had a number of factors that helped me to narrow down the place that I wanted to study in and the course. Firstly, I knew that I wanted to move away from home, for the chance to experience a new place and to grow in independence. Also, the thought of going home during the holidays seemed like the best of both worlds for what I wanted. (I can 100% say now, that the feeling of travelling home for Christmas is unmatched!). Secondly, since I studied psychology at A-Level – and enjoyed it – I thought that was a good course to start looking at. Having not known what I wanted to do as a career, I chose my course based on my interests rather than career-outcomes. Thirdly, the thought of a big university didn’t appeal to me. I wanted to feel like I could stroll around my campus with confidence that I knew where I was, and I knew where the support systems were if I needed to find them. I had heard that York St John was a relatively small university, that is placed in the heart of York. When I first visited the campus, on a student ambassador-led guided tour, I felt so at home; I could find my way around the campus and felt that the smaller class sizes suited me so much more. Once I had learnt more about the university, it was a very easy decision to make. For me, York has very much become my home now.
On my moving-in day, I remember having the strangest combination of nervous butterflies and very excited butterflies – this is entirely normal! My family helped me to move into my room, including spending 20mins trying to hang up some fairy lights. (Definitely recommend bringing decorations for your room, to make it feel more like yours and more like home. Coming home to fairy lights, photos of friends/family and even a teddy or two, was really comforting! There is also many poster sales and fairs at university, if you forget to pack decorations). The first night in the flat, I met my flatmates, and we all ate pizza together. It was comforting to know that everyone was in the same boat, and I wasn’t the only one feeling nervous.
One piece of advice I would give, is to give yourself credit for even the smallest things. You worked out how to use the accommodation washing machine – yay! You attended a lecture and did a food shop in one day – yes!! Whilst these may seem like the smallest of things and the most mundane tasks, recognising the smallest wins can help you to feel more confident in your new routine.
It may seem like a 3 year course is such a long time, but it goes by so quickly. Remember to enjoy your time there and ask for support if you need it. Everyone you meet will be happy to help you. Most importantly, have fun and make those memories!
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