Looking back on my time at university so far, I have realised that my accomplishments have came from myself and my choices. After completing my first semester I now know that the decision to stay at home was right for me. Prior to beginning University I felt anxious at the prospect that a lot of my course mates lived on campus and I didn’t. I began to question, had I made the wrong decision? Is this going to make me isolated? For anyone who is conflicted about the decision of home life or university life, I would say that all of my negative thoughts did not become reality. Although there might be a journey in the middle this does not impact your studies harshly.
Reflecting on my time at university so far I have realised that being a commuter had such a large impact on me. Over the course of semester 1 I had to discipline and manage myself in a way that I could feel as though I was achieving and also make that I was enjoying University. Managing university, work and a social life is not easy, however making it your own experience is how I feel being a commuter works. In terms of my personal attributes I would argue that my ability to work independently and manage time has increased dramatically. It became clear quickly that high school and university are extremely different. In terms of self studies in university, the work is yours and not for anyone else. Being involved in a multi-disciplinary peer learning group- within the Working Together module-it became clear that not only relying on your group is important. Making sure that your group knows they can rely on you is even more fundamental. Personally, I was able to do this because I was at home.
Home allowed me to have my own time away from all of the work load t university, I even found that my drive to and from university became a time of peace. Crucially I noticed that my time at home made me motivated and driven to achieve my best, not only that but to enjoy the time that I have. As my confidence of living at home began to grow, I found that it became much easier for me to organise things with my friends. Although moving from home to University is different, the main thing I have realsied that they share something in common. TIME. Time is all it takes to get yourself on your feet and running with it.
