Three things I have learnt during my second year of uni.

I want to start by saying that this is not for someone who would consider themselves a perfect student. The first year is always the ‘ah that’ll be alright’ sort of year.

1. Yes, the grades matter but don’t let them affect you too much.  In the second year, grades start feeling like points in the hunger games. I have to remind you that I am not a perfect student and I don’t think anyone really is. I have never really been that fussed over my grade (sorry, should I not say that?) but it’s true, to me that isn’t the sole reason why I pay £9,000 a year. The most valuable thing to be is finding out what I really want to do, “but isn’t that why you’re at uni?” yes it is. but what a lot of students will not tell you is that they are still unsure of what it is they want to do when they graduate. Deciding what we want to do with the time we have to work during our lives is quite daunting. I am not ashamed to say, still, i have no clear idea, OK so I have goals and ideas that I would like to do but I still feel a little lost. 

2. People will expect you to be ahead of the game you have only just started, in a good and bad way. I’m going to move on to one of the MOST annoying parts, especially within the 2nd year and maybe the 3rd too. “When are you going to start actually making things to sell?” ah, this is a favorite of mine, no really. You see, what they do not tell you on the packaging of uni is, like school your week is broken up into three, one of the days you are making and actually doing what you signed up for. The rest of the week is made up of lectures, seminars, essays and not-what-you-signed-up-for support modules. And if you’re lucky like I am, the other days I work. Please ask me again after all that, because it isn’t that easy yet. Of course, I, as many others want to sell their work and some of my course, have done and credit to those because it is hard work and time-consuming. 

3. You will fail at times, but use this to help boost you.  Social networking sites constantly show us the best of a person’s life and career. We hardly see anyone failing or messing up, filters cover up all the flaws. But because of this, now more than ever it is a constant battle to be successful and never stumble. As an artist, we like perfection in our work and if we make something that in our eyes is not good enough it is instant throw away. why though? me being the unperfect student, unperfect ceramist, unperfect essay writer, unperfect time planner, unperfect motivator. why should I or any other feel ashamed about this, these minor flaws can improve over time. so don’t worry yourself about being imperfect because they make us different and unique. 

I hope that these can relate to others, I think the more imperfect the more interesting you can be.