University Here I Come Again!

Hello :)

September is here already and I am on my way to university for a third time. I know I've said this twice already but I am sooo excited! There's no way I'm not graduating this time.

My first university experience was two years ago when I finished college, but let me start from school. I had big plans to leave London and study business, but decided just before the deadline to change my application for fashion business courses instead. I was really into fashion at the time and I had big dreams.

When I was thirteen or fourteen I wanted to be a fashion designer and run my own business. I had it all planned out and was developing the skills I needed but I knew I needed the business acumen to be successful. I tailored my GCSE choices to my ambition (business, textiles, IT and media) and continued on that path to college. However, when I got to college and started my fashion design course I realised it wasn't for me. It was 70% art, 30% fashion and I was 100% sure I would hate it by Christmas, so I left. I'm a firm believer in 'time is precious so don't waste it'.

I went back to my old school to study AS levels then went to the Peter Jones Enterprise Academy. I didn't want to complete the full two year A levels as I wasn't enjoying it and my sister found me the perfect course. A business course where you have to actually plan and run a micro-business, perfect! I wanted a challenge and I knew that was it. It was a hard year as it was pretty intensive, but I loved every second of it.

That lead me to deciding what to study at university. I tried fashion design and didn't like it, I tried business and liked it, but I ran a fashion jewellery business to keep things interesting. What a dilemma. I decided to stick with business, but fashion business. That's a safe option right? No. I thought I loved fashion but by the end of the first term I was bored of 'everything fashion'. Read every fashion blog, know what's happening in industry, read fashion reports, etc. I decided to leave after the first year and try something else.

I then went to Goldsmiths to study education, culture and society (last minute choice), but it was not what I thought. It was very philosophical and social science-y. I was forced into discussions and debates and struggled with there not being a wrong and right answer. I need to know when something is wrong and why so I can work on it. I always hated subjects like English because the marking scheme is so open. Great work always translated to a C at AS level. How can I improve it? I don't know, look at this A grade work. So helpful.

I stayed on that course for two weeks before leaving. I wanted to persist but what's the point when you know there's something more worth while out there for you? I decided to take a gap year and work for a year whilst I rediscovered myself and found my path. It is so hard finding a job though. I switched my search to internships and, long story short, I found ways to occupy myself for the academic year. I gained a lot of new experiences and decided to develop my skills further at university, once again. I am very ambitious and have big plans with my future so I can't have anything holding me back. I want to be in a managerial position as soon as possible.

I will be starting at Goldsmiths university this September (it is an amazing university), studying Management and Entrepreneurship. Just think, if I had stuck with studying business when I first went to university I would be in my third year. I don't look at my experiences negatively though. I have done and learnt a lot in the past year; I have work experience I would never have got if I didn't take a year off to work. I am a stronger person because of my experiences so I thank God.

It is not the success that defines you, it's the failures that build you (a quote by Shanice Harrison).

TTFN
Shanice x

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