Things My Year Out Taught Me.
One of them times when they take the photo for your student card there and then. Not good.
Part two of my little mini series on student life, yesterday's post was on what school taught me (with a fun little throwback to my first day of education) and today's is what I learnt in my year out - three guesses for what tomorrow's post will be!
My year out was not the traditional gap year, I didn't get a job, I didn't travel, I actually did a stop gap year of education. As an art student it's recommended you do a 'Foundation' year in between school and university which is just like a year of college with a diploma at the end of it. I did mine in University of Glamorgan (now University of South Wales) and it was THE best year of my life.
1. It's not the end of the world that you're in a separate class to the only people from school you know.
2. When you go home after your first day you'll tell your parents you hated it and never want to go back. That'll be over by your second day.
3. You're eligible for A LOT of grants, make the most of them.
4. This is the richest you'll ever be, for gods sake savour it.
5. Spending 300 quid in Cardiff with your bestie on clothes is not the smartest move you ever made. Thank god your Mum and Dad don't check your bank account any more.
6. Your Mum will drive you to uni every single day of that year and you don't appreciate it enough.
7. It takes you half an hour for you Mum to drive you to uni, the 2 hour train journey home will kill you.
8. Your dislike of trains will stem here.
9. Don't wait till Christmas to ask your tutor if you can leave 15 minutes early every day to make the easier train, he'll say yes like you asked to go to the loo, ask sooner and make your life easier!
10. Not having a school uniform makes dressing every day VERY difficult.
11. Tights and knee length socks isn't cool.
12. It would've been so much easier if you'd learned to drive before this year.
13. You probs could've afforded to drive they paid you so much for this year.
14. Wasting all the money and not saving it for your undergrad was one of the stupidest mistakes you've ever made.
15. You're NOT good at fine art.
16. You thought you'd finished drawing dead fish in school. You thought wrong.
17. Don't bother buying all the kit on the recommended list, you won't use it all.
18. A B&Q tool kit is the best investment you'll make all year.
19. Your Wednesday afternoon lectures are a waste of time and nobody will notice if you don't go anyway.
20. Creating your birthday list in your Wednesday lecture is a good use of your time.
21. Don't trust your friends when they take you to Frankie and Benny's for your 19th birthday, they've got a cake behind the till and they WILL come out and sing to you.
22. Eating McDonalds every day is delicious but will make you put on about a stone.
23. Playing hide and seek in the cars is an EXCELLENT use of your lunch hour.
24. Going to the park is an EXCELLENT use of your lunch hour.
25. Take the opportunity to go to Venice, it will be the holiday of a lifetime and you will fall in love with the place and the memories.
26. Go to London less than a month after you've known these friends, the hilarious stories will bond you for life.
27. Taking a study trip to London and going to Camden Market is perfectly fine, just remember to take some photos of some graffiti or something 'inspiring'.
28. You cannot barter for shit, don't even try in Camden.
29. Work super hard, it pays off in the end.
30. Treasure the year, it's the absolute best of your life and the friends you'll meet there for 9 measly months will be some of the very best you'll ever have.
If you are thinking of a Foundation year out I can't recommend it enough, mine was the perfect stop gap between school and university and gave me the confidence and independence I needed without leaving home.