2017

What They Don't Tell You About Graduation

06:03

I have officially graduated with a BA Hons degree in History from Nottingham Trent University. Can I get a woop woop (ew). Graduation isn't quite what I personally expected. I guess I expected the end of Legally Blonde where we're all dead cute and throw our hats into the air, but no. I didn't throw my hat. It didn't move off of my head all day. There was a sea of grads throwing their hats outside trying to get the perfect boomerang for insta. But me being a scrooge just didn't wanna. So here is a few things that you don't realise about graduation until you're actually there.

1. You spend most of the day away from friends/family
You arrive with your guests you chose to bring with you, have photos with your friends and then BAM. You're sat in the hall for almost two hours in alphabetical order. Probably sat in between two people on your course who won't recognise you cause ya know....you didn't turn up to your seminars for half the year. 

2. The cap and gown is heavier than it looks
I was not prepared for the weight of that hat. Wow. The only way I can explain it is that it is like walking with a pile of 5 books on the top of your head. Like in Princess Diaries, which is fabulous when its a warm sunny day and your foundation is smearing all over it. I will say, you spend the day gliding round feeling like Voldemort in that gown. Which I personally enjoyed.



3. A stranger dresses you in your cap and gown
As I was queuing for my gown, I soon realised that there is people who actually dress you. Me being the awkward human I am immediately panicked and wanted to snatch my gown and run. It wasn't THAT bad but having some random chap adjusting your gown around ya booblies is a tad awks.

4. It's kinda stressful finding what to wear, which actually just gets covered my your gown
Formal is the only dress code you're given. Which is super easy if you're planning on wearing a suit. (I nearly did, a baby pink one) But anything else its a struggle. I stressed for so long over what to wear and then I put my gown on. MY WHOLE OUTFIT WAS COVERED I DIDN'T NEED TO STRESS AT ALL.

5. Its actually not as scary as you think
You spend weeks, even possibly years if you're like me and over plan everything, worrying about this day. Fretting that you might do a Lizzie McGuire and trip over on stage wrecking the backdrop. But chill, its fine. Yeah it's a little freaky waiting to walk across the stage but its fine, and I DIDN'T FALL. 



P.S my dress is this one, the bag is old H&M and my shoes are old Public Desire ones.

advice

Pick The Right Degree For YOU

11:00

I started University in September 2014 at Nottingham Trent, after deciding to defer my place a year and do an Art Foundation. I had decided to do a History degree as I had always enjoyed History from a young age. I didn't do it at GCSE as my arty subjects were more my thing then (and still are). I picked Art, Drama, Media and Product Design over picking anything to do with Humanities. But, at A-Level I thought it was time to take my passion for History a little further and do it at A-Level. Truth is, I'm not naturally good at History. Everyone has that one area or subject they are just effortlessly good at, mine seems to be Art/Media/Fashion or performing.

My chosen career path is one involving the media industry whether it be TV presenting, research or working for some kind of fashion/lifestyle magazine. So in reality I probably don't need a specific degree to be doing TV Presenting but I felt that a History degree would grow my passion for History more and make me look like a person who is a good researcher and committed (History takes up a lot of your spare time, trust me)

My first day of uni consisted of people asking me if I was in the wrong room because they thought I was a fashion student. And this just stuck with me. Whenever I get asked what my degree is and I respond with "HISTORY", I just get blank looks and people telling me "Oh really? I'd never thought you'd do that! You look like a more creative person!" And this just bothers me because deep down I know Art/Media and Fashion is what I'm good at but I chose to ignore it as I thought this would be the better degree for my career. I'd been told by somebody in the media industry that doing a degree in either Broadcasting Journalism or TV/Film (Which I had planned on doing) was not taken seriously, and that a subject like History would stand out and is a "proper degree".So I thought, great! I love History. But in reality it's not what I expected. I should have just done a degree in something I really do have a passion for and that isn't a chore. History is a chore to me now, and that should not be the case when I am doing a degree in it(and spending a shit load of money on it). I should be excited to go to lectures and discover more about the world but I hate it. The only essay I have enjoyed writing so far has been a Media based one, about History in the film industry. I find myself sat in lectures trawling through fashion blogs, finding internships for MTV or drawing on my notebook instead of taking notes. I should be excited. I decided to write this blog post to tell people to ignore doing a degree they think "looks better" or is a "proper degree" or that someone wants them to do (i.e parents).

In my opinion, a degree is a degree. It shows you have spent 3/4 years of your life studying and working hard on a subject you love. People should just be able to pick whatever they want to do, whatever makes them happy. And this is something I wish I had done. It's constantly on my mind as to whether I should switch courses, and to be honest if I could right now I would, but then there's the voice in the back of my mind telling me to stick at it.This is also why I created this blog. I needed somewhere I could write about what interests me and write for enjoyment, not because I have to.


Sorry for the personal rant,
Frankee x

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