Comment: University and that all important third year, the conclusion of university and the leavers' prom

By the time the summer has passed between your second and third year and you are preparing to go back to university, you’ll most probably think, how did that happen? Where has the time gone? and I can’t believe that I am now in my final year as an undergraduate. It will seem like no time since you were first arriving as a fresher and leaving home for the first time, but now, suddenly, you can see the end of the road and the conclusion to your life at university. For those who have had a year out or on a four-year course, or possibly longer if you follow study such as medicine, it is still a similar feeling in terms of time and it seems, in some ways bizarre, that you have now reached this point.

I arrived back to university to start my third year on a Sunday afternoon. I had arrived by train and was living in new accommodation, a really nice flat above a dental surgery with two other lads and three girls. The familiarity with everything is now rife. You’ll feel so established and everything is so familiar. What seemed so strange and a time of big change two years ago, is simply now the norm and a real part of your daily life. I remember what a great feeling it was though. I unpacked, spent some time with my housemates and then headed down to the student bar during the late afternoon. Walking in, it feels like you know everybody and everything is so familiar. The bar staff know what you want and you see all of those friendly faces that have been a part of your life for so long now. The only sad part is that, as you’ll all be aware, this will soon be reaching the university conclusion and this is the last time that you’ll be walking in on a first day back after the summer break. Make the most of every minute and enjoy it to the absolute full.

In terms of changes, the third year will still seem tough academically but having got through that second year, fundamentally you have done the hard part, you just need to sustain and keep up the momentum now. You’ll recall in a previous article that I said the second year was the hardest, in my opinion it is, but the third year is no easier, you are just used to working to this academic level now. My best advice is to look forward and be confident, you’ve done really well, but don’t get too complacent. You’ll recall me sharing with you that I had repeated a module during my second year having not reached the required standard - you really don’t want to be doing this in year three. Here are five of my top tips to ensure that you make a really good start to the third and final year:

• You’ll have some idea as to what the class of your degree might look like at this point. Try to work above and beyond this if you can in order to achieve the best
• Enjoy every minute of university life but ensure that you get that work/life balance well managed
• Do everything that you did in years one and two in terms of teams/clubs/societies. Go out and enjoy each student night but don’t take your eye off the academia
• Remember, everything you do now, will go towards your final degree
• It will be a subtle time of change between you and some friends. Remember, it’s been a while now and people change. Some will really knuckle down and be wanting to go out less; some will see it as ‘I’ve been there, done that, etc', so will start to lead a slightly different life; some friendships will naturally branch out and it will feel that time is moving on and real life is metaphorically knocking at the door. Just accept this, it’s entirely normal, don’t take anything personally and just focus on you both socially and academically.

During the first semester, it is always, in my opinion, best to start thinking about what the next academic year is going to look like for you. This is important to do before the study intensifies during the second half of the third year. It’s good to start making those enquiries and applications now. If you are thinking of having a year out or going off travelling, this is all to the good and very positive. However, it’s still also worth thinking about what you might be doing in the future, whether it be going into employment, going onto a postgraduate course or training or moving onto to study a higher degree such as a Masters. I applied for my PGCE (Post Graduate Certificate in Education) or teacher training in the September. Of the four institutions I applied to: Sunderland, Warwick, Loughborough and Hull, my first choice, Sunderland, came back to me quite quickly. By November I was called for interview and was then successful on being offered a place on the course, which meant that I would still have another, albeit very different, academic year in Sunderland. The beauty of getting this sorted nice and early was that I could then purely focus on the academia and getting through my course without now having to worry about the following year. In my opinion, it’s probably better to get organised early, so that you don’t have the worry of it later on.

Once the Christmas break has finished and you return to university in January, the time will really start to speed up. I recall this being an amalgamation of feeling very happy that I would potentially soon be graduating but also saying goodbye to some of the best friends that I had ever had. Saying goodbye on a general level was and always is going to be difficult whether it be to other friends and familiar people, the doormen at the nightclubs, your lecturers, bar staff, team mates, etc, to name but a few. Leaving university is different from leaving school in the sense that at school, you all live relatively close to each other; at university you are from all over. The chances of simply, one day, bumping into each other again are very low. Still, don’t let this get you down. You’re still all together at this point at university will still be weaving its magic for you.

The second half of the academic year will provide its challenges so really stay focused here, attend all of your lectures and seminars, complete all of you background reading and definitely seek help, support and advice when you need it. Remember, this is your final year, you really don’t want to be completing a module or repeating an essay which will run into next academic year and meaning that you miss out on the graduation ceremony with everybody on your course. Stay positive, stay focused and you will definitely get there.

Once the Easter break is upon you, all that is actually really left at this point is the conclusion of your lectures and seminars and those outstanding assignments and exams which will be upon you in the next couple of months. Details of the graduation ceremony and where this will be held and on which date, etc, will also now be made explicit to you. If friends and family are going to come to see your graduation ceremony, try to get them booked into hotels, etc, nice and early. They will become full very quickly. I completed this task for my mum and dad and, because I did it early, managed to get them a nice spot in a hotel on the seafront in Seaburn which is just to the East of Sunderland.

As you move closer to the final stages you will experience a number of emotions at this point, this is entirely normal. These feelings can range from: I’m really going to miss this; I’ll really miss my friends/acquaintances and the life that I have become so used to; I’m ready to move on now; I just want to get through this now and to finish my final exam; and I’m ready for my next chapter. Whatever your mixtures of feelings are, make the absolute most of the time you have left. I recall getting out just as much as I always did and seeing as many people as I could. The likelihood is that your university will definitely have a prom, or a ball as we called it back then. Definitely, if you want to, make sure that you go to this. Fundamentally, even though you may still have a few weeks left, this really is the swansong. I have never forgotten this, May 7th, 1998 at Tall Trees Night Club in Yarm (Teesside). I recall the excitement of meeting up with everyone, getting on the coach, getting to the venue, having a fabulous evening - the special guest was Jason Donovan! - and getting home at around 4.30am!

After your end of year prom, your life at university will be coming to a conclusion. You’ll find it quite strange when you complete that final exam. I recall that my very last exam was a three-hour one on Shakespeare with reference to at least four plays. Going into the exam still brought some nerves and anxiety. I believe that you need some nerves and anxiety to do well. Coming out of the exam was the strangest feeling. It was the realisation of: That’s it, it’s done, we have finished and it really is at an end. This will happen to you. You’ve been studying for so long with lots to think about, assignments to hand in projects and exams to complete and then, all of a sudden, it all stops. I recall going for an end of course night out with everyone including our lecturers and it was a really nice conclusion.

The day after you finish you will, likely, wake up and feel similar to the way I did. I said to myself ‘Okay, that’s it… What now?’ You have completed the course and are now awaiting the results that will follow imminently. I would highly recommend, if you can and if it is financially viable, to stay for another week or two if you can. It’s a really good time and you don’t have the pressure of forthcoming assignments and exams; you can go out and enjoy your evenings with impunity. I recall some really good weather at the end of my time at university and have very fond memories of spending some of the last couple of weeks with a big group of us on Seaburn beach.

Once you get your result, which will follow imminently, you can then look forward to graduation day. For a lot of people, the journey home, at this point, is a strange one. You are departing and you are leaving. The likelihood is that the next and only time you will return is for your graduation day. This unique time marks the end of an era.

In the next short article, I will be talking about your graduation day.