The obligatory "poser" shot - April 2006 on Aberystwyth promenade

As of today, Saturday 29th May 2010, I am no longer a student – well … I have no more exams to take, I still need to formally graduate in July.

After one year of work placement at The Sixth Form College in Colchester sandwiched between three years of university in Aberystwyth, society has apparently deemed me ready to deal with this alien environment called the “real world”, so perhaps this is an apt moment to reflect on what has been four (academic) years of life as a student.

You need to weather (sometimes quite literally!) Aberystwyth as a place to survive here. Coming from what I thought at the time to be a sleepy commuter town in Essex, it was a culture-shock to say the least when I arrived as a fresher in September 2006 to find somewhere ten times as sleepy as my hometown. Having said that, once I got used to the place, I grew into the atmosphere.

Aberystwyth, May 2009

Given the choice again, I would still choose Aberystwyth, despite the fact that it has – at times – been a fairly isolated and claustrophobic place to spend three months at a time.

I’d make the choice again because of the journey that has happened over the last four years, and especially because of the people I have met while on the journey. I’ve learnt lessons not only in the lecture halls but also in Aberystwyth’s many bars and pubs, and the lessons don’t just extend to how many bits there are in a byte.

University has been a truly life-changing experience, and it’s an experience that I’ll never forget and an experience that I’m thankful I have had the opportunity to have. If any prospective students – for Aberystwyth or any other university – happen to come across this blog in the future, my advice is to take the chance and go out there and do it – you might actually enjoy it.