Ever since I left Sixth Form last summer and entered what many call 'the real world', life has flown by so quickly. It feels as though I've hardly had time to sit down and take in everything that has happened over the past 4 months.
Christmas and December absolutely flew by, and we're now almost at the end of January 2014. Crazy!
With everything in my life changing and happening so quickly, it was almost impossible to believe that some important things would be neglected, with this blog being one of them. The ability to sit down and compose posts had vanished, due to both having practically zero time and minimal energy and motivation. To be honest, I was stretched. And exhausted.
However, these past four months, overall, have been some of the best of my life so far. Yes there have been some stressful moments and moments that I hated and had to physically drag myself out of bed for and moments I wish that I hadn't have said yes, but in the end they have all been worth it.
In the last part of 2013 alone I achieved so many things, experienced new challenges and also stepped outside my comfort zone just a little bit more. Honestly, I didn't want 2013 to end but it also made me believe that 2014 is going to be a fantastic year.
So what exactly have I been doing since I left the school I had been at for 7 years in the summer of 2013? Well, after picking up my results the reality of university set in for most people I knew. Preparations began and everyone starting packing, feeling nervous yet excited to start the new part of their lives. For me, there was just something that didn't click. University just didn't seem right for me at that moment and so from there came my first big decision.
I had always been interested in writing and expressing my thoughts and this was a huge influence in starting this blog, but I was also interested in taking my hobby that little bit further by studying Journalism at University. At the time, I knew that I wanted to focus mainly on Formula One so sports journalism looked to be the way to go, but to keep my options open I decided on applying for the standard course. I had sent my UCAS application very late in January and extremely close to the deadline, yet I still secured 4 offers out of the 5 for places at Huddersfield, Sunderland, UCA in Farnham and one other University. From that I accepted a firm offer from UCA and an insurance from Huddersfield and played the waiting game until my results came through.
However during this time, although I had picked a course I thought I'd love at a University which was really appealing, doubts were creeping into the back of my mind. Was I really ready to go to University? Student finance was also a big factor in deciding to go to Uni because of the extortionate fees and costs of living.
Something which was becoming a huge consideration was to take a gap year. So on results day, I took the plunge. My results had confirmed that my place at Uni was secure and from there I could have packed my bags and be 4 months into my degree. However, that afternoon I emailed admissions at the University to break the news that I would not be attending in September. Perhaps one of the scariest decisions I've made and some could say risky, as I had no other plans or job to fall back on.
However, once the decision was made it was time to start planning my year out. Originally I was going to get a job for the year and then go back to studying, after spending the last part of my gap year travelling.
At first finding a job was not very successful, and was at times, worrying. I was scared that I'd made a terrible mistake in not going to University, yet I carried on and secured an interview a few weeks later.
I went to the interview. To be completely honest the interview for the role I applied for wasn't the best, yet I still managed to be considered for a completely different role within the company. After a trial week and a phone call, I learnt that I had secured the full time job I was looking for. That's when my plans changed again.
I've now been working full time for just under 4 months now and can honestly say I love it. I love my job, the people I work with and there has not been one day I've woken up dreading to go to work. Not going to University has been one of the best decisions I've made and when September comes around again, I won't be going to University. I guess you can say that my gap year lasted around a month and I'm definitely not planning on leaving my job anytime soon. It has given me so many new challenges and opportunities and I've made some brilliant new friends. University isn't the only option after Sixth Form or college, although it may seem that way and if there is anyone considering a break from studying, I would say go for it, you never know what may happen!
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