Goodness gracious

I am still astounded at the level of immaturity and close-mindedness at university. I don’t know what I was expecting as I embarked upon my mini adventure of leaving home and taking my brain to be fed through a straw at an educational establishment in Birmingham, but I really didn’t expect to meet so many closed characters. I wanted to meet my life long friends here; I’ve read how people meet their future partners for life at university and really make a stand for themselves and define their reasons for being on this planet whilst being surrounded by like minded people. The only box I think I’ve ticked is the partner one so far which don’t get me wrong, is fabulous and life changing in itself, but it doesn’t distract me enough from the strangeness of fellow course mates and old friends from my first year. They’re just weird. Now I’ve got used the idea that I’m not Little Miss Academic and wont come out of university smelling of roses with a 1st class honours but that is not why I went. I went for the experience and to better myself as a person and as a writer after taking a year out not knowing what on earth to do with myself. I think I’m succeeding; it’s just sometimes a random person says something annoying enough for me to take the eye off of my proverbial ball. So imagine my relief when today, my Life Writing tutor said these words which made me inhale with joy resulting with me choking a little on my own saliva: “I don’t care about your degree, I care about helping you to become a writer.” Music to my little confused ears! I was under the impression that when I enrolled for the English and Creative Writing JOINT honours degree that there would be a lot of creativity, and god forbid, writing involved and so far I’ve had to hold only every withering straw of writing opportunity as it came and went.
It was just so lovely to hear those words as I thought that I was the mad one for thinking that the grade of degree you get is NOT the be all and end all of your human existence. It does not define you. I know this, and I’ve always known this and hearing it today just made me remember why I came to University. Not to compete with pretentious Austen wannabes or argue the toss over “philosophical” non-existent debates but I’m here for me. It might sound cliché but it’s true. And now at least I know that at least one person in that god damn Baker Building is on my side!