The Secrets of The Universe!*
Here, I will reveal everything you’ve ever wanted to know about-
*Just kidding. I don’t know the secrets of the universe sadly, makes a catchy heading though right?
Although I can’t pretend to be fabulously mysterious and omniscient, I can tell you a thing or two about university. I’ve been here for three years now, and i’m relieved to say the VERY high tuition fees have possibly paid off – I have learnt stuff! The most exciting stuff too.
If you’re reading this, I imagine you’re a prospective uni student, browsing through prospectuses and dragging your parents along to hundreds of open days, trying to make one of the biggest decisions of your life – “where the heck am I going to go to uni?!”
Though I can’t explicitly tell you to come to Swansea – (psst! We have one some of the most beautiful beaches in the UK, and best university in Wales, just saying…) – I can suggest a few things that may tip the scales. University can be quite a daunting process. I mean, the thought of trying to feed yourself…Who even knows how to make a boiled egg?! (SPOILER: I’ve nearly graduated, I am sadly still no egg connoisseur).
There are a few things that can tip the balance, however, between having a terrible time eating said failed boiled eggs and not enjoying yourself or having an absolutely outstanding three years of fun and adventure (though possibly still with bad cooking skills in tow). For example, while I’ve been hanging around here in Swansea, I haven’t just been sitting around making a nuisance of myself, no! I have indeed done some very awesome, albeit terrifying, things that I can’t imagine doing if i’d not come to Swansea.
During my first year at university I joined many clubs and societies, one of which was the canoe club, known as SUCC. Their annual trip, and one of my first experiences of the sport, involved heading up to Scotland for 10 days during Easter half term. I sat myself in a little plastic boat and paddled down ice-cold raging white water with the backdrop of Ben Nevis along with 40 other crazy adventure seeking individuals in the heart of Scotland. This I found out, much to my parents’ dismay, is the extreme adrenaline-fuelled sport of white water kayaking! Now, I will admit that I was not particularly good at this at first, and did lose a boat, and am still not particularly skilled in the ways of staying-in-a-boat-and-not-going-upside-down, as shown below…
Despite flailing about in the water and making a slight fool of myself, I continued kayaking with SUCC throughout my time at Swansea with the brilliant, mad people I met and have been on many other adventures since to North Wales, Dartmoor, all over the Gower, and a particular highlight being Teifi Tour, a festival for kayakers from universities all over the UK (which has a huge fun party, 10/10 would recommend).
I’ve included photographic evidence to display my prowess, for your entertainment, and to remind myself that I would not have had the same very exciting experience if I hadn’t decided to study at Swansea. Incase you find yourself overcome with curiosity and want to find out a bit more about also losing boats and going on adventures in oversized bathtubs, you can look on the Swansea University Canoe Club website: http://www.succ.me.
Despite all the awesome social related things at university, I have (believe it or not) actually given some time and dedication to the academic side of things too. Though, so as not to give away all my stories at once, I shall leave that with suspense until the next blog post -though worry not, it won’t be suspense on a Sherlock level (THREE YEARS to wait for season 4, ridiculous!). Until then, hwyl fawr!
PS hwyl fawr is Welsh for goodbye, if you can pronounce it, not a bad phrase to impress your new flat mates with…
