REFLECTING ON MY TIME AT UNIVERSITY
Who knew that three years of your life could pass by in such a flash. From the day I moved down to the Cornish Coast, life has been an absolute whirlwind and I have loved every second of it.
It was 2018 when I first made the 350 mile journey from my home in Suffolk, down to the rugged coastline of Cornwall. Having just returned from the summer of a lifetime spent travelling across Australia, the idea of starting university was the most overwhelming thought.
I remember the car journey down to Falmouth so vividly. As I sat and watched the miles on the SatNav slowly fall away, the lump in the back of my throat grew bigger and bigger. This was it, I knew I had to do this.
I had always told myself that university wasn’t for me, ‘I’ll be fine’ I used to say to Mum and Dad, you don’t HAVE to go to university, there are other options. Which of course there are, but soon enough I found myself waving goodbye to my dad in floods or tears as he left me in my new flat full of a bunch of new people, in a place I didn’t know.
Everyone always tells you that the first few days of university are the worst…and they’re really not wrong. Everything is so new, it’s like someone has picked you up and placed you in a whole new world, not one aspect of life is familiar to you and it takes a little while to get used to it all. But as the weeks slowly start to pass, you settle and start to determine your routine, as well as finding your friendship group.
Fast-forward to now and I honestly cannot believe that I am coming to the end of my time at Falmouth University. I can’t begin to explain how grateful I am to have been able to spend so much time living in one of the most beautiful places on Earth. Cornwall really has stolen my heart. Its charm and character combined with its natural beauty, honestly makes it the best place to live in my opinion. Living so close to the ocean has been incredible, theres not a day go by where you don’t see the sea, and the fresh air and rolling waves have done a lot for my mental health, as well as given me a new-found appreciation for the world around me.
I had said right from the beginning that if I hadn’t have been accepted onto the Marine and Natural History Photography Course at Falmouth then I wouldn’t have gone to university at all. This was partly because I was dying for the opportunity to spend 3 years of my life out exploring and adventuring in and around the coastlines of Cornwall. But also because I was adamant that there wasn’t another course out there that I wanted to study. I have had the honour of studying THE best course there is, and 3 years worth of learning about things I love has done me the world of good.
Being able to get outside with my camera and explore Cornwall everyday of the week is literally me doing uni work! The MNHP course is incredible and I really am lucky to have found a course that suited me and my interests so well. Nothing feels like a chore when what you are learning everyday is topics you are genuinely interested in! The opportunities we have had and the people we have met through the course really cannot be topped.
I have met some of the most amazing and like-minded people down in Cornwall. Whether they have been class mates, flat mates, lecturers, or just the Cornish general public, everyone in that part of the world seems to be switched on to the things that matter the most to me. The Cornish way of life suits me down to the ground and I love that everyone seems to have the same admiration for the beauty that surrounds them down South. Being an honorary Cornish citizen has been incredible and I have loved being able to explore every avenue that Cornwall has to offer.
I have learnt an awful lot over the past 3 years, not only about photography, but myself too. Back in 2018, I was a fairly nervous and shy person, who struggled with anxiety and didn’t really know who I was and what I stood for. Now I know who I am and have a much better idea of where I want life to take me! I have become more confident and definitely know my own boundaries when it comes to pushing myself. I am so proud of myself for how far I have come. I have grown as a person and developed skills that will lead me on through life. It certainly hasn’t been easy, especially with a global pandemic thrown into the mix too, but my time spent in Falmouth I will cherish forever.
As my educational road begins to come to an end, the big wide world waits ahead. It’s daunting to have your whole life ahead of you, especially with everything changing so quickly at the moment. But looking back on my time in Cornwall, it has definitely helped me to hone in on what really matters in life. I will miss waking up to the seagull cries each morning, and being able to spend so much time by the sea.
Cornwall I will miss you dearly, but you will forever be my second home and hold a place in my heart. I know I will end up back here one day as I feel so at ease here. When that time comes, I hope I can continue to make memories as happy as those that I have made during my time at Falmouth University.
Ellie x