This has been done time and time again, I know! But I won’t be the exception to the rule and I will share what I expected from my grad school experience and what reality happened to be like.
Expectation: Getting in is exciting! Getting a visa will be easy! Look at me go, Scotland!
Reality: Visa application of any kind is soul crushing and time consuming. MOST. STRESSFUL. TIME. EVER.
Expectation: Moving into a flat far away from home and feeling like a real grown up!
Reality: Failing cleaning inspection…
Expectation: You’ll meet lots of sophisticated intellectuals.
Reality: You’ll befriend the craziest nerds you ever met.
Expectation: You’re going to go to the library and get lots of work done.
Reality: Procrastinating with your friends until you all decide to head to the pub.
Expectation: First draft of the dissertation will be nearly perfect!
Reality: Getting your supervisor’s notes and not being too sure what happened to the perfect draft.
Expectation: Thinking you’ll probably be overwhelmed with work.
Reality: Being overwhelmed with work.
Expectation: Going to be happy to be done after all the hard work.
Reality: Not being sure how it ended so quickly…
Here’s to the harshness of postgraduate studies, to those who worked hard and survived it with their sanity! And to all those who made the year one of my best years ever! Happy Friday!xx