I wanted to write this blog post for all of you to enjoy but I really hope this speaks to those of you who are worried about not achieving the grades you hope for. Whilst I don’t want to start on a more solemn note I think it’s really important to acknowledge that some of us, both in the past, present and in the future will be disappointed by the grades we achieve and that is okay! I am one such student. I worked really hard for my A-levels and on results day I was the person who opened the results and had that wave of dread wash all over me. I did not get the grades to get into any of the universities I had chosen or even looked around and after ringing around desperately with lots of tears and worry I was offered a place at Sheffield Hallam University to do Applied Social Science. Originally I had applied to a similar course (or so I thought) at the University of Sheffield so I was pleased to be offered a place in a city I originally had wanted to study.
After almost eight weeks on the Applied Social Science course I realised it was quite different from what I was expecting and I made the move over to Sociology. In my first and second year my grades were rubbish (though I was having a fabulous time) and it wasn’t until my third year that I really got into my academic groove and started to feel more confident in my ability to achieve good grades again.
I passed my Undergraduate degree and applied to do a Masters of Research, still at Hallam, which a year later I had also graduated from! Every year I said I would leave education but before I had even finished my masters I had applied to do a PhD. This brings me to where I am now. I started the second year of my PhD in October 2020 and have about two years left to go. I am thoroughly enjoying my academic career and hope that some of you will go on to be an eternal student like me!
I suppose what I’m trying to say is things can be rubbish, and worrying and feel like the end of the world but I promise you it isn’t. I never thought I was clever enough or strong enough to do the things I am today and I still sometimes have those days where I think to myself “what are you doing?!” but whatever it may be that you want to do, whether it’s to go to university, travelling, to do an apprenticeship, build your own business or go into work, just go for it! Know that you belong to a community of students and staff who have gone on to do amazing things and even if it gets tough you have got people rooting for you.
If any of you have any questions about applying for Undergraduate or postgraduate courses/research please do get in touch.
All the best, Rebecca
You can contact Rebecca at: rw2211@exchange.shu.ac.uk
Or explore her page on the Community Hub
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