From modelling to beach BBQs, performing Shakespeare in drag in an outdoor theatre to being taught by a round-house slam poetry winner and Oscar-nominated writer, to meeting some of my favourite people, my first year has been an experience I will treasure forever.
Moving to uni is a scary and overwhelming experience for almost everyone; however, coming to uni in the year your younger sister would be starting is a whole different story! In 2024, I did just that, becoming a first-year BA (Hons) Creative Writing student at AUB as a mature student – I was so nervous I’d be seen as out of place, or I wouldn’t find people I connected with because of the age gap (I was 21).
How I discovered AUB
For context, I have no A-levels, having had to drop out due to health reasons. I didn’t think I would ever get to go to uni. For four years, I was out of education and the whole time, I’d been looking for something that fit, yet nothing did. I decided to pursue working abroad and signed up for Camp America, which led to me being a camp counsellor in the stunning mountains of North Carolina for the summers of 2023 and 2024. As much as I loved the job, the time away made me re-evaluate my life, and I realised that I was dreading going back to full-time work in customer service. Through journaling and long chats with friends, I realised I still had so many dreams I hadn’t touched in forever. After my first summer, I started writing seriously again and looked into applying for uni.
I’d had my sights set on AUB since I was 16, after stumbling across it on the UCAS website. At the time, I had a conditional offer from Cambridge for English Lit, and was set on going there, but something in me kept telling me I would end up at AUB. So, years later, I went straight for it! I contacted the admissions team and looked into redoing my A-levels. I sent them some of the online courses I was considering (all pretty pricey!) Doing these would delay me for another year or two, but I was determined. My course looked incredible – created by James Cole, a published author in the field, with industry professionals coming in regularly to network and share their experience. Plus, it was situated within AUB, which is a mini-industry where collaboration opportunities are abundant!
After several emails, one of the members of the admission team explained that I was eligible to apply under extenuating circumstances. That email changed my life, and, since this realisation had come only a few weeks before applications closed, I scrambled to prepare. My portfolio was finished in a week, my personal statement in a weekend and, to my shock and delight, both were accepted!
How it's been going
Many months later, I’m nearing the end of my first year. It’s been a wild ride! I needn’t have worried about not fitting in, because the niche-r, nerdier and more creative you are, the better.
I can genuinely say that AUB has the most welcoming environment of any space I’ve been in, and everyone is so nice and excited about self-expression! You cannot go a week here without someone complimenting your shoes, hair or artwork. I do sometimes feel a bit older, but that is usually fleeting and caused by obscure internet references or memes I don’t get. My friends here also vary in age – from 18 to 26! And it can be nice being the one who knows how to work a washing machine or what to ask when contacting landlords.
Even if it wasn’t the original plan, I am so glad I had to wait to go to uni. It has meant that my time at AUB has felt very intentional, and I get involved in far more things than I would’ve at 18. I have that extra level of confidence that comes with experience, which has been invaluable in my creative work and networking.
My one piece of advice
Whatever your journey is, I implore you to choose what is right for you. If that means waiting, then I guarantee you’ll be in a better position to start when you do. Things come to you when you need them, and it is never too late to try something new or change your mind!
