Author: George Baker
Reflecting on my University Experience
A few weeks ago, in a somewhat grand ceremony, I officially graduated from the University of Birmingham with a BSc in Computer Science. Not an easy feat in the best of times, however, the past three years really weren’t the best of times. My ‘university experience’ was split in half by a global pandemic which caused three national lockdowns. The consequences for university students like me: societies, sports teams, face-to-face lectures, and supposedly some of our greatest years, all gone…
After struggling to find people who shared my interests at secondary school, I was relishing the opportunity to make lifelong friends and develop myself at university. When I arrived, the Guild of Students provided over 300 societies to fuel any niche (including a Tea Society), giving me the chance to pursue photography (a hobby I continue to enjoy to this day).
The infamous first week after moving in—‘freshers week’— was extremely hyped up by both the university and the Guild; so much so that I purchased their £75 ticket for five ‘official’ events, of which I went to one, and later regretted. I met hundreds (maybe thousands) of people in freshers week, and the vast majority of those people I never saw again.
Although I went to university in my home city, I decided to move into halls rather than live at home; this proved a wise decision. Even though my flat didn’t gel (none of us kept in touch or stayed living together), the independence I gained from living away from my parents and close to other students enabled me to gain key life skills and confidence.
As it turned out, all the close friendships I made were with fellow computer science students: perhaps this is because of our shared love of technology, or just the fact that we worked on many assignments together.
I also found that even though I didn’t drink at all, nobody really cared. In fact, it enabled me to experience things as they were without any filter; it turns out, a lot of the ridiculous alcohol culture and ‘initiation ceremonies’ are either boring or seriously questionable.
After completing the first semester, I was really starting to settle in to university life. However, in March 2020—six months after I had started—coronavirus sent the world into lockdown. Even when it became apparent that the UK would experience an outbreak, I naively thought that we’d all lock ourselves at home for a couple of weeks and then the scare would be over. Evidently, I didn’t expect it would last for two years when I packed just one month’s worth of clothes to take back home with me during my ‘escape’.
It feels wrong to say, but I’ll admit that I was quite excited during the first lockdown: at last, I get to personally experience a major world event. I remember that overnight, the international students—especially those from China—disappeared. Clearly their families had told them how bad things really were. At first, I was relishing the ‘benefits’: no exams! I can stay at home and watch TV all I want! In fact, all I had to do to pass my first year was to spend an afternoon creating a simple blog app.
The novelty quickly wore off… I can safely say that the second lockdown—during my second year—was the worst period of my life. Here I was supposed to be having the best years of my life, stuck inside four walls that quickly felt like a prison. I went through a major depression feeling like my life was being stolen away from me. On the flip side, this period was also the catalyst for some major life changes: I ditched relationships that weren’t working and went into therapy, perhaps the best decision of my life. This enabled me to use my third year—when things went back to ‘normal’—to explore myself and fully experience ‘university life’.
During my third and final year, I threw myself into new things: tennis, photography, even karate. The misery of lockdown prompted me to make sure that I absolutely made the most of the short rest of my time at university. I learnt not to be held back by what other people might think and to prioritise my own needs. I started dating, and I now have a wonderful girlfriend.
Academically, I was challenged, pushed to do my best work, and rewarded at the end with a 2:1 (after inadvertently picking some of the most difficult third year modules). I learnt that AI is just probability, that nobody knows if P=NP, and how to write “Hello, World!” in about ten different programming languages. I realised that computer science students are mostly normal and also incredibly smart.
During my final year project, I even conducted my own research
into conformity on social media, and if you really want to, you can read my dissertation here (no longer available).
(though I’m not sure why you would).
I started university as a shy and anxious teenage boy, and I’m leaving a confident young adult ready for the next challenge. Having my university experience disrupted by the pandemic made it even more of a challenge; however, my cohort and I got through it and showed incredible resilience in the hope that some day, life would be back to normal. And when it did, I can safely say that I made the most of my final year, getting involved with sports clubs and societies, and going to (just a few) parties! I’ll never forget the university, the people I met, and the journey I went through. Whatever is next, I’m now ready for it!