No longer an undergraduate

Only yesterday it seems was I queuing up to get enrolled at university, staring at my shiny card and marvelling at how far away 2008 was, when my card was to expire. And here it is; at 1pm today, I completed my final undergraduate examination, and in about two months time from now I will officially be a graduate of the University of London, being allowed to put BA (Hons) (London) after my name.

So, university? It went so fast to be honest; even faster than my A levels, it seems. Time goes fast when you're having fun, or so they say. I must say I've had fun at university, thoroughly enjoyed the experience and am glad that my parents, teachers and friends were all so supportive both of my choice of university and course. I started off the course thinking I wanted to enter practical politics; I end it thinking it is the last career choice I would make.

It has certainly changed my life - it makes me more employable for a start, now that I have a degree - it has also changed many of my perspectives on life. I'd like to think I've become more open to and tolerant of other people's views, more articulate, more argumentative (didn't think that was possible!) and certainly more informed. I'm under no illusion that life's challenges still lay ahead, but certainly one bridge has been crossed; the rest will be crossed when we get there.

People have been put off university since they don't know what to expect; some people feel they won't fit in, others think they aren't clever enough, still others feel that working instead of studying is better. Having now become a grumpy old graduate, the one thing that I didn't know (or knew but didn't appreciate) and now do, is that you don't have to be overly intelligent or have an IQ of 140 to go to university. What you do have to be is hardworking, motivated and organised - I freely admit I was none of these things and hence will be achieving a degree that is decent (2.i) rather than excellent. There are friends of mine who aren't as intelligent as others, but because they are hardworking, have achieved better grades than the clever ones - because university isn't like school, where the class whiz knows all the answers.

I think I've ranted enough for now - but the message: go to university if you were thinking not to. It will, quite literally, change your life.