My last day as a student

Today marks my last day as a university student, or a student in general.
My university student card expires on this day.

Mixed feelings. Bittersweet. Redemption, relief, anxiety, sadness, melancholy...

I started going to primary school in Greece when I was six years old. I remember how excited I was to learn the alphabet, the tool of the writer. I immediately started keeping a diary and then writing stories, and later poems and lyrics. Primary school was easy and fun, and then not so much fun when the school shut down and I had to transfer to a bigger one. Then senior school was ok, I was reading a lot of literature at the time, and I started learning about all sorts of different subjects at school. High school was when I started questioning the knowledge passed on by the teachers and books, and when my ability to think critically really evolved and started shaping the person I am today. Then, came prep school to get to uni. Next year, off I went to uni in Greece. Two years of learning things I wasn't sure I was interested in. I decided to go to the UK to study music. To push myself to do that which I have always loved. My time as a music student was eye opening. I learned, I lived, I experienced, I grew, I lost myself and I found me again. After that I took a gap year to decide what I should do next. Then, off I went to my masters degree. Little did I know these would be the hardest three years of my life. I went through trauma, mental breakdowns, I learned, I rediscovered myself, I improved my research and writing skills and I became an adult. Yes, at almost 28 years old I became an adult.

Overall, I've spent 21 years of my life in education. And that chapter of my life is coming to an end today.
I'm not sure what the future holds. The future is terrifying territory for me.

What I'm sure of is that being in education helped me become the best version of myself. It helped me become aware. It provided me with the tools I need to be a decent human being. And not necessarily because of the teachers, even though I encountered a few of them that were exceptional -not a majority unfortunately. It was my effort, my resilience and research that gave me the tools, but had I not had education as a platform, I doubt I'd have ever made that effort and engaged in such research.

So, if you ever have the chance to go to college, university, or anything similar, grab it. Make sure to use that time creatively, meaningfully, lose yourself, find yourself, do crazy shit, learn crazy shit, question everything, and above all,  _________ .
No, I ain't telling you that part. That is for you to discover yourselves.

Just fly,
Lara

University Life Diary I

I created this blog a couple of years ago to share my experiences, views and randomness with anyone that was interested in reading them.

Lately I've been feeling intense pressure from Uni. I've been studying non stop. I've been sleep deprived. I've lost weight because I didn't eat at all.

I was expecting the Christmas break with all my might hoping to get some rest and spend sometime with my family and friends in Greece. 

Being a student in London -especially when you're a foreigner- isn't an easy task. Not only shall you speak English well enough to support your academic studies but you shall also be aware of the 'etiquette' British people follow in their everyday lives.

When I left Greece for the first time, when I left Athens for the first time to chase my dream in music I thought London was the place to be. I -as most foreigners do- considered London to be a paradise of all sorts. London is a marvelous city. It's Europe's metropolitan centre. You can find anything you can imagine there. There are so many choices, so many different people. You can visit exquisite museums, parks and monuments. 

Nevertheless when you live in London for more than a year you'll realise shortly that this is the 'glossy' side of London. Rent is too high, studying fees are too high, living expenses are beyond high and traveling expenses are ridiculously high. You'll probably wonder in which criteria this conclusion is based on. I am Greek, therefore I compared Greek prices to British prices. Yes, I know this is stupid as British people get paid more than Greek people do. I, though, pay my university fees, living and traveling expenses with money coming from Greece. So for me, London is too expensive. Actually most non British university students consider UK, especially London, a very expensive place.

Londoners are quite uptight, gloomy and you will see many are addicted to alcohol. That was totally different from the mediterranean attitude and way of life I was used to. The weather has a lot to do with it. It's either raining/snowing or being foggy and cloudy. I remember during my first year in London when some people in the halls said 'It's so sunny outside!'. I looked out of my window to see the sun. Yes, you could see the sun, but there were also clouds around it. In Greece when it's sunny it's Sunny.

The most striking difference to me is the food. I think British people eat anything without really caring for the taste, the quality. As far as I am concerned this is blasphemy. :P Food is to be enjoyed. I love cooking and of course eating my mom's food! I love Greek taverns where you can go with your friends and family, talk for hours while eating without any rush. It's even better when the tavern is near the shore and you can see, hear and smell the sea.

I knew comparing two completely different countries wouldn't lead anywhere so I soon stopped. 

The problem was that I still couldn't imagine myself residing in London for ever. Well, I can't imagine myself reside anywhere for ever, but I couldn't even imagine living in London for ten years.

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate what London, what UK has given to the world. Especially when it comes to music. So many genres originated there or got their signature sound there.

I understand better now why even though I think London is a cool place, I wouldn't want to live there for a long time. It can be a bit 'too much' sometimes.

Why am I studying in London then? Because UK universities force you to study a lot. Because their equipment is fucking brilliant! When you study in UK don't expect to have amazing tutors that will guide you through your studies. A couple of your tutors will be alright, most of them will suck ass, but one or two will be superb. However you have to guide yourself through uni. You have to sweat if you want to get good grades. You're paying so you better put that money to some good use.

Plus when in London you are the first one to find out everything that's happening in the music industry -compared to the rest of Europe at least.

I have to admit that thanks to London my music horizons expanded beyond imagination! I challenged myself a lot and surpassed many of my limits. I doubt that could ever happen if I was studying music anywhere in Greece.

London gives you creative freedom; not limitless, but plenty.

The reason why I started writing this article is a panic attack I got this morning when I realised how much studying I got to do.
Well, I already knew deep inside. It's not that I haven't been studying during the Christmas break. It's just that my room in Halls is the only place in the world right now I can concentrate on a whim. When I sit on my black leather chair, in front of my black and white desk, in my black and red room in Athens I just can't concentrate.
I'm reading the same thing for hours without understanding what I'm reading. A playful sun ray catches my attention as it's coming through my shutters. I can hear neighbours shouting to each other from their balconies. Their chatting, gossiping, flirting. . . I know my dad is listening to his little old radio, smoking half a cigarette and drinking a tiny glass of his own red wine. And I know my mom is working on the ground floor -she's an aesthetician. When I'm studying in my uni halls room, I know it's either rainy or cold outside. I know my neighbours are either studying or drinking.

I know many foreigners that study in London and have no friends. They just go there to study. They don't go out or have fun. I feel really lucky I met the people that are my 'London family'. They're Italian, Spanish, Brazilian, Jamaican, Cypriot, Greek, Indian. . . I think the reason why I'm having a good time in London is them. Otherwise I would be a miserable misanthropist locked in my room all day.

Thank you guys!

Love, Peace,

and Coke Zero,

Lara