41 INDEPENDENCE IS NO LONGER A NOVELTY BY PIP TURNER INDEPENDENCE IS NO LONGER A NOVELTY INTERVIEWS The main difference of second year, in comparison to first year (at my university at least), was that my grades counted towards my degree. This gave everything a more pressurised feeling in comparison to the languid feel of drifting through first year. Independence is no longer a novelty; it is instead the norm. Independence and time management are perhaps the glue that sticks my second year together. I am writing this a couple days before the second semester’s exams commence, and in retrospect I would say the thing that most helped me through second year was not completely disregarding my studies during first year. As the year has gone on, I have seen many people who in first year did not put the effort in and suffered because of this – their consequence was failed or lowly graded modules and the looming spectre of having to retake the year – not an attractive thought when you remember that each year of uni places you in upwards of £9000 worth of debt. However, in regards to my studies, second year has been a lot more interesting. Instead of focusing on the basics of the subject, my degree began to let me choose specialised modules for the topics I found most compelling. Reflecting on my past education, I feel like this is perhaps the thing I most appreciate about the education system – we are equipped with a wide array of skills and slowly given the option to specialise in the subjects we enjoy, from the slight choices of GCSE, to the intensive A Levels, to University, my field of study has narrowed, but my enjoyment increased. Outside of studying, I have also enjoyed the wider sense of responsibility from living in private accommodation. In Aberystwyth, it is almost a rite of passage to move into town in second year, finding a house that best suits you and your housemates. Gone are the routine inspections, 3AM fire alarms caused by someone’s straighteners letting off a little too much steam and the constant hum of student accommodation. In their place is the ever-present guilt that somewhere out there, a neighbouring house secretly hates you, coupled with a 10-20-minute walk up the hill to the campus – something which is not very enjoyable in the murky mornings of winter. However, there are also friendly neighbourhood cats, which makes the whole experience a lot happier! My course also offered me the opportunity to look for an “industrial placement” – a year out working for a relevant company to build up your knowledge and gain insight into the standards the real world requires. Not only is this a great opportunity to get a job and bolster my CV, but it forced me to build my CV to a polished level and learn how to prepare for job interviews. I would highly recommend any prospective student to take an industrial year – even if you fail in gaining a job, the benefits and experience of applying for jobs is more than worth it. In reflection, if I were to give any advice to current students of Handsworth Grammar, it would be to enjoy learning. That may sound like a bizarre idea – School is perhaps the very opposite to where many students want to be I’m sure, but don’t disregard the opportunity in front of you. Handsworth Grammar offers a great opportunity to learn about things you will never have the chance to so easily learn about again. Learning, whilst perhaps being restricted by often bizarre and nonsensical systems isn’t always necessarily a boring process, something many teachers at Handsworth Grammar often tried to impress on me. If you’re interested in a subject, research it out of lesson time, push yourself to understand more. It’s not a bad thing to enjoy a subject. I personally am looking forward to either continuing into my third year or into an industrial placement – both give me opportunities to expand my knowledge in areas I find genuinely enjoyable.