After seventeen years of education, it’s one of those moments you have never really imagined you’d experience until you’re there in the situation yourself, but I couldn’t have asked for a better rounded, mind-blowing and ultimately more enjoyable experience than that which my course in Software Engineering has provided.
Putting my pen down after my final exam was greeted by firstly a wave of euphoria, a slight tinge of sadness – and then finally a huge wave of tiredness, as I headed home for what seemed like a well-earned nap!
By some twist of fate, the exam took place in the Annex Theatre on Highfield Campus which, if you’ve read any of my other posts, you’ll know has been a place I’ve spent probably far too much time in. I had to do my best not to get distracted by the reams of nostalgia-inducing show posters displayed all over the walls! But also quite fittingly, the exam took place just a few days before this, my 100th post for the Life at Southampton blog.
When I first started writing on here and keeping count of my posts nearly three years ago now, I don’t think I expected to be hitting triple figures, but as the experiences, stories and memories have flowed in, there’s been an incredible amount to write.
I’m lucky, therefore, to have had have some kind of avenue through which to write them down and share with everyone just how inspiring a place I’ve found, and continue to find, the University to be - so much so I’m still writing about it after three years.
I wouldn’t really know how to even begin articulating the effect of such a journey, so instead, I’ve tried to summarise a few highlights from each year, although this is really only scratching the surface – please feel free to have a look back through my posts to see plenty more!:
First Year (September 2011 – August 2012):
- Moved into Montefiore 4 Halls, learnt to budget for myself, bought (and burnt) my first self-cooked food, did my own laundry, and met my incredible flatmates, later to be my housemates of three years.
- Became overwhelmed by the Students’ Union (SUSU) Freshers’ Fayre and Bunfight, accidentally signing up to over 50 groups – eventually narrowed down to five!
- Acted at University for the first time, meeting many a theatrical great friend-to-be.
- Worked on a live SUSUtv broadcast to a national student audience within two weeks of arriving – crikey! – and acted in/presented several others.
- Took part in a pillow fight flash mob outside the Union.
- Watched the mighty Southampton FC at St Mary’s Stadium a few times as they gained promotion to the Premier League!
- Went to the London 2012 Olympics after the end of term – a truly unforgettable occasion.
- Undertook my first University assignments and exams – with many more to come!
Minutes into arrival at Southampton – I was incredibly nervous!
St Mary’s Stadium matches are rarely boring, to say the least!
Second Year (September 2012 – August 2013):
- The year when the performing bug really took hold: six shows, including one in the professional Nuffield Theatre on Highfield Campus, along with my first taste of the craziness of the charity 24 Hour Show (exactly what it says on the tin)!
- Got my first taste of the world of directing a show too – a very different, but equally satisfying experience (if not more so)!
- Undertook the step-up to Second Year in terms of the course – things get a bit more serious when assignments and exams count for slightly more, so it was great to have some momentum from First Year!
- Tried stand-up comedy for the first couple of times: a great experience and it seemed to go okay, but never have I been more terrified…!
- Had the honour of taking part in Open Day talks in the Nuffield Theatre with the Pro-Vice Chancellor – again, terrifying, but rewarding!
- The absolutely astounding experience of touring to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2013: from fundraising in Southampton to rehearsing in July, random trips to Bournemouth beach and film nights aplenty, to actually attending the Festival for the first time and participating in the largest arts event in the world with another magnificent group of friends. This trip really was something!
Being invited to be part of the Pro-Vice Chancellor’s Open Day talks in second year was a huge honour!
The first Gone Rogue Productions team I toured with to the Fringe, spawning innumerable memories and in-jokes!
Third Year (September 2013 – August 2014):
- The performing highlight of my Southampton career, where I got to direct my favourite text, Peter Shaffer’s thriller play Equus, which went on to receive 6 Daily Echo Curtain Call (the amateur awards for Hampshire) nominations including Best Director and Production of the Year – I’ve never worked with a more enthusiastic, creative and amicable team, and the result was something I’ll never forget!
- Took a first lead role on film with the award-winning SUSUtv drama The Society, learning how difficult film acting is in the process!
- Acted as the Chairperson of the 2013 Interactive Multimedia Systems Conference as part of a module, being granted a £1,000 budget to lead the organisation of an academic conference on Highfield Campus – talk about experience!
- Served a term on the SUSU Theatre Group committee as Webmaster, a fun experience in itself!
- More shows galore, and another amazing trip to the Edinburgh Fringe – this time featuring an on-screen BBC appearance on Great British Railway Journeys!
- The year of the Third Year Project (the Computer Science equivalent of a dissertation), in which I somehow merged the fields of theatre and image analysis to create an automatic video editor and attain a First – although I’m not sure how well it works!
- Third year: exams aplenty!
The cast and crew of Equus!
… and that we toured with to Edinburgh 2014!
Fourth Year (September 2014 – Just Now!):
- Had the honour of serving a term as President of Showstoppers (the musical theatre society), learning an incredible amount along the way about budgeting, strategic management, personal skills, and so much more… it’s been one heck of an experience!
- Also acted as Web Officer for Performing Arts as a whole!
- Probably the most humbling moment of my University career as I was awarded with the Award for Commitment to the Performing Arts at the recent PA Ball – thank you so much to everyone!
- Successfully took on the challenge of the Fourth Year Group Design Project with my team, attaining a First by designing a remote hearing test mobile phone application which we hope may form the basis of life-changing research elsewhere – crikey!
- Made a musical directing debut with The Drowsy Chaperone, which thankfully seemed to go down well!
- Performed for the final time with Theatre Group (Love Song in the Annex and Romeo & Juliet in the Nuffield!) and Showstoppers (Into the Woods) – all classic shows which I’ll never forget, and great ways to bow out!
- Exams, exams, exams!
The final Performing Arts Ball with some of the incredible friends I’ve shared University with – thanks guys! Credit: SU Photographic Society
And that’s omitting so, so much more – it really has been a packed Life at Southampton so far, and there’s plenty more to come before I graduate next month!
Freshers 2015/16 and beyond: you have so much to look forward to!
Robin
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