What a way to finish!

I’ve written before to say how, as the youngest of four siblings, there are some moments and occasions in life that you witness your older brothers and sisters going through, but never really imagine that one day, it’ll be your turn.

Standing in line on Wednesday last week to collect my graduation robes, an hour before the ceremony that would herald the closing stamp on life in education, was definitely one of those very moments – this was it!

It was with a weird sense of finality that I woke up on the morning and realised that, on that day, after four years of work at the University, I’d become “Robin Johnson MEng (Hons.)” or, in simpler terms, a Master of Software Engineering!

With all the incredible opportunities and experiences I’ve been lucky enough to take advantage of over my time here, it somehow felt like the day to depart would never really come, as if the student lifestyle would last forever!

Although my course finished a well over a month and a half ago, it seemed like the very first time that I’d realised this would be the end of my time in academia.

I was fortunate enough to finish with a fantastic graduation ceremony at a brilliant occasion, representative of the time I’ve been lucky enough to spend as a student here. Taking a day off from intensive rehearsals for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this year, I found myself waking up early to get suited and booted – I figured if ever there’s a day to look your sharpest, it’s your graduation day! – before being joined on campus in the morning by my girlfriend and a few members of my family, who’d braved the vast trek from the North to be there.

I was joined by my long-travelling family!

With my ceremony due to be the last on the day, we were able to enjoy a great lunch at a nearby restaurant, before relaxing around campus for a few hours and enjoying a coffee in the Students’ Union’s Bridge Bar café, watching the streamed ceremonies on the Union’s video wall. We drank in the sights of a thriving campus full of smartly-dressed students, parents, friends and relatives while waiting for the various services to open for my ceremony. With refreshment stands (including a Pimm’s tent!), photo booths and happy faces abound, Highfield Campus was a hive of celebratory activity as the achievements were recognised of hundreds of graduands – or “graduates”, now!

Taking advantage of the champagne reception after the ceremony!

Terrified that I would forget something, I made sure to have a checklist of timings well and truly prepared in advance, which proved a welcome relief on the day in combating any lingering nerves. This included exactly when and where to pick up guest tickets to the ceremony for my parents, hire robes to wear, rescue a travelling brother from the bus stop, as well as when to have photos taken which, with so many family members there with cameras, took up a decent time segment in itself – I certainly won’t run out of photos of the day in a hurry!

With cameras aplenty, there were loads of photos taken, of course!

Finally, it was time for the ceremony at the Turner Sims Concert Hall. A celebration during which the efforts of hundreds of students were applauded, I went into it with two goals: firstly, to not let my robes slip while walking on stage (they seemed to have a mind of their own beforehand!), and secondly, not to fall over!

My ceremony was also overseen by the Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education, whom I was lucky enough to have already met when taking part in his Open Day talks a couple of summers ago. This led to an interesting conversation about my theatrical exploits when walking up to meet him on stage – as well as a much-appreciated personal reference in his closing address (“I know at least one of you has taken a show to the Edinburgh Fringe”)! It was a great, if emotional, occasion, but one which I greatly appreciated being able to share with friends and family.

And so that’s that for my academic career in Southampton! Now a graduate, I’ve but one week left in the city before my commitments here are concluded, but what a week it promises to be.

On an entirely separate front, things have been all systems go in terms of preparation for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this year: rehearsing a show within three weeks, organising transport and travel, designing show elements, sourcing items, and basically trying to think through every single aspect of the show’s tour, it’s been a monumental task. But with our Southampton preview performances opening this week, we’re looking forward to seeing the end result – here’s hoping it goes down a treat!

Thank you, University of Southampton, for a truly unforgettable day, one which I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life; what a way to finish!

Robin