Wonderful moments, new friends, achievements and growth
Growing up in an international school for the majority of my life meant that I was always aware I was going to be moving away for university. My friends were all planning to attend universities all around the world from Tokyo to Toronto, and I was no different. While England had always been on my mind as an option, it was after a week-long trip I took for my theatre class in my final year of high school that I knew I had to be near London. After a week of theatre workshops and walking through those busy streets filled with glowing West End shows, my heart was set. And then I came across a university less than an hour away that offered a course in Drama and Creative Writing, and I knew that was where I needed to be.
Even through a website screen, Royal Holloway looked gorgeous. It was a cosy campus university in a lush green forest, close enough to London for many a day trip and with a thriving student community with endless things to get involved in, and I couldn’t have been more excited. My dad and I drove up to campus all the way from Germany, and it wasn’t until we had pulled up the hill and I saw our gorgeous Founders building for the first time that everything actually felt real. I still remember that first day moving in as if it was yesterday - the endless boxes, the unfamiliar campus, hugging my dad tightly knowing that I was by myself for the very first time.
Since that day I’ve now done two years of university, and it’s been one of the best decisions I’ve made. My course has given me the opportunities to explore my passions in a variety of different ways - learning more about the theory and getting to practice my playwriting and fiction writing skills through the creative writing side, and getting to collaborate on original performances like plays and musicals, as well as getting to direct on the theatre side. Both of my cohorts are very small, with classes that are mainly held in a workshop and seminar format, which means I get to know all of my classmates and my professors very well. There are also no exams, just a lot of coursework, assignments and performances, which means far less stress studying and an easier workload to manage.
Through university I’ve also gotten to take part in many incredibly exciting extracurriculars and societies, like getting to do publicity and social media for shows and for committees, getting to write and direct my own pieces through scratch theatre nights, choreographing and performing in different dances, performing in original productions and student films and even getting to go to the Edinburgh fringe. There are endless possibilities when it comes to societies and groups to get involved in, and it’s such a great way of making friends and going outside of your comfort zone.
Another great thing about studying abroad was getting to see and explore more of England. I’ve been lucky enough to take quite a few trips to London and see some amazing shows, museums and simply wander around, and to see the gorgeous views of Windsor and Oxford and Brighton all within a short train journey. Egham itself is also very cosy, with the gorgeous Virginia Water park close by.
Everyone says that time in university passes quickly, and looking back I wish that 18 year old had believed that a little more. My first two years at university passed in what feels like a flash, filled with many wonderful moments, new friends and achievements and growth. I’ve gotten so many amazing opportunities throughout my time here, developed as a creative and as a person, and most importantly I’ve gotten to meet many amazing people who are now some of my absolute best friends, and whom I couldn’t be more grateful for.
As I’m sitting back in my childhood bedroom home for the summer, I can’t wait for my third year to begin. So for anyone wondering or considering taking that leap of faith and going off to study in England - I say absolutely do it. It’s one of the best decisions I could’ve made, and every time I sit on my campus on a sunny day I still can’t quite believe it’s real.
- Anastasia