Well… I’m here!

I am now officially a student at Glyndwr University! Today is the start of Freshers Week (last week was pre-freshers, and while it was awesome, I really am looking forwards to this week!) and we had a matriculation ceremony today which was a bit extravagant but I guess it’s a big thing. I’m here now for two weeks and then I’ll go home for the weekend maybe, but I really am enjoying it. All the independence is a little overwhelming at first – having to do things like cook and wash up and empty bins for yourself every day is actually more difficult to get used to than I was expecting, but the biggest thing is shopping! I’m not used to doing grocery shopping and I keep forgetting things, but I think I’m doing alright.

I love my room; it’s big and airy and not a horrible colour, and it’s en-suite too. I’ve got all my little home comforts set up – my playstation, my teddies, all my pictures – and I really do like it. When my camera is properly charged, I’ll get some pictures up on here. My course sounds really good, even though the hours are so long! Thankfully the classes are right opposite my accommodation, so it’s not like I have a huge walk in a morning to get there, but it still seems really long – and that’s without the elective I have to take too! That doesn’t start until January, thankfully.

I do miss my family and especially Daf, but I think it’ll get easier as the time goes on, and I am going to see them regularly. I think uni has to be an individual experience – if someone wants to stay until Christmas with no visits home, good for them, but if I want to go home every so often, that’s my choice. Thankfully no-one’s been funny about it, which is good. My best friend from college is up here doing the same course, and I saw her today and we’re going to the school uniform party tonight, which should be fun! I’ve managed to get drunk a couple of times quite badly, and I’m not sure I want to repeat it quite that bad – I’ll still drink, just not as much!

So that’s it for now really. Sorry it’s been a while since I updated, everything really is mad! It’s hard to believe how far I’ve come in the past few years, from not thinking I’d even manage to complete my GCSEs to having done pretty well in my A Levels and now being at university, doing a course that sounds amazing, making new friends and having a great time!

Results Day is edging nearer…

Yes indeed, results day for A Level students across the UK (and anywhere else in the world that A Levels are studied) is getting closer – I think it may be 26 days to go – and I’ll admit, I’m getting a bit nervous. I mean, I’m sure I’ve done ok in my A Levels – I don’t think I’ve failed any of them – but have I done enough to get into university? That’s the thing I’m really concerned about. My entry requirements are pretty low, so if I miss those I don’t think any university will let me in!

Still, I have plenty to be getting on with to distract me. I’m aiming to try and do that 4 mile walk as much as possible, and maybe even to extend it (at the minute I’m walking the long way down to the beach, jogging along the beach and back and then walking back up, but I think eventually I want to start walking/jogging first into the neighbouring village and down to the beach, and then to the nearest town and back (an 11 mile round trip, apparently). Still, this weekend I’m a busy bee, tonight I’m singing at a kids’ party and tomorrow I’m going to Caernarfon Castle. I don’t want to lose steam though, so on Monday I’ll force myself out of my onesie (on second thoughts, it should probably go for a wash before that), into my training vest and off for another walk/jog I go.

Remember, you can sponsor me at http://www.justgiving.com/madison-matthews , and even if you can’t sponsor me, please share the link with as many people as possible, it’s a really important cause to me and you can see why if you check out my page.