It's been over a month since I last blogged, and I apologize. But yes, here I am. I've been back home in Arnhem, NL for about a month now, I went back to Sunderland for three days for Graduation.
As most of you know, I have finished my undergraduate degree, graduating with a first-class degree in BA Public Relations. I'm very proud of myself, and I'm happy I was able to make my friends and family proud as well.
I will be lying if I said it wasn't a difficult process, especially in the final year. Although I never struggled, I knew that if I wanted to fulfil my dream of finishing with a first-class, then I needed to work my darn hardest in whatever task I was given. There were many days of procrastination and unbelievable laziness, but with help from my friends, and inspiration from my family I was able to buckle down and get on with the job when I was required to.
The last three years have been an incredible journey of self discovery. I know that sentence sounds so cliché, but it is so true. I am a very self-critical person, and I don't claim to be the best judge of my person, but I feel that over the last three years I have grown into a man, not just any man, but a man that I'm proud to be. I have learned a lot about my likes and dislikes, and I have been able to control the aspects of my behaviour that are, you could say, most contemptible.
The best part of my time at university however was the great friendships I developed, from all the folks at my church to folks doing my course. Perhaps my fondest memories are those I had with four people: Vishal Tripathi, Rotimi Kuforiji, Marta and William Cunningham.
I met Vishal in the first weeks as an undergrad, our friendship started with a mutual interest in media studies, he introduced me to Nando's as well. In the second year we lived together at Panns Bank and that was one of the most amazing years of my life. As friends we have been through ups and downs but I'm glad that no matter what came in between us we were smart and strong enough to overcome them.
I've known Rotimi, or as he's better known: Roach, since the first year as well, but our friendship really developed in the final year when he lived in the same flat as Vishal. We spent many a late night messing about and listening to new music and watching movies. What I'll miss most is visiting him late at night, sometimes past midnight and just staying up and recounting various jokes.
Brings me to Marta, or as I like to call her Smarta (evidenced by her multiple awards at Graduation) I've known her since my first year as well, in fact we were in the same course: Public Relations. In the third year she decided to abandon ship and switched to Media, Culture and Communications. I think it was in the third year that our friendship really peaked, we both had sleep issues so we'd be up at obsence times at night....on facebook. We began hanging out a lot more in the last few months at Nando's, parks, Sunderland beach, parties, bowling....and even going to an Iranian Women's Rights meeting. She's going to be doing a Masters in Media and PR in Newcastle University, the exact same thing I'm doing, so there's going to be a lot more hanging out.
And then William, I call him Will, Worm, Cunningham or his middle name: Andrei. We met at a party late in the my first year as an undergrad. Since then we noticed that we had so much in common in terms of personal philosophy, temperament and a love for poetry. We had the same circle of friends and so we began hanging out a lot more, we even went to some Socialist Party meetings together. Last April he came to Holland and we toured Amsterdam. In our final year we made a habit of going to the cinema every Wednesday.
He'll be going to the University of Edinburgh this September, so I'll definately be crossing the border often.
I'll leave you now with pictures from my graduation which was attended by my dad and my aunt.
Me with Dad and Aunt
Me and Marta
Rotimi, Marta and I
Vishal and I
