I thought that I would talk about the fear that can sometimes be associated with living and studying far away from home. I’m hoping to maybe convince some potential students that the distance shouldn’t be so daunting. I’m originally from York so the distance between Cardiff and my home is pretty big, around a 5 hour car journey! I’ve found that although I’m far away from home I really enjoy being at Cardiff University as it can honestly be great to be so far away from home for a variety of reasons!

1. I know that living away from home has made me more independent as I  couldn’t rely on my family to look after me, do my  washing, cooking, cleaning etc. It can be difficult to remember to look after yourself as well as concentrating on your studies but it’s an important step into the real world. And remember they’re only a phone call away!

2. Living with a group of strangers is a great way to make new friends from different backgrounds. Especially if you’re living in halls, everyone is in the same boat, being a fresher is one of he best opportunities to make new friends that you’ll ever get. Everyone is thrust into a new environment and has to adapt to it together. Not to mention all the people you’ll meet on your course who will obviously share similar passions to you.

3. Where you go will always be different to your hometown. Cardiff is entirely different to York and I love it. Although York is a lovely place, there is so much more going on in Cardiff, loads of new opportunities, new sites to see, and a different culture to experience. I think that moving somewhere new is a great way to experience new things.

4. It’s a great chance to learn more about yourself, cheesy I know, but you’ll find that living away from home, without the influence of family and friends that you’re used to, you are able to grow as a person and really understand what you enjoy doing and what you’re passionate about.

5. You can prove to yourself that you can do whatever you want! Overcoming the fear of moving far away from family and friends is such a positive experience. I know that I felt proud of myself for taking such a huge step on my own.

I thought that I would talk about the fear that can sometimes be associated with living and studying far away from home. I’m hoping to maybe convince some potential students that the distance shouldn’t be so daunting. I’m originally from York so the distance between Cardiff and my home is pretty big, around a 5 hour car journey! I’ve found that although I’m far away from home I really enjoy being at Cardiff University as it can honestly be great to be so far away from home for a variety of reasons!

1. I know that living away from home has made me more independent as I  couldn’t rely on my family to look after me, do my  washing, cooking, cleaning etc. It can be difficult to remember to look after yourself as well as concentrating on your studies but it’s an important step into the real world. And remember they’re only a phone call away!

2. Living with a group of strangers is a great way to make new friends from different backgrounds. Especially if you’re living in halls, everyone is in the same boat, being a fresher is one of he best opportunities to make new friends that you’ll ever get. Everyone is thrust into a new environment and has to adapt to it together. Not to mention all the people you’ll meet on your course who will obviously share similar passions to you.

3. Where you go will always be different to your hometown. Cardiff is entirely different to York and I love it. Although York is a lovely place, there is so much more going on in Cardiff, loads of new opportunities, new sites to see, and a different culture to experience. I think that moving somewhere new is a great way to experience new things.

4. It’s a great chance to learn more about yourself, cheesy I know, but you’ll find that living away from home, without the influence of family and friends that you’re used to, you are able to grow as a person and really understand what you enjoy doing and what you’re passionate about.

5. You can prove to yourself that you can do whatever you want! Overcoming the fear of moving far away from family and friends is such a positive experience. I know that I felt proud of myself for taking such a huge step on my own.