There’s a tingling in my stomach, I don’t feel hungry, but I’m starving, and I have lost count of the number of times I’ve visited the toilet! From this you would probably assume I was ill. But, I am in fact preparing myself for an Open day at Winchester University. And it’s a mix of nerves and excitement overwhelming me that is also making me pick up a pen to put in my pencil case knowing full well that there are 5 in there already. So after bidding farewell to Dan and the girls I merrily skipped out the front gate and off down the street.
The trip itself went like clockwork and I gave myself a pat on the back for arriving at Gosport ferry just in time to step aboard as she set sail for Portsmouth dock, followed by arriving at Portsmouth train station 15 minutes before my train departed. I tried to psychically thank the train driver too when we arrived 30 minutes early for my meeting at Winchester. As I disembarked the train though I discovered my printed directions were useless in reality, so I began walking in the general direction of the University, cleverly using the sun and the rail way line to navigate. My theory was as long as I don’t cross it I will eventually stumble across the Uni. (Assuming I was on the correct side already of course). As I picked up a steady pace I noticed a group always one road ahead of me, until I reached a dead end. The options from here were to go through a cemetery or up a steep curved hill and unfortunately the group I seemed to be following had disappeared, so I turned right and began the climb. Yep I’m a chicken and would endure any Mount Everest over walking through a grave yard – even in daylight!
Just as my legs were cursing me for being such a chicken I caught sight of the group half way up the hill. They had stopped and were looking around like a family of Meerkats looking for danger. I quickly caught them up and discovered they too were lost looking for the Uni. For some reason, maybe so they wouldn’t think I had been following them or had chickened out of going through the grave yard, I said I knew the way. What was I thinking!? I’m going off my instinct, which has nearly always taken me miles in the wrong direction in the past. To save myself even more embarrassment I quickly offered to go on ahead of the group and let them know when (if) I found the Uni. I began the climb again, kicking myself, especially when I reached the summit and could only see a Prison and a Hospital! Turning left I started to think about how mad these people would be when I had led them miles away from the Uni. And worse still my weary legs were screaming that they would not be able to run from a beating. Thankfully not far up the road I spotted the lovely blue sign of “Winchester University West Downs Campus” Phew! My legs and pride were spared this time. I waved back to the group like an excited explorer having just discovered the treasure, and they waved back in appreciation, then I quickly shot down the road and into the campus to get lost in the crowds.
After the introductory speech I found myself in a group of 12 people and noticed all were teenagers being escorted by one or both of their parents. I took solace in walking alongside the guide and chatting about her course, which coincidently was the same course I was hoping to study. During the tour the rest of the group didn’t utter a word and marched around like robots. I decided to ask questions about the accommodation, even though I wouldn’t be using it, just so the guide didn’t feel obsolete, which I think she appreciated.
Thankfully I managed to lose this bunch of robots at the shuttle buses to the Kind Alfred Campus, but it was short lived as I was grouped together with a different bunch of robots and their robot parents at the other end! More tours of the campus followed and yet again I found myself asking the most questions. Eventually I arrived back at the Stripe for a lecture on my course and picked up a rainforest’s worth of leaflets and booklets. On my way out of the building I also scored myself a Winchester University pen to accompany the bag, books and now leaflets I had collected along the way.
I walked out the door of the Stripe, cup of tea in one hand and a chocolate muffin in the other and started my journey back home. On the way back to the train station, via the town centre (done deliberately- not getting lost and stumbling across it accidently...honest!) I noticed Winchester University signs pointing back in the direction I had come and kicked myself for not spotting these earlier in the day! But I chuckled to myself and walked on – It wouldn’t have been fun if I hadn’t made an arse of myself in some way. I reminisced over my day and in between snoozing on the train I thought about the next challenge ahead of me. I need to write an outstanding Personal Statement if I want to stand any chance of getting into this great Uni. And if I manage it I will of course post it on here so you can have a good laugh at me trying to big myself up.
