From Bangor to the Big City: why change works
What happens when you’ve chosen your university and your course, but life takes a turn and you need more family and friend support around you? Our scholar Charly initially didn’t realise she could transfer university but making that big change has helped her get back on track with her degree.
After studying a foundation year in Anthropology at Goldsmiths in London, I wanted to move in a different direction – a BA in Creative Writing – and was accepted onto a course at the University of Bangor in North Wales. I really enjoyed my first year there. As a Londoner, being in new surroundings and amazing scenery really did me good. The university itself is grand, like something out of the Harry Potter books, set in the midst of mountains and ethereal nature. Being out of the big city also offered far fewer distractions and more time to focus.
Towards the end of my first year, however, I split up with my partner, which left me wondering whether to continue at Bangor, without the support of friends and family, or transfer back to London and find another university for my second year. It was a hard decision. I was enjoying the course so much and didn’t want to give it up, but I also wanted my support network back. I had assignments to do and was nearly at breaking point, trying to balance working, studying and dealing with the emotional upheaval. The staff at Bangor were extremely sympathetic and caring during this anxiety-riddled time and I was very proud to find out that, despite it all, I had completed my first year successfully.
‘Always be grateful to have lived there’
I decided in the end to ask for a transfer but was at a complete loss of how it would work. Fortunately, Bangor gave me an amazing referral and helped me with the steps needed to move to the University of Greenwich, my first choice. Better still, they accepted me.
And so I went into second year without knowing anyone or any of the new modules on offer. I hadn’t even had a chance to visit Greenwich University properly. It also meant transferring my probation arrangements, but it was a risk that I was willing to take.
‘Even now, I am a little overwhelmed’
Fast forward a few months, and I have managed to complete probation, find suitable accommodation in North London and navigate being the ‘new student’. As I regularly started attending lectures and workshops, I began to settle in. It is completely different from Bangor. The classrooms are a lot bigger. There are many more students, and the buildings in Greenwich are huge in comparison, complete with the concrete jungle of London on my doorstep. Even now, I am a little overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle of everyday city life.
If a transfer is something you are considering, what I can tell you is that it is absolutely doable, with the right support and decision-making. Looking back, I don’t regret the impulsivity of moving to a new place, especially somewhere as rural as North Wales. I had been craving change after my prison sentence had ended, and happened to have that rare opportunity, which I took.
I am still to some extent adjusting to Greenwich. Back in Bangor, I had made strong bonds with my personal tutors, which gave me support and confidence to thoroughly engage with my classes. I do not yet feel as connected to my current lecturers and have some slight doubts about my second year modules. The transition back to London has also caused a bit of a creative block, but recently I have been working on myself and healing properly. As for the future, after graduation, I would love to get into a writing job of some sort, or perhaps something in film combined with art. Although, then, I am still adjusting to the change, change for the better is also sometimes a necessity.