I have just handed in 7 of the 8 essays that are due this semester. i have one more to go but i got an extension on that one so its ok. i have just had a lovely dinner with some friends of mine and it got me thinking about what i have gained from being at university.

I suppose i should first mention the education, which was mainly the reason i came to university. i have learnt an incredible lot- but i think more, i have learnt how to approach the information. i think when studying theology, maybe more so than other subjects, its not about what you learn but how you handle it. I am, always have been and always will be, an opinionated person. i make no apoligies for that, but i do apoligise for the way i share them sometimes. i realise that i can be overly aggressive and i'm dealing with it. i have learnt that when it comes to God, ethics, morality, the bible (add what you wish) that noone thinks the same but what's important is the journey's people go through to get to those opinions. no one has a thought without context or bias. it all means something more and reflects something deeper. some things i will never agree with you on, some things you will never see eye to eye with me, but i appreciate the time you give me to share them, to mull over them and to contradict them again at another time.

Secondly, i have gained incredible friendships with people from completely different walks of life and lifestyles who i would never have become friends with otherwise. And i am truly grateful for all of them. They are what gets me through this uni life- which can often be stressful and sometimes lonely. My housemates are complete gems who i could never live without. i am sure i annoy them sometimes as they annoy me but we know how to get over it and make each other laugh. when to hug and when to run away. living with other people has taught me alot about compromise and being a bit sensitive. uni would not be the same without these people.

Uni has taught me that i can stand up on my own two feet. that i can go some other place where i am completely on my own and make friends and sign contracts and pay bills and do shopping and write essays and handle debates and cook chicken and all those other things. i challenged myself when i began uni that if all i left with was a degree then i had failed because its not just about that. its about so much more. as of friday i am halfway through and that is soo scary!!! i'm almost grown up. But i am soo glad i've done it or doing it. its scary but its worth it!