Getting ready for graduation and all the feelings that come with this
Getting ready for graduation and all the feelings that come with this
I have been studying at BNU for almost 3 years - 3 academic years that have changed my life forever. So where did all this start?
When I was 18 I was offered the job of a lifetime, I moved to the seaside and worked for Butlins in the bar and restaurant section, which was a big and crucial part of my life. I learnt how to live by myself, how to share a room, share a kitchen and how to manage my money. I left Butlins in 2020 just before the pandemic went into full swing and I started studying here at Buckinghamshire New University in September 2020. I moved into Brook Street and met my amazing flatmates, since we were still in the pandemic, I never thought my first year was what university was supposed to feel like, only when restrictions started to ease did we manage to do stuff together like head to London and go on walks around Buckinghamshire.
My Flatmates became my closest friends in my first year. We often cooked together and had what I liked to call 'mother's meetings’ in the hallway. I learnt a lot in first year, I was encouraged on my course to start looking on the areas I enjoyed photographing. This is when I started to draw on my photographic strength which was street photography.
In my second year, I moved into Alexandra House, where I had a studio room and I have been here for 2 years, I became a student warden to help with the cost of my rent. As well as this I started to get involved in more university activities, like the Anime and Cosplay Society. Here I was on the committee and because suddenly covid was over, I was able to have lots of different opportunities such as Photographing Cosplay. When I started in my first year I said to my course leader, I will never photograph portraiture and here I am 3 years later, and cosplay portraiture has ended up being my final major project!
Now I am about a week away from my last deadline, my dissertation is due in, and I'm overwhelmed by all of these emotions and I just don't know what to do with them! The other day my photobook arrived, and I just sat there, and cried, all my hard work over the last 8 months was put into a 22-page magazine and I just said to myself 'that's it'. As you may be able to tell it’s a really confusing, scary, unknown, fulfilled, proud and exciting time.
I'm counting down the days until my exhibition as a final-year photography student, and I'm counting down the days until I get to continue my education journey, but I will never forget my experiences here at BNU, the teachers I have met and who have motivated and supported me, and my amazing friends and co-workers who I will have a friendship with for life.
Some come to university not knowing what they want, I have been a freelance photographer since I was 17 years old when I got my first gig shooting a wedding. I knew I wanted to be a photographer but three years on after growing and specialising in certain areas, I have made the decision to move to Yorkshire to do a masters in art history. Taking a sideways step with photography, but still understanding how this degree is going to help me with my future career goals.
Today I stand tall being able to say:
"I am Victoria Winson, valedictorian for BNU's Art and Design School Graduating class of 2023, and because of BNU, in September I'll be going on to study my master’s degree, getting me one step closer to my career goals."
There Is no guide for how to feel when you're graduating, but just feel proud of everything you have done to get to where you are now because I know I am.