The Lyorn's Den

1. Did you enjoy your senior year of high school?
Yes. I was at a boarding school and in the last year we had significantly more independence, which I liked a lot. I mostly cooked all my own meals, for instance, and went for long walks on the hills when I had free afternoons. I had some nice friends and I found A-levels really pretty easy, so I did not do a lot of work. Also I had an unconditional university offer, which helped. Plus, I like doing exams and between mocks and A-levels (of which I did 5), there were a lot of exams.

2. Did you have a senior trip (high school) and were you able to go on it?
I don't think I went on any residential trips with school and I'm pretty sure we didn't have any day trips in U6, because of all the exams and university interviews and so on. I did have four interviews, at least two of which involved staying overnight.

3. Was graduating (from either high school or college/university) a big thing with your family or just another day?
Obviously I did not graduate from school because I was not at school in America. The last two days of the summer term were always the same: Sports Day (vile horror) and concert; church service, lunch, prize giving. Parents could come for all of it. Usually my father picked me up from school and if I'd won a prize he would come for the lunch and prize giving. In my last year, my mother came instead (my father went to my brother's school that year). It was a slightly bigger deal in the final year with a special tea and things. I won two prizes (physics and maths).

My university graduation was on a freezing and wet January day. The Oxford ceremony involves going outside halfway through, to change into your new gowns. We all came back in dripping wet, which is not a good look for a white-fur-trimmed hood. I hadn't planned to have graduation photos but my mum really wanted them, so my dad and I organised it in secret as a surprise for her. Except black and white are NOT my colours at the best of times, and cold and wet was not the best of times. I honestly look like I've died. She nobly still has the photo on display in their bedroom, but not anywhere other people have to look at it.

I graduated in absentia for my other degrees.
 

4. What were you looking forward to the most after graduating from either high school or college/university?
Well, after school I was most looking forward to university. After finishing university (not graduating, which didn't happen for another 8 months) I did not have a job and I was panicking a bit. I didn't really have anything specific to look forward to.

5. Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give your graduating self?
I would tell myself going up to university that although you'll find the first year fairly straightforward, it will get harder in the second year. This is not the moment to just stop doing any work. You can, in fact, do this, and it will be a lot easier on you if you don't wait until six weeks before finals to try and cram in everything from second and third year. Also, when Dr Jones tells you not to worry about the special papers, do not listen. You still need to pass those papers. Oh, and don't get too invested in Eldorado. It gets cancelled in less than a year.

I would tell myself leaving university that it all works out in the end. Just do the next right thing as it comes up, and trust God with the outcome.