A Period of Change

When I arrived at Bangor University in September 2013, the concept of graduating was something that didn’t seem real. Three whole years is such a hefty chunk of time, it was impossible that the whole experience of university would fly by. But, it did. It’s now March 2016, and in just a few short months, I’ll (hopefully!) be donning the hat and gown and saying goodbye to student life forever.

While most of my friends are opting for some form of postgraduate education, I am moving back to the South Wales Valleys, to hopefully find some kind of job. As graduation looms, the fear of unemployment is definitely present. It’s something I have experience with, to put it gently, and it’s not something I want to relive.

I’ll write a different post about life in the Valleys soon, but for now I’ll just say that it’s not the best place to be for young people. The particular area I live in was home to three collieries, the last of which closed in 1989. Since then, the area has been pretty much abandoned on the job front. Only very recently are the employment figures starting to rise, and even then most of the jobs are factory related. More on that at a later date though.

For now, I have three months left at University. My dissertation (which also deserves its own post) is due in late April, then after that I have a few essays and an exam to turn in before it’s all over. This blog will chronicle the period of change as I move back home and settle in to the world of work.

As of right now, I’m hopeful that it’s going to be a positive experience.