Patience...

Happy Friday? 

I hate the 'P' word. 

Patience. 

I have a friend named Patience and I do not hate her. I love her to the moon and back but I'm talking about the virtue, patience. 

Since coming back from Europe on Monday, I have been seriously struggling with not only readjusting to American culture but with having patience with what is to come. 

Whilst I was on the plane flying back across the pond to the states, I had resolved in my mind that Operation: Kingston was about to be in full swing. Applying to loans, scholarships, sponsorships; the works. Then when I tried to actually do things, it turned out that I had to wait. 

In fact, everything that I need to do can't be done until March or April. 

WHAT?!?

I am the type of person that wants to be ahead of the game. I want to be the one who already has answered the question before it is asked and have things done before someone even thinks of doing it. I like being efficient and damn practically precognitive. For me, being timely means being down to the wire. I'm the person who is always ridiculously early to an important event. It's just who I am and completely in my nature. However, with Kingston, I can't be that way. 

This brings me back to patience. It is indeed a virtue but it is not one that I possess in abundance. I have to, now, come to a point where I have to be patient with the things I want to get finished with and look at the little things before the big things like paying for tuition or paying for my accommodations. I have to look at things like saving money, spending quality time with my family and friends, writing, making the most of my time here in the states so when it comes time to get the big things sorted through, I don't have to feel overly pressed by other things that I would have otherwise overlooked. 

My advice to you is to have a bit of patience. Whether you are waiting for your offer or you already have your offer in hand. Have patience and pay attention to the little things. I have 8 or 9 months left in the states before I move to England, that seems like a long time but it's scary how quickly it will pass and I don't want to be at the beginning of August wondering what I did with all of my time. 

That's it from me today! I hope you aren't stressing during this time of transition! The first date for UCAS application deadlines has passed so there are LOADS of you guys who are waiting on pins and needles for an offer. Don't worry! Universities will see your effort and take that into consideration. You can do this! :)

Steven.

P.S. If you haven't voted for me for blogger of the month you totally shoulddddd! The link is in the right sidebar at the top! You should also follow me on twitter! @ssharpeminor

And lastly, if you want to read about my trip to Europe, I have written part one of it on my personal blog HERE! Bye!! :) 

DEADLINE DAY!

Happy Tuesday!!! 

Today is the day for you to send in your application for uni! Please do not put it off any longer and do not feel overwhelmed. 

The first step is hitting that 'ok' button and it's such a relief when you do. 

The journey is just beginning!! 

Just wanted to send that short little message out to you all and hope you are doing well. 

Just as an update with me, I am in Paris! I've been travelling across Europe the past 7 days and it has been lovely. I went and saw Kingston University and I have to say it was the best and worst thing I could have done. Best because I got to see the area and the campus. Worst because I had to leave and pray that everything works out for me to go in September. 

I did feel like a creeper just waltzing on to campus knowing I'm not "officially" a student in the sense that I have identification that I am a Kingston student. Haha! 

Anyways, I'm rambling. I hope you have a fabulous day!!

Steven

Waiting for the Ride...

This process with Kingston has been so...simple? 

I can't really find the word to describe it...

 I was telling one of my friends that it seems a bit too easy. Am I missing something? I know it's very early in the game to do anything really but it just seems like I'm doing nothing whilst my new life is waiting to be prepared. 

I've likened this time to the moment when you've stepped into your seat on a roller coaster. You strap yourself into the harness and wait for it to move. There's that nervous excitement rumbling in your belly, your hands are shaking, you're smiling but you're also completely out-of-your-mind terrified. You've heard about this ride; it's fast. Very fast. Something you've never experienced before. 

That's where I am right now. Waiting for the ride. 

I know I can't ever fully prepare for my life in England but I know that it will be exciting and something I have never experienced before. 

As far as what I'm doing currently, I am preoccupying my time with preparing my soul for the return of my best friend from Ireland! She's coming back home on the 17th and I couldn't be more excited! Additionally, I am preparing for Christmas which I have done no shopping for...

AND I'm preparing for my first trip to Europe in January!! 

Yes, on the 7th of January I will be hopping on a plane to Dublin to spend time with the same best friend who is coming home in a week. I will be in Europe for 2 weeks during which I will fly to London and visit Kingston! Hopefully I catch a tour or I'll just do my own browsing? Then I fly to Paris simply because I need to. I can't be in Europe and not go to Paris. I mean, honestly...

So that's where I am as of yet. Let me know where you are in your application process! I'm interested to hear what's going on with you! We're all in this together after all. :)

OH! In case you didn't know, this blog is in partnership with UCAS! YAY! If you like my posts, or this blog in general, or my face ;), make sure you vote for me as your blogger of the month! The link is in the upper right hand side. I'll also annotate a link HERE. Thanks! 

Till Next Time...

Steven Sharpe

An Offer!

Oh my goodness I'm still in shock.

When I got the email from UCAS, I happened to be at work...with no access to my compter until later in the day. It was torturous! I kept going over in my head what it could be. I never expected anything to happen till at least March. I remember distinctly that as I was walking up to my house, I decided in my head that even if I didn't get an offer that it wasn't over. I was still going to work as hard as I could to move to England.

I walked into my house, ignored my poor dog, and went straight to my computer to pull up Track.

And there it was.

Kingston University --- Unconditional

So many emotions right in that moment.

I immediately ran to my mother's room to tell her the good news! She screamed and immediately called my dad. Then the tears came. Hahaha!

I sat there crying for a good 20 minutes as my mother shouted her congrats and encouraged me. It was a moment that I will never forget. It was such a relief and I will explain why.

A couple years ago, I applied to a school called Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. I wanted to be a musician and Berklee seemed like a very good choice. I also didn't feel like I had the grades to actually apply to a four-year university. So I flew up for the audition and about a month later I received a rejection email. I was crushed as it had been the first school I actually had the courage to apply to and I was rejected.

After a lengthy bout with anger and apathy, I mustered the courage to try again the next year. I flew up for the audition and was rejected again. It was perhaps the worst feeling I had ever felt. My stomach completely sank and a future that I had envisioned for myself vanished right before my eyes.

So this offer from Kingston was a lot more than a place at a uni. This was a sign that I have what it takes to do what I love which just so happens to not be music. Haha! (Although I still play for funsies :)) Oddly enough, when I decided to throw caution to the wind and pursue this, I found nothing but good things.

I hope this is an encouragement to those who are still waiting on an offer from universities. Something will happen and if you are pursuing your passion, it will resonate through everything you touch. You won't be able to help it and people won't have a choice but to see it.

For now, I shall rest and relax a little bit. It's actually too early to really do anything other than research the process as much as possible.

Also, I shall celebrate!!! PARTY TIME! :D

Till Next Time...

Steven S.