Sep 02 - Gibraltar Scholar Looks Ahead To University Life
By Ellie Foxwell
Starting university is an experience that kick-starts the rest of your adult life – shopping, cleaning and cooking for yourself with no one to tell you ‘get out of bed and go to your lecture!’
A selection of Gibraltar’s finest students gathered yesterday to collect their scholarship certificates for achieving outstanding A-level results before heading off to university later this month.
One such Scholar student, Ryan Rowbottom from Bayside School, achieved two A’s and an A* at A-Level and will continue his education at Bath University to study Accounting and Finance.
He let us know about his preparations for moving away and the issues surrounding finance, friends and food.
He said: “I’m a bit nervous about the change and being so far away, but I’m mostly excited about going off and living independently for a while. I’m definitely looking forward to living in halls and meeting lots of new people.”
He added: “I’ve signed up to all the Facebook groups that my University offer for my accommodation and for my course and all that so I’ve already met a few people online, so I guess once I get there I’ll already have something to talk about with them and it will be a bit easier as I’ve already kind of met them before.”
Luckily for Ryan, he said: “There are two other people I know from Gib that are going to the same Uni as I am so that makes it better as well at least knowing there’s someone from home there.
“The only thing I’m really worried about is financing issues. I’m lucky as I already have a bank account from a few years ago but I know a lot of people have already had trouble setting them up and getting things ready.
“Even with the government scholarship that we get given, the cost of living in the UK and my accommodation is very expensive so it’s going to be a bit of a struggle with the money.”
He added: “Unfortunately I don’t really want to get a part time job so it will probably be my parents funding the rest of my payments. The Scholarship I have been awarded will help but it is definitely a worry for me.”
Without the concern of making friends and funding various shopping habits, students from Gibraltar can find it particularly hard moving to the UK and being unable to take a wide selection of ‘home comforts’ with them.
Ryan commented: “I’m taking most of my clothes over from here but then obviously when I get there I’ll need to get some new ones as well and things like kitchen utensils I’ll also have to get over there.”
He said: “I’m definitely going to miss my niece and nephew and having my mum there to cook for me”, admitting that “I only know how to cook like pasta and chicken, really not much! I think I’ll just have to learn as I go along to be honest, just google and find out how to make stuff.”
Senior Education Advisor, Darren Grech, said how impressed he was with what all of the students achieved, adding that they would no doubt excel at whatever they pursue in the future.
Ellie Foxwell is a journalism student currently on a work experience placement at YGTV.
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