19.07.19 | My Graduation Day |
- Bobbie May Corleys
- Jun 16, 2020
- 7 min read
On Friday, 19th of July 2019 at 12:15pm I graduated from the University of Greenwich with a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in Creative Writing and English Literature after 3 years of studying from 2016-2019. My Graduation day will remain one of the highlights of my entire life, and a memory I will cherish forever. The day itself was a rollercoaster of emotions from excitement and joy, to nerves and upset, but the one overwhelming emotion of the entire experience was gratitude. Grateful for the family who helped me celebrate, grateful for the experience, grateful to have a degree, grateful that my hard work was being appreciated and rewarded, just, eternally grateful for it all.
The day of my Graduation I was up early from both the excitement and nerves of the day ahead. I had a quick tea downstairs with my parents before we all had to get ready. I showered, blowdried and straightened my hair, did my makeup, and got dressed in an absolutely beautiful wine red maxi dress, that hugged in all the right places, with strappy, white block heels. The story behind my graduation outfit began when the dress I ordered didn’t arrive in time and I had to use my 21st birthday dress from a few weeks prior. It all ended up for the best though and once paired with my accessories and gown was the perfect choice.
My parents and I drove down to Island Gardens where we have family, parked the car and took the London DLR one stop to Cutty Sark, where my University is located. Greenwich is just one of the most beautiful spots in London and attending University here was a dream come true. From the modern library, the old-fashioned, incredible architecture, the beautiful park nearby, the campus buildings and greenery, to the village right on top of campus and the convenient shops dotted about, it was and always will be one of my favourite places to be, and studying a subject like English here was just perfect for my creative and academic brain to be inspired on the daily.
The day started off incredibly beautiful with clear skies and warm weather, making the final walk to the University campus even more gorgeous. We arrived and I had to collect my tickets, gown and cap from the Queen Anne building (this is the first building on your left as you enter the main grounds). I got dressed inside and did a gown reveal to my parents who were beaming with pride (their words, not mine). We had a few pictures together on the grounds before we could get our professional photos done. I had a photo on my own, and then one with my mum and dad.
From here it started to rain which was a disappointing addition to the day but I managed to escape the rain unscathed as volunteers were around with umbrella’s to hand, and it was but a two minute walk to the chapel on site. I graduated in the notorious and stunning St Peter and St Paul Chapel on the Greenwich campus and no words could ever truly do it justice. It was elegant, classic, inviting, and, as building’s go, managed to surmise the experience of attending University here with eloquence and style. It was and is a phenomenal chapel, the perfect place to commemorate such a grand achievement. Inside the chapel, I had to split up with my parents who were seated on the left hand side while I was directed to my seat on the right hand side, where a booklet of the event was waiting for me.
The ceremony began with a few congratulatory speeches, and then we each were called out individually by name and degree to walk the stage, shake hands with the chancellor, and collect our certificate to a round of applause. My nerves before they called my name were through the roof (for good reason). Back in Year 7, I had to go on stage to collect an award in front of the whole school, and as I did the stairs caved in on me. This sent my body flying forwards, and I had to scramble up on to the stage to avoid falling. Safe to say I went completely red in the face in front of everyone, still had to collect my award and pose for a photo, while all I could hear was my own heart throbbing in my ears, and childish snickering echoing around the hall. Ever since, I’ve been afraid of anything like that possibly happening again. Thankfully, my graduation was a success and I think I even overcame that fear that day.
I held my head up high in confidence as they read out, ‘Bobbie May Corleys, Joint Honours degree in Creative Writing and English Literature’, sauntered my way up the steps, shook the chancellor’s hand as he whispered, ‘congratulations, very well done’ and walked off the other side where I was greeted with my official certificate. I then had to walk my way around the hall, through the aisle and back towards my seat where I could finally breathe again as I watched the rest of the graduation in comfort. There were some more speeches, most of which kept causing me to choke up with the high emotions of the day. We were praised for our accomplishments, celebrated for our work, and entrusted with the Greenwich Alumni label. I came away feeling empowered and truly believed in to do great things with my degree, and my life.
One of the best aspects about the ceremony was that, even though I could only secure two tickets for the ceremony itself (my mum and dad’s tickets) the University live streamed the entire thing, so I had my two sisters, niece, two nephews and best friend all watching me accept my degree and graduate from the comfort of the parked car. My friend even managed to screen record it so I now have that memory forever documented.
Myself and my fellow graduates exited the hall shortly after (I saw shortly because the whole ceremony seemed to go by in a blur) and were due for subject year photo’s on the top of the steps of the campus together. As this was happening I saw the rest of my family walk in to campus ready to meet up with myself and my parents. I then had plentiful of photo’s with everyone in my family who had come to celebrate my big day with me before we all walked to the marque that was set up on the grounds. We enjoyed complimentary champagne and orange juice together, my parents grabbed me a tote bag with graduation memorabilia, and we all stayed for a while enjoying the atmosphere of a graduation. We had a few more group photos taken in here, and I got the classic ‘throw your cap into the air’ picture, one of my favourites from the day.
When it was time for us to leave in order to make our dinner reservation, I was all of a sudden flooded with disappointment, realisation and nostalgia. I realised all at once that this was my last time at the University, and once I left the gates one last time, my University journey would be over, three years gone in the blink of an eye. The place that was my second home for three years would be nothing but a memory. Don’t get me wrong, I had my ups and downs with Uni. There were days when the workload was too much, days when I couldn’t face the journey in, day’s when I hated the coursework assignment we were given, but I wouldn’t trade one single day of that for anything in the world. The ups far outweigh the downs. I studied in a beautiful area of London in my favourite city in the world, got to study not one, but two of my greatest passions, had infinite resources at my fingertips to continue to learn, grow and flourish, and had finished all of those years of hard work with a BA honours degree.
In all honesty, my heart broke when I left the gates, just as it did when I left school, and when I left sixth form. Goodbyes never get any easier, but with each one you become more aware that something greater awaits you in your next hello. I still miss University with so much of my heart, and there is a yearning every time I think about it too long, but I know I made my time there the best it could be without ever living there, and had a great time. I’ll never be able to relive Uni, but I can always visit, continue to learn every day, and carry it with me, forever.
From the ceremony we went to a restaurant called Brewer’s Fayre back home where I was gifted with cards and presents from my family and we had a delicious meal, still in my cap and gown to boot. My sister’s got me a charm for my pandora bracelet, a graduation teddy and a graduation champagne flute, and my mum and dad got me a few graduation plaques and cards, a bottle of my favourite wine personalised with my graduation date, and a graduation pandora charm. We then tucked into a delicious meal and dessert and talked the evening away.
I am the first person in my family to graduate, so my extended family (while all giving me congratulations) I don’t think really understood the accomplishment, or at least, it wasn’t treated as the big deal that it was to me. I come from a family that is very much accustomed to celebrating marriages and pregnancies far more than anything else of academic or career-led accomplishments, so my graduation was not high on anyone’s radar. However, I realised later on that I had everyone who I wanted, and needed, to have there for me. I’m just so grateful that I had my immediate family and my best friend. I can say I had the people who mean most to me at my ceremony and celebration, and It means the world they they showed up for me.
I am the first graduate of my family (not too shabby an accomplishment), I have a Bachelor of Arts honours degree, and I am happy. My Graduation Day may not have been grand or a huge celebration by any means, but it was perfect for me and it’s a day I will hold close to my heart, and remember with clarity, forever.
Signing off,
Bobbie May Corleys
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