The biggest decision so far April 21, 2008
Posted by Sharny in : Life, School , trackbackIn the next two weeks I am faced with finally making the decision of what university offers to accept. This is a decision that has an unbelievably massive bearing on my future for at least the next 5 years (gap year + 4 year masters degree).
Ultimately, it looks like this.
I have four offers out of my five applications, Cardiff: BBC, Loughborough: 300 points (BBB but could include AS levels too), Leeds: BBB, Nottingham: BBB.
At this point I have written off Loughborough because of its sport centric vibe and the fact that whilst it is moving away from home it isn’t really going anywhere particularly new as Loughborough is just a small town really not very far from where I live now.
I’m sure that I’m going to pick Cardiff for my insurance because they have given me the lowest offer. It’s a nice university in a nice place but not attractive enough to warrant giving up the other places.
Now comes the indecision. Leeds or Nottingham. Their differences as universities are equal and opposite almost and the major differences in other aspects also put neither in a direct lead in any sense. In terms of the university themselves I think I would have a great time which ever I go to. The main difference comes here and is indeed where the massive difficulty comes.
If I go to Leeds I effectively give up all my friends here. Yes, I would still see them from time to time and of course in going to university I will inadvertently meet a lot of new people and make friends there. It would guarantee the end of my place in Opium Toad, possibly the band entirely but I doubt that. Still, it’s something I’m really beginning to enjoy and not something that I want to let go of lightly by any means.
Of course, university is the first time that a person really has a chance to escape from where they grew up and going to Leeds would mean a whole new city to explore and get to know and everything that comes with it.
So there it is, leave friends for a new city or keep friends and stay in the old one. I mean, it’s not like Nottingham is a bad place, it has areas I don’t really want to visit but overall I feel a lot of affection for it and perhaps unlike some of my peers isn’t somewhere I necessarily want to just run away from. Of course, if I choose Nottingham to stay with my friends and then the band splits up and everyone goes their separate ways then I may be left feeling like I made a bad decision.
I know that, whichever I choose, I’m going to feel bad about it in a sense. There is always going to be a regret, all I can do is to try and minimize it.
I’m going to a Leed’s accommodation open day this Saturday but I really doubt that anything there will change the decision I have to make.
It all comes down to a few questions; do I think Opium Toad can achieve any reasonable level of success? if so, could I be a true part of such a success? How would issues such as our Bassist’s lack of commitment and effort effect the future or possible success of the band? Will I find people at university that I feel more comfortable around, people more special than the ones I have here?
I’m not sure these questions will ever have answers and knowing that I’m making a decision that may well decide the way the rest of my life goes (a basically unchangeable decision) and there really is no obvious choice.
I suppose I will just have to take comfort in the fact that, in some parallel universe, a version of me will take the other choice, so that in some ways, I will know both paths.
Tagged as: Band, Confusion, Life, Nottingham, Opium Toad, Ramblings, School, University
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