A levels over, my As are in the bag plus a jazzy distinction for an AEA in English - but what happens now?

I did the university applications last year, had the places, and rejected them. Surely there’s got to be more than this ‘education’ of UK university which would have my arse sunk in £30,000 debt by the time three years are over? (So I asked myself zillion times over, and still applied. Still did drawn-out entrance exams and pretended to my parents I was studying more than perhaps I was in reality…)

But then there’s the leaguetables harping on about the value of our university and the ease that the majority of my friends, whilst not still in Manchester, are at least still in the UK. Of course, there’s also the comfort that university delays work - full-time, ‘proper’ work, at least, even if scrounging around for badly-paid evening shifts isn’t far out of the question.

Now I get time out. Proper, not just a week at Easter shoved in (whilst away on an exchange doing double the work or doing revision anyway.) I get proper time out. To digest, relax, read and learn for myself, write essays and gander around for opportunities of what I might want to do.

I’m also in Switzerland, the French-speaking bit. Mountains, blue skies and clean it may be, Manchester it certainly isn’t. One thing in particular gets a gold star though - you can fall asleep without feeling like you’re going to be burgled in the night, heck, you could even go all out and not lock the doors if you really wanted to push Swiss trust and see where it takes you.

Tomorrow is wall-painting and French lessons (private, one to one, Katy to Katy plus exercise book), or writing: poems, novel, essay for comp or some good new pitches. Go get me for saying good.