It wouldn’t be the final print edition of the academic year without a sappy graduation piece, eh? Far too quickly, this Brig staple has fallen to me. It’s hard to put into words how much this paper and the community around it mean to me but I’ll try.
When I first came to Stirling in 2020, it was the dreaded COVID year. 18-year-old me rocked up to my little flat in Muirhead only to realise that there were no freshers’ events, and all my classes were on Teams. I struggled to make friends and my anxiety of living away from home for the first time grew.
I went home for the Christmas holidays, overjoyed to see my family and partner again. Then we were plunged into yet another lockdown – my flight back to the Scottish mainland for the second semester was cancelled too. I made the tough decision to stay at home for the rest of the year.
So, first year was a write-off for me. I moved back to Stirling for my second, but it was a slow start with pretty much everything still online to begin with. But I soon made one of the best decisions during my whole time at university: I joined Brig.
Earlier that year I had been diagnosed with coeliac disease and my experience had been a huge learning curve. I wanted to write about it and maybe help some other people going through the same thing. Brig provided the perfect platform for me – Isla, the food editor at the time, was so kind and welcoming. I’ll always be grateful for her help on that article and I’m still pretty proud of it two and a half years later.
I’d already switched to a joint degree in journalism by then but being a part of Brig truly solidified by love for writing. My passion for food was my drive for joining but I soon found myself writing TV reviews, personal pieces, and newsy articles too. I went from being one of the shy people that hid in the back of meetings to running for food editor myself in a matter of a few months.
I felt like part of a community for the first time since leaving home. I’ve met so many great people by being a part of it and I’m really scared to leave it behind, to be honest. My dissertation is done and dusted but the job hunt is going unsuccessfully so far. I have no idea what the future holds – that’s terrifying! I’m sure pretty much every graduate ever has felt this way, which makes me feel less alone at least.
Without a doubt, I have Brig to thank for the person I am today. I would not be half as confident or as decent a writer if I hadn’t sent Isla that message all those moons ago. So, if you’re a wee first year (or at any stage of your university journey) reading this and wondering ‘should I do it?’ my answer is a resounding yes.
Feature image credit: Ciara Tait
Film, media and journalism student. I like writing about my inability to eat gluten.
