2010 to 2011, the best year of my life.
The last 10 months have been the most incredible months of my life, so far.
September 13th, 2010, I headed to Exeter College coming out of the most stressful and hateful period of my young life. Sheer brutality.
I remember turning up on time yet I was still one of the last people who arrived, I thought 'How the hell am I possibly late?', I looked at the time and realized everyone was just being an early bird.
I'm not going to sit here and explain every event that took place, I would be here forever but I am going to mention a few things.
Coming to Exeter College was easily a rebirth of myself. I came with three main targets to achieve; 1) Meet new people. 2) Do well in a course. 3) Have a fucking good time.
Did I achieve these three things? Far exceeded anything I could of expected or wanted. I'm not going to lie, I was apprehensive. Maybe I'd bigged it up too much in my head, I don't know. Initially, I did wonder how old everyone in the group was - I sort of looked around and was like 'seriously, how old are these people?'. After the first couple of days, I became mates with Jon Pearce first and then Chloe Bradshaw shortly after.
Eventually, as the first week and second week.. It's a massive learning curve with adjusting to new people but also seeing who you were most compatible with.
The group as a whole knitted really well once we were split into group 'A' and 'B'. We all seemed to be really enjoying meeting so many new people, I know I was anyway.
Over the last year, there has been the ups and downs but the downs were never anything too serious and would only ever last a day or two. Plus, nothing stays absolutely epic and perfect.
It was quite strange not really talking to the people I used to hang out with in school and sixth form at HCC but as much as I still love those guys, the new friends I had made sure there was no gap in how I was feeling.
People became a massive part of my life straight away, especially Jon, Chloe and Jade. We were pretty much the awesome-foursome at the beginning. It was so wicked when the 'awesome-foursome' got larger with Anna, Nick, Sam and Ryan started becoming really tight. That's not saying anything about the others in the group because even though the others didn't really hang out with us outside of college, we were just like one nutty family in the group.
Even as the year went on and things changed between me and people slightly, distanced from people and got closer with others never changed how good the year hard started. Yes, things had changed a little but I don't think any of us would say it completely ruined their year.
The new level of respect for teachers to students and students to teachers was something I wasn't really used to; Jess and Rachel weren't just our teachers, they were like fellow students with the way they could teach so well yet not be a total tight string that made us feel still like being in school.
The best way to do what I'm trying to achieve here is to not just talk about a year as a whole but as well, my other friends individually that have been so wicked through-out this whole year. Might seem a little cheesy but like I said last Friday, 'I'm actually gonna really miss this group' and with everyone shooting off doing their own thing, whether it's A Levels, or the Level 3 course or anything else. I do think I'll actually miss this group, a lot!
Jon 'Jonny P' Pearce - The first person I actually made good friends with at college, standing outside both on our phones. I stood next to him and said 'Do you actually know anyone here?', his response was the same as mine, definitely not. Jon's been an awesome friend all year, it's kinda weird because it feels like I've known Jon for a lot longer than a year. It's gonna suck when you go off to do whatever you do next year (I.T, I believe?) because me and you had such banter about everything, pissing each other off in class and generally getting moaned at for not doing anything.
Jade 'Lloyders' Lloyd - Jade's been wicked all year, she's what I would describe as 'the sister I never had' or just 'my little sister'. I love Jade and she's been mega supportive all year about a lot of things, I like to think I've been there for when things have been a bit shit. I knew who Jade was but had never spoken to her in my life despite going to the same school and being in the year below. Tight as fuck with Anna and when them two get on it, there's no stopping them. Catching the train together everyday also helped with a lot of things and I found her as mega trust-worthy. Oh, and hot.
Sam 'Gamjee' Murdoch - Arguably the biggest; douche, legend, stoner, comedian, etc, I've ever met. When I first met you and you had to draw the picture of me which ended up being a stick-man with an orange fuzz on his head, I thought.. 'What the actual fuck?'.. Nah, I kid, I just thought you were either blazed or Napoleon Dynamite in another persons body. Done nothing but taken the piss all year but also talked to him about things that Sam doesn't usually talk about. Got a lot in common with him but also enough stuff that's not in common, we can take the piss out of each other. Another mug I'm gonna miss when he goes off and does his thing.
Anna 'Pincatron' Pincombe - The wide eyed, Pandora type (for those who watched Skins). Anna to me was so strange when I met her because I couldn't help but think she was the boffin type (sorry!) but when I actually got to know her, I realized she was quite the opposite. Initially, the things we spoke about and things, I thought 'there is no way this person is who she's talking like', so much more than meets the eye with her. That's what's great, you don't know what's coming next; whether it's talking about things that are utterly serious to someone who seems to have a weird thing with Jelly Babies (or 'Tots'?) and Minstrels.
Chloe Bradshaw - Chloe for me is an odd one as the year went passed. As soon as I saw her, I was like 'she's the kind of person I would hang out with', bleeched hair, lip piercings and an awesome 'Famous Stars & Straps' t-shirt. I was so close with Chloe for the first few months and despite falling out in December and probably speaking about five times for the rest of the year, I don't want it to sound cheesy or anything but I had the sickest time being friends with you. Shit happens for a reason but to not talk about that, the first four to five months were just the coolest thing ever. I never met someone with such an awesome taste in music and into so much of the same things as me, (minus your hate for football haha!). Shame what happened but you were a big part of what happened for me this year.
Ryan Townsend - Looked like a bad ass from the moment he turned up, one day late that is. Him and Matty Rowe were hilarious. I have to admit, I clicked with Ryan straight away. Approachable was the easiest way to put it, massive bundle of laughs, many times sitting up in Northernhay in the sun and living college just like it should be haha! Also, when I went through so much when my dad came back from Afghan, Ryan was absolutely dynamite, asking how I was and how my dad was. Everyone did a massive part in that rough month, but arguably Ryan could be sitting in first place. Also, getting involved at the Bring Me The Horizon gig and got me moshing and picked me up when I got mauled over. Telling me not to get so down about it and stuff about my dad, proper friend. Doubt I'll see you too much after you leave which is gonna suuuuuck! But i'm sure we'll stay in contact.
Nick 'Biggles' Biggenden - I guess I can't say we've been the best of friends all year but our mutual love for Chelsea and Football Manager filled endless amounts of conversation. Also known as the 'top-dogs' of the group as we liked to call ourselves at the beginning of the year, turns out Terry Shapter pretty much stole our crown but who could blame him, we really weren't! Haha
Ellie Crowther - Mad, mad, mad. Oh, and tired! Ellie, you are rad. Always got something interesting to say, being a wicked friend to Pip and I also called you 'beautiful' at the beginning of the year when we first met.. Yeah, I accept I can't pull that off but you know! Loved your FMP and fully deserves an award and also loved the animation you did, also! Loved that sometimes it would look like you would just go into the world of your own.
Pip Pugsley - I never really got to know Pip that well but always said 'hello' in the morning when I got the early train in the morning at the beginning of the year. Always got a big, fat smile on your face and having a laugh with Ellie and Abbi.. And I think Joe? Correct me if I'm wrong. Came up with a wicked idea with the 'Dream' bar that I worked on with you and Terry.
Terry 'Terroriser' Shapter - I'm pretty sure Terry won't get to see this because he doesn't have facebook or anything but I thought you were awesome. Quiet and very reserved but once I got talking to you, especially in functional skills, you were always saying something funny and the best on was easily saying 'jeez, this lesson is taking ages, don't you think?' in functional skills, your response was simply impersonating putting a gun to your head and shooting. You really were the 'top dog' of the group.
Joe 'Fellow Ginger' Donovan - Opinionated and not afraid to disagree with someone just for the sake of making it easier. That might sound a bit disruptive but obviously I don't mean that. Things like talking about the Rupert Murdoch take over of BSkyB and pretty much disagreeing with the whole class pretty much took some stones. Also, your FMP was so clever and emotion filled yet with such simplicity. I also used to speak a lot to you in Functional Skills about numerous things, especially music and seeing you at the Bring Me The Horizon gig (along with a bunch of others), got a lot of respect for you.
Francis Ashley - Same as Pip, I never really got to know you that well. I did some filming with you at one point which was quite interesting and paying us all off with Subways, easy way to get someone to do something I guess. I thought your FMP was genius, it took the piss out of the one thing I love to slay. RAD.
Jake Hornbrook - I was better mates with you at the beginning of the year, you were loud so it was easier to approach you and you would always have something to talk about something so it never it got awkward which I find it can when you meet someone new, especially a whole group of people. Shame with what happened at the end of the year but I you make decisions for a reason and that was your thing you wanted to do.
For group 'B', unfortunately I can't write about you all or in too much depth because I didn't get to know too many of you but I'll do my best!
James 'Bacon' Lynn - James and Adam were pretty much a pair (he'll disagree but that's how we saw it), no pun intended. I have a lot of respect for James; could talk to him about serious stuff, joking stuff, football (or did I mention that in serious stuff?). Always fun spending the three hour Monday gap with, never a dull moment. Always up for a gig, listens to good music, honestly doesn't give a fuck about what people think of him and not afraid to anything that comes to him, whether it's a racist joke, a ginger joke, disagreeing with me, agreeing with me, telling me to pull my trousers up, whatever. Also, on the face of things (as he agreed), him and Tucker look the weirdest of couple until you get to know them, I stand by thinking they're the same person in two bodies. LAUGH. Weird because someone who has an outta shell like James, is actually classed as a very good friend of mine.
Adam 'Twat Face' Jacks - Definitely thought out of him and James, he was the football one and James would be the anti football one, 100% wrong. I think I became friends with Adam mainly through the interest of music and the fact I knew what his music taste was like because he was wearing a youmeatsix t-shirt and his hairstyle haha! Always took a massively keen interest in my band, from the moment I started there and because of that, actually ending up in the band. Real good lad, like James, always keen for a gig and new music. He loves the fact James hates that he is 'one of his best friends'.
James 'Jim' Hewlett - Jimbo, I always got the vibe from you that you seem to react to everything I said as if I was taking the piss out of you. By the way, I wasn't. I guess I didn't really know you too well but I heard a lot about you and were a class act in certain FMP films, by the way, LOVE the look you're pulling off in James' video. Quality.
Phil Marks - LOUD. LOUD. LOUD. Oh yeah, and a DJ. Awesome remix of the song 'Numb' by Linkin Park and always having a laugh about something or someone. 99.61% attendance you finished on, wasn't it? That sucks missing out on the 100% mark when it wasn't really your fault. Good luck in the stage engineer things next year.
Emily 'Ems' Ephraumes - I didn't know you that well in College but I did know you from Functional Skills and I actually have spoken to you on a few occasions, mainly about music because you're into a lot of the same bands as me, mega jealous you've seen All Time Low live but I also got you into futures. I hope the op went really well and you come back to nail the rest of the FMP stuff which I'm pretty sure you will.
Abbie Dicker - Abbie, you were cool. I actually spoke to you a lot in and out of the lessons, I spoke to you a lot in Functional Skills about some cool stuff and that lunch time where we sat in Vic House LRC talking about a load of stuff whilst on facebook. Hope everything is well with the baby!
For the rest of the people I didn't mention, I do apologize but I didn't know you that well and I'd rather not fill in with a one liner because that on my behalf looks a shoddy job and things so yeah!
Both tutors played a massive part in this year for me, in less that just college related things. Someone should get out the violin but it was sort of weird for me to have two people who actually believed I was pretty good at something outside of my family. I went through school sucking at pretty much most things except football so it was really rad to have two people who actually believed in me and what I was doing.
Rachel Creed - The most incredible tutor ever. With all due respect to my HCC tutor, Mr Maplesden, Rachel has been a world class star for me all year. Any shit that went down, I could speak to Rachel about, she believed that I was actually good at what I was doing but also acted as a friend when some stuff went on outside of college. Helped like a counsellor and a friend but also was ready to kick my ass for not doing something, all for my own good and hell, it's proved it come the end of this year. I have so much respect for Rachel for the way she's handled our talented but also disruptive at times class along with preparing to get married, what a trooper. I feel like I owe a lot to you and I just wanna say the worlds biggest 'thank you' for everything this year.
Jess Ogg - Not my primary tutor but also in the same boat as Rachel in many ways for me, the things that were said at parents evening and things was things I've never had anyone say about me before which was fucking awesome. Both Rachel and Jess would write me out lists of things to-do because of my bollocks remembering. Always able to have a laugh with you, especially the thing about reading the news paper and Rooney's hair transplant and also sharing many mutual views on things such as 9/11, etc. Often hear 'Zandie, get on with your work!' from Jess.
So, without any cheesyness or weirdness.. I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone for this year. As I said previously, this year far exceeded what I thought I could get from here. This was supposed to be a one year thing and then I'd leave, I never ever expected me to be staying on for another 2 years which I kind of think speaks for itself about how good this year was and meant to me, truly pulling me out of so much shit I was coming from, splitting up with my girlfriend during the year and also the really heavy emotional shit that I went through with my dad coming back from Afghan.
Finally, good luck to absolutely everyone for what they're moving on to next in their lives and hope everyone stays well.
Zandie x
