Tasha Dhanraj looks to the future

The time has come. I am going to university. I am Frodo leaving the Shire, but instead of going on a quest to destroy a ring I am going to get a degree, and I won’t have Ian McKellen by my side telling me that it’s all going to be alright.

My anxiety kicked in about a week ago. I stay awake every night, panicking about everything from whether I’ll make friends to whether I will have to buy an adapter plug to charge my toothbrush. I’ve gone through every possible outcome of every possible scenario that might arise, from accidentally telling my tutor that I never looked at the reading list, to having my bike stolen. I’ve made lists of all the things I think I might need, only to worry that people will make fun of my laundry basket.

“I worry that people will make fun of my laundry basket”

Fear is a great emotion to have if you’re being attacked by a bear, but there’s no point in being scared of the future. What will I achieve by getting my knickers in a twist about whether I will be able to afford bounce sheets or not?

I’m not just scared by the prospect of going to university, though. I’m scared of leaving Sussex. Sussex has been my home for my entire life. I know the streets and the shops and the best place to sit down for an afternoon of people watching. I don’t know anything about Oxford. I’ve only been there twice! What if there isn’t an Oxford equivalent to Infinity Foods? Where will I get my brown risotto rice?

The truth is, whilst Oxford will never replace Brighton, in time I will find new favourite shops and I will get to know the area. I have grown so much over the last few years that I know I will be OK.

Unfortunately, leaving Brighton will mean saying goodbye to my weekly column. I want to use this opportunity to say thank you so much to all of my readers and all the amazing staff at The Latest.

I will still be contributing to The Latest from Oxford, but after over two years of Teen Spirit, I have grown up and changed a lot, and so it feels like now is a good time to end this chapter.

I have genuinely loved writing this column and I hope you’ve all enjoyed reading it. Goodbye, Brighton. I’ll see you soon, and until then, I wish you the best.