Dear Falmouth

Dear Falmouth,

Here's to leaving nothing unsaid.

What a ride it has been. I cannot believe my time at Falmouth University is over, and thus my time living with some of the best people I have ever met, being taught by incredible academics and finding friends who absolutely love me for the person I have become is… beginning a new chapter. I do not want to say coming to an end or a close because it is not; these people and this place will always be in my life as they have shaped me into the woman I am today.

Choosing to study at Falmouth could definitely be described as a whirlwind decision. I had already been accepted to study somewhere in London (this isn't the place to start naming names) and then I saw a poster for Falmouth University, a creative arts university. I was intrigued. I've known that I wanted to be a screenwriter for well over five years, since finishing my GCSE's, so anything that I could do to get me there, was going to be done. So, I did some research, and for those of you who know me, I love to know everything. I was immediately impressed by Falmouth’s industry connections with the likes of the BBC, Aardman and Google, to name a few, so I immediately called up UCAS and told them that I had changed my mind. Yes, it was a surprise to them and my mum too. Shortly after that phone call, we booked our train tickets to Cornwall and an Open Day slot to check out the campus. As soon as I got to Penryn Campus, with the sun shining, giving us that perfect golden hour moment, I knew this was the place for me, and I was right.

It is three years later and I am saying goodbye to this place, which has been my home away from home. I have learnt so much from this course, which has not only challenged me to think about the world from different perspectives but to reflect on my own writing ambitions. I know now that writing is something I am meant to do. Additionally, the people who have been there consistently along the way are something that I genuinely believe I could not have gotten anywhere but this little corner of the South West.

To be sharing my goodbye letter on FalWriting is the ideal place. This has been the place where I have been able to discuss topics that meant a lot to me and even have writer Malorie Blackman read my piece about how her novel Noughts & Crosses allowed me to see myself in Children’s/YA literature. I know, Malorie Blackman read my article, I still can't believe it. Being a part of FalWriting since its second year and now becoming its student editor-in-chief, has been a dream come true. I have had the chance to see this site grow and contribute in a way that is more than just writing articles but as part of a team that is committed to the craft of writing. I know that working with your friends can sometimes be tricky, but in this case, we all strove to be our best selves and encouraged each other along the way. Being a member of SOWJ (School of Writing & Journalism) has been such an incredible experience and one that I will never forget.

So here is my goodbye letter, to the place and people who have made a considerable mark on my life. I will carry everything I have learnt from here with me forever. Everyone told me that university would be the best years of my life and while I can't say that I believe that, I can say wholeheartedly that they have been some of the best and hardest years I have had to date. I cannot say it enough, how much being a part of this Falmouth community has meant to me.

I have left Falmouth with all the tools ready to start my career and I am so lucky to be able to say it has come sooner than I thought. Knowing that I have spent the last three years honing my craft and getting comfortable with the idea of thinking of myself as creative, a writer – I cannot wait to share my future endeavours with you all.

Goodbye for now, Falmouth, but certainly not forever.

Love,

Dani

by Daniella Ferguson-Djaba