Life in College...

Hello everybody,

Now i know i haven't been online for quite some time now, but I'm back and intend to keep it that way!
I've been through my first year of college in the time it's taken me to write this third blog.

So much to say, so much to write but it will all be worth it!
As you've gathered by now i have full blown Tourettes Syndrome.

I joined North Lindsey College (located in Scunthorpe) to take a National Diploma in Multimedia(now renamed Interactive Media). This course focuses on design work, for example, image manipulation in Adobe Photoshop to creating interactive websites in Macromedia Flash.

The first day of College was quite a nervous one for myself, as i had no idea of what the students in my course would think of me as, with my ticing and vocal grunting/swearing. But i am very relieved to say that they are a great bunch of people! They took me in, didn't care about my tourettes, it didn't bother them, they didn't make fun out of it but had fun with me.

Such a different experience from school life. The course tutors were very welcoming of me, because i can't draw for the amount of ticking i do, i am allowed to do digital drawings on a computer instead. Which saves a lot of stress i can tell you!

I have made so many friends in College, i have made two best friends who i hold very close to me, both female to my amazement as before college, i hadn't really talked to girls a whole lot.

But i can always rely on these two amazing woman.
When I'm down and fed up, they are there to comfort and cheer me up, which makes my life a whole lot easier!

I have loved the subjects we have covered in the course i am taking!
From creating stop motion films to making an interactive Flash website.
I have learnt so much but still have so much to learn!

I am quite pleased to say, in the second and final year of my course! Which if completed, will give me an equivalent of 3 A levels and more than enough UCAS points to go to the University of which i desire.

There has been some hard times in the first year of college don't be fooled.
Near the end of the first year i was put back on medication to try and calm my tourettes down but got bad side-effects from the medication, drowsinesses, feeling like a zombie, major league depression and much more. So after 2 weeks on the stuff i was taken off and i vow not to go on any more as it does me more harm than good.

One day walking to the Link (a place our course goes to do certain lessons) which is 20 minutes walk away from the actual college itself. I was attacked by a group of chavs. I was walking on my own and my tourettes let out some profown swearing words to the 4 man strong group. They came up to me and pulled out a knife and lunged at me.
I did manage to avoid it ad ran for my life, i have never ran so fast before, luckily they didn't seem to be that fit so they gave up chase after a minute or so.

But i had never been so scared in my life, it was quite horrible to say the least!

But whenever my course friends were with me and someone shouted abuse at me, my god they didn't half stick up for me! I feel so safe around them.

Well, it's going good in the second year so far. Only a week in but seems to be going good..
I will be sure to write more posts for you to read into.

Regards,
Mark