😩 Why I couldn’t stick at University 😩

Hello

Ah, September! The month that brings back-to-school vibes even for those of us who’ve long graduated to adulting. For me, it means inspiring networking events and discovering new experiences ready for Christmas.

But hold your horses; let’s rewind. I never thought being an entrepreneur was an option, in fact, I dreamed of being a weather girl. After enduring a fair bit of family pressure, I found myself at Kings College London, dutifully studying geography. By week two I was met with textbooks the weight of door stops and a library that felt more like a labyrinth. Field trips where cagoules were mandatory. What I really wanted was a green screen and a pointy stick, not a compass and hiking boots!

I hung in there… until week six. I even switched universities for another subject (whatever that was has blissfully faded from memory), but I bailed on day one. That’s when I heard about our family tradition—dropping out of university. Apparently, higher education wasn’t on the cards for most of my family either.

After this brief university escapade, I floundered around London. I dabbled as a photographer’s agent, dabbled in PR, and felt pretty lost until I met my fabulous singing teacher. She was the head of music at LAMDA, a drama school in Earls Court, and suggested I might enjoy a two-year stint as a technical theatre student. 

I thought, “Why not? It includes everything from lighting to stage fighting!” At this point I barely knew how to change a lightbulb.

Those two years at LAMDA were magic. I worked incredibly hard, became quite the whiz with a Makita, and racked up skills that felt way more useful than my geography degree. 

This is a long old story to explain why I’m so excited about our latest partnership with The Theatre Royal. An experience where you can sneak behind the curtains to see how theatre magic happens, from flying scenery to the organised chaos behind the scenes. Followed by a cream tea by East London’s baking queen, Lily Vanilli. She was one of our first partners when we launched The Indytute, and her treats are worth the hype!

Thanks for reading to the end.

Love, Calypso 
(Head of Everything)

P.S. If you know someone who’s veered off the traditional university path, don’t panic. They might just be an entrepreneurial dynamo in the making, needing a bit more time to figure out their path. Experience gifts are perfect for helping them find that spark. Whether it’s a backstage theatre touror a cooking class with a pasta pro, adventures that ignite passions.