I’m moving to Florida to work at Disney World - How did this happen?!

Anybody who knows me will know that Disney World is my favourite place in the whole world - and yesterday, one of my biggest dreams came true. Finally, the long wait is over, and the email that I have been waiting for arrived… As of June 2020, I am going to be a cast member at Disney World for the summer on the Cultural Exchange Program!

Disney’s Cultural Exchange Program allows university students from around the world to spend the summer in Orlando working at Disney World Resort. There are several different roles you could be chosen for, including attractions, merchandise, entertainment, custodial, quick service/full service food and beverage and lifeguarding. I’d known about this program for a really long time, and I always knew that I wanted to apply as soon as I was eligible after my first year of university.

It was a pretty long process from start to finish. My first application to Yummy Jobs was sent off on the 9th of July, then two trips to London for interviews later, my acceptance email came on the 26th of November. The first interview was with Yummy Jobs, the company who will connect you with Disney if you are successful in the first interview. This is a group interview that takes place in their office in Epping - it feels very informal and laid back, more like a conversation with the five or six other people in your group than an interview. 

The second interview was a one on one interview with one of the Walt Disney World recruiters in the Disney headquarters in Hammersmith, which was also quite relaxed and nothing to be too nervous about. My interviewer focused a lot on which roles I was interested in and why, and asked a lot about previous experience I had that would benefit me in the top three roles I chose (merchandise, attractions and custodial). Two weeks after my final interview, my acceptance email came through!

And now, the countdown has started until my Disney adventure begins!

Five Things I Wish I Knew Before My First Year of Uni

Moving away from home for my first year of university was a life changing experience for me, but I would be lying if I said it was all fun and games. My first year was full of ups, downs and challenges and I learned a lot along the way. These are some of the things that I wish I had known before starting first year.

Try not to overpack

If you live within driving distance from your university and can fill a car up with all your belongings you need for your accommodation you have no idea how lucky you are. Moving from Belfast to Manchester, my only option was to fly, meaning everything I was taking with me had to fit into two suitcases, which should have made me pack wisely. It did not. 

Fifty pairs of shoes? In the suitcase.

Clothes I haven’t worn in years? In the suitcase.

Everything I have ever owned? In the suitcase.

All the little things I packed ‘just in case’ added up really quickly, and before you know it your room in your accommodation is overflowing with things you don’t really need. This also causes major problems when it comes time to move out, especially if you’re limited to one suitcase like I was.

Homesickness is normal, but it doesn’t last forever

Homesickness was the biggest challenge for me - especially in the first few weeks. It was so bad that I was sure I wasn’t going to make it to the end of September, never mind the end of the year. Unfortunately, there is no magic way to stop homesick and it’s not something you can just get over. But it does get better over time. For me, it started to get easier when my lectures started and I started to get into more of a routine and concentrating on other things - it got to the point I didn’t really have time anymore to think about missing home. 

Everyone is in the same boat

It may seem like everybody around you is just floating through their first year with no problems; they look like they’re enjoying their course, have made so many friends, aren’t homesick at all and have completely settled in to uni life. Odds are, this is not the case and they are struggling with the same things you are. Everyone is in the same boat at uni - it can be comforting to know that everyone worries about whether or not they will make friends, everyone has concerns about their course and everyone gets homesick sometimes, even if it’s just a little bit. Some people just look like they have it all together more than others. 

You get out of your uni experience what you put in to it.

This goes for both uni work and social life. If you skip lectures and put in minimum effort to work, it will be reflected in your marks at the end of the year. Of course the line that everyone likes to use is ‘first year doesn’t count’, but I’ve realised that the whole point of some of my modules was to set you up for second and third year, so it’s still worth putting in the effort. You’ll definitely thank yourself at the end of the year when your hard work pays off.

In terms of social life, the beginning of first year can be so overwhelming that you just want to lock yourself in your room and not deal with anyone - I was guilty of this at first. But, to get the most out of your experience, you have to put yourself out there and try to socialise, no matter how much you feel like sitting in your room feeling sorry for yourself. It takes some time, but eventually you will find 'your' people that you click with, but you won't find them if you isolate yourself away from everyone else.

Make the most of your first year because it will be over before you know it

One minute it’s freshers week, the next you’re looking for a second year house and the next you’re moving out of your halls. My first year went by so quickly, when I was moving out of my halls I felt like I’d barely lived there for any time at all. A year sounds like a long time, but time seems to go by ten times faster at uni and when you consider the time you have off and the trips home, you’re left with barely any time at all to do all the things you want to do. The last thing you want is to get to the end of your first year and wish you had spent your time differently, so try to make the most of it.