There were times where she wondered if she would fit into Aberdeen campus life as “a country bumpkin”.
But Eilidh Fraser’s journey from a small-town background to the Granite City has yielded a rich reward.
The youngster chose to move to Aberdeen to study her undergraduate degree in music and was unsure what to expect.
But she benefited from the fact her mother had previously studied in the north east and ended up falling in love with Aberdeen.
The 22-year-old said: “My mum did her education degree in Aberdeen, so I heard about the city from her even though I had never visited the city before starting my degree.
“I was really a country bumpkin at the start. But, after being here for four years I have found Aberdeen to be an amazing city and there is a lot going for it.
“I wasn’t sure if I could adjust after moving from the Highlands, but all the people in Aberdeen are so lovely and I couldn’t have wished to live in a better city. It definitely lived up to everything my mum told me.”
Miss Fraser also thanked her loved ones and made it clear she wouldn’t have been collecting her degree if it wasn’t for the support network around her.
She added: “I wouldn’t have been able to get through my degree without all the supportive people in my life.
“I keep saying that my graduation is more for them than it is for me, because the amount of help they have given me has been amazing.
“At university, everyone gets times where they struggle, lack confidence and feel they may fail an assignment.
“But if you can find supportive people in your life, you will be able to keep going. Just make sure those people are with you and they will drive you forwards.
“There were plenty of times when I thought I wouldn’t be able to get here, but I always had someone who would spur me on.
“On paper, the degree may be what you have accomplished, but it is a team effort from all of your loved ones.”