Samantha Watson couldn’t believe she had gained a first-class honours degree.
The whole thing seemed “surreal” to her. So much so that she even sent screen shots of her results to friends to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.
The youngster from Grantown-on-Spey yesterday collected her degree in English Literature from Aberdeen University, still basking in the afterglow of her achievement.
Miss Watson described her whole experience at Aberdeen as “memorable”, but insisted the moment she opened her results would stick with her for the rest of her life.
She added: “My aunt previously studied at Aberdeen, so it has definitely been a nice feeling coming here and knowing a family member has attended previously.
“But to have had the experiences I’ve had here and come out with a first has just been one of the best times of my life.
“When I discovered I had got a first, it was such a surprise. I hadn’t even thought that getting a first was an option for me until one of my tutors looked at my grades and said it was technically possible.
“When I got my results, I took a screen shot of them and kept showing them to people to get them to read it to me and make sure I wasn’t going crazy. It was just the most surreal moment.”
Miss Watson declared that her time at university had definitely changed her as a person, and, after meeting her boyfriend at university, it had changed her life.
The 21-year-old said: “That was definitely a highlight and I think the friends and new people that you meet at university is one of the things that allows you to grow so much as a person through the experience.
“We are now planning to move in together so university has changed my life in that respect and I would absolutely do it all over again in a heartbeat if I could.
“I think it would be difficult not to change at university. I feel I am a totally different person now to when I started.”
