I graduated, and picked up a prize I didn't see coming

Today I graduated from the University of Birmingham with a Master of Engineering (MEng) in Computer Science and Software Engineering: first-class honours, a GPA of 4.25, and fifth out of about 250 students in my year.

Shaking hands on stage at the graduation ceremony

My family flew over for it, the first time anyone has come to visit me here. It rained, lightly, as it should.

A couple of days ago I was told, very casually, that I’d been nominated for something and should come to the reception after the ceremony. So I went, and they gave me the prize for the best student in the master’s cohort. I really didn’t see that coming.

Holding the certificate for the best student in the master's cohort, beside the new head of computer science

Smiling in my gown, holding flowers, outside one of the university's red-brick buildings

I moved here on my own at 17. The first year was tough, but every year since has been better than the last, and these four years have been some of the best of my life. I’ve already said goodbye to a lot of my friends, which was the hard part, and I’m going to miss them so much. In a few weeks I’m off to Japan for an internship. Onwards.