University is one of the best ways that you gain a sense of independency away from your family back at home. You’re meeting new people all the time, you’re doing things alone and you’re finding out who you really are over a period of three years whilst learning something you should be fairly passionate about.
For a module I did last term that required me to take part in a live brief for a local company, I came face-to-face with the incredible people who run Blue Ink tattoo studio right in the heart of Leicester. I got to go to the studio every week, take pictures of their vibrant studio and their friendly staff and fall in love with the idea of body modifications even more.
One particular day I went to Blue Ink, I was talking to Natasha, the studio manager, and she was telling me how two American students who were doing a term in Leicester during their studies were getting tattoos to commemorate their period of time away from home.
Their ‘Welcome to Leicester’ sign tattoos that they both got on their bodies signified the importance of studying away. It allowed them to get a memory permanently on their body that they will forever embrace and always talk about to future family members and friends they make along the journeys of their lives.
A majority of students get tattoos and piercings while their away because of the fear that their families might disapprove of their modification choice. Their independence has grown to a new height when small tattoo designs are chosen and created within weeks of their decision. And while most consider the idea of a last-minute tattoo to be a terrible choice in every sense of the word, it’s actually a good way to facilitate conversation with someone you’ve never come into contact with before.
Piercings are a similar story; there are many people who have had their ears pierced for the first time while they have been away from home at university. Reasons surrounding confidence and lack of enthusiasm towards piercings surface, but having a new friend to encourage you kindly and hold your hand is just the push you need to try something you.
