Last week, St. Andrews University made me a Doctor of Laws (LLD). I sat on the stage of the Younger Hall and watched hundreds of students as they stepped up to receive their degrees and saw pride and achievement and fear flicker across their faces. It made think of my graduation from drama school forty (!) years ago and so I decided to say something to those students that I wish I'd heard all those years ago.
I told them to always keep learning, that their formal education may now be over but to try to always stay open to the possibilities and experiences that life is going to fling at them. I told them to always be curious. I see people in life stop being curious and they just stop in general, they atrophy before your eyes. And I told them to always protest! Protesting is a part of your education too! It's taking what you have learned and analysed and combining it with your passion and then sharing it with the world. Always be curious! Always keep learning! Always be open to new people and new things.
And always protest!
