Between charity work, taking care of her two kids, and royal duties, it’s safe to say that pregnant Kate Middleton barely has a minute to herself these days. But years before she ever stepped foot into Buckingham Palace, the 36-year-old was able to focus on her own health and happiness, as she was just a typical young adult determined to graduate from college.

After taking a gap year — which she spent traveling — Kate hit the books at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, where she graduated in 2005 with an art history degree. Kate has revealed that “the Victorian period in the history of photography” was the subject of her undergraduate thesis. The royal also had a sporty side, as she participated in cross-country running, swimming, and more as a teen, which led to her reportedly try out for the women’s field hockey team in college.

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(Photo Credit: Getty Images)

In 2001, Kate was a freshman living in St. Salvator’s Hall — where she was named the prettiest girl in the dorm — which was the same dorm that Prince William just to happened to live in. The duo became platonic friends, as Kate was dating senior Rupert Finch, while William was seeing another student. Instead of date nights, the pair spent their time together by eating at the dining hall and hanging out within the same circle of friends. However, things changed for Will in their second semester after he saw Kate modeling a see-through dress over her undergarments in a fashion show fundraiser.

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Kate and Will at their graduation ceremony in 2005. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

“I remember that specific night very well. She wasn’t what you would call a risque girl. She was a pretty safe bet; quite conservative in the way she dressed and the way she acted,” Julian Knight, a fellow student at the time, once revealed. “And here she was not wearing that much, looking amazing. I think everyone did think, ‘Wow, she looks great. She looks amazing. She’s beautiful.’ And I think [Prince William] probably looked to her and was pretty impressed as well.” Indeed, it was then that William tried to make a move, but she brushed off his advances since she still had a boyfriend.

At the end of the school year, Kate and her boyfriend split, and she wound up sharing an apartment with Will and a few other friends as they kicked off their sophomore year. Living together seemed to have changed things, and soon enough, the two began secretly dating — though the public didn’t find out until 2004 when they were photographed on a ski trip together. And the rest, as they say, is history!