University 101 – what to expect in your first year of studies
You’ve matriculated and, finally, 12 years of hitting the books, doing homework and studying for exasperating exams are over! Or are they? Certainly not if you’re heading for a tertiary institution.
There’s more to varsity life than spending long hours buried in your commercial law textbook.
Yes, of course most of your time should be spent on meeting the requirements of your chosen degree, but we’ll get to that in a minute. Let’s take a moment to point out that the full varsity experience goes way beyond just attending lectures.
Universities provide for a multitude of extra-curricular activities, and whereas there’s nothing compelling you to join in any one of them, you may well regret not taking part when you hit the working world and the opportunities fade into the distant past.
Right, let’s jump into the topic of what you should expect when you hit Uni
As mentioned, you’re there to learn, so expect that you’ll be expected to apply yourself to the pursuit of knowledge. Make sure you buy the necessary textbooks and take care of them. You’re also expected to attend ALL lectures, unless, of course, you have Ebola or something.
When you’re in a lecture, participate in the class and try to take in as much as you can. If you have questions, put up your hand and your lecturer will respond to you.
Much of the material covered in a varsity setting is challenging, so take time to sit at your beloved desk and fight to understand it; when it comes to dreaded exam time, you’ll be happy you didn’t give into the urge to half consciously peruse your Facebook timeline.
In short, when it comes to the academic side of things, you’re expected to put in your very best effort.
From the extra-curricular side of things, you can expect to have a variety of choice not available at secondary schools. There’ll be sports and sporting events, student organisations, student workshops, student societies, student performances, student newspapers, student activism and more. Expect that all these incredible doors will be open to you, so don’t let this pass you by.
To sum up – if you’re privileged enough to attend a tertiary institution, you can expect that the years spent there may well be some of the best of your life, so jump right in and make the most of it!
