IT’s really great not being the “babies” on campus anymore – because there are new first years on campus to make fun of.
The other day I sat down and thought about my personal growth over the past year – how I’ve conducted myself and how my experiences have changed my approach to many things that I do on a daily basis.
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I’ve come to the conclusion that I probably made a complete fool of myself multiple times in my first year on campus. But, at the same time I realised that it’s perfectly natural.
So, I thought I’d share a few things that I wish I’d known before starting university.
- There are other ways of carrying your student card besides hanging it around your neck:
Myself, along with many other first years all attached our student cards to lanyards which hung around our necks. I mean – imagine losing your precious student card in the first week! I honestly thought that it was normal to carry it in this way until I found that nobody else besides first years did this. Soon after, I opted to carry it in my purse instead – the cool kid way.
- You actually have to study:
While this sounds obvious – temptation lurks in every booze-filled corner. Basically, this is unlike high school where you can do the bare minimum and still get good marks. To make things worse, there are no teachers or parents to constantly remind you to study. It’s your own responsibility to keep up with your work. It doesn’t help to stay up all night and then hate yourself for procrastinating.
- Lecturers and professors aren’t as scary as they seem on TV:
Don’t ever be afraid to have a chat with your lecturers about questions you may have. I was always afraid to approach them until I eventually had to. It turns out that they are actually pretty cool people who have normal lives too. Establishing good relationships with your lecturers can also be helpful in the long run.
- Don’t drink the punch:
Every poster I read promoting house parties would always have the words “free punch available” printed on them. “What a nice gesture” was my initial thought. I mean, who doesn’t love a refreshing glass of punch? Naïve little me had no idea that the punch was popular only because it contained a bit of ‘giggle juice’ in it. So, it’s best to not always drink the punch.
These are a few of many things that I’ve learnt along the way. Knowing myself, I can assure you that there are many more awkward moments to follow.
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