Dear Future Uni Students,
You’re about to enter arguably the most formative years of your life. That in itself is something I wish I had known. Just knowing I was about to change, regardless of not knowing how or what was going to change, simply knowing that I was going to would’ve helped me be so much kinder to myself.
So this is for you, just a list of things I learned at uni that I would’ve liked to know before my first day.
Uni isn’t for everyone
Look, sitting in lecture halls and being examined on your notes just isn’t for everyone. It’s ridiculous to assume so. But don’t take this as a reason to drop out at the first inconvenience. Some people know exactly what they want to specialise in so specific institutions like art or culinary school might be better. Others might not have as much of an idea and need time to figure it out. Doing that at uni through trial-and-error can work but it’s also very expensive so a gap year might help. With that said…
It’s okay to change courses
Assuming you’re from high school, you’re going from a place where everyone studied the same things. With so much pressure pushing students to go to uni right after school, many students enter hastily and realise later on that they downright hate what they’re learning. That’s okay. How were you supposed to know back then? Realising what you like or don't like and making the change is not shameful. Doing what you hate is a waste of your time, money, energy, and so much more. You owe yourself, and those who support you, a life you love.
You and your life > Education
Yes, education is important but you are more. If a loved one is sick and you have to miss a few classes to be by their side, go. If your friend from home is in town for a week, make time for them. If you’re faced with a tragedy and need some help and surround yourself with positivity, please, please, please go take care of yourself. You will forever regret not saying goodbye, or losing a friend, or losing yourself. Taking care of yourself is not selfish; it’s necessary and responsible. Remember, it’s easy to get a degree. It’s impossible to get a second chance at life.
Friends: Old are gold but new are too
It’s likely that you and a lot of people around you are going to be away from the families for the first time. Making and keeping friends will help you as you discover new things about yourself and the world. Wherever you go, back home or to your next lecture, having a support system is always important.
Four years is just a timeframe
If you take longer than expected to graduate for whatever reason, the most important thing to do is to find out exactly why you did and figure things out from there. Your financial supporters might not be happy and you might feel left behind as your friends graduate but hey, these things happen. People fail classes, life gets in the way, it happens. Just don’t give up. Pull yourself together and move forward, whether that means finishing your degree or not, because again, you owe yourself a life you love.
Don’t study solely for a career
Doing so can be very damaging because you’re living in the future. You’ll miss out on your youth! Study because you like what you study. Yes, you should keep your career in mind but hey, you also have to enjoy yourself! And that means taking a break when you need and going to parties and such!
A lot of people don't work in the field they studied
That’s fine if they’re fine with it. It’s actually pretty cool they’re able to excel enough and get paid at something they didn’t get a degree in! The most important thing is: don’t lose sight of your dreams.
I’ll leave it at that. Once learned, these lessons, made my uni life much easier for me to handle. Of course, despite this list you will learn things that you wish you had known before too but that’s just how life goes. Maybe you’ll find that learning as you go is sometimes the best way for a lesson to sink it.
Take care of yourself out there. I’m rooting for you!
Sincerely,
A Letter Per Person
Image from UNSW Future Students.
