I graduated a year ago and University was definitely an experience for me. I never had any doubts that I wanted to go to university. I desperately wanted to one of those girls walking around with big folders plotting their futures. (Yes I know I am cool)
It didn't however go the way I expected it too. It was great but very different to my expectations. I learnt a lot about myself in those three years.
So I thought I would share with you some tips you may find useful.
- Give yourself time to adjust - Don't feel you have to automatically feel in place and like you know exactly what you are doing. In fact it is normal to feel the exact opposite. For most of you it will your first time away from most of what you know. It is bound to be a little daunting and feel like you are out of place. I promise you this is natural and does not last. It just takes a while to adjust to new settings so do not give up!
- It is ok to feel homesick - When I went to university the last thing I expected to feel homesick. not because I don't love my family - they mean the world to me. I was use to going on weekends / weeks away for volunteer projects but time to time I found myself genuinely wishing I was surrounded by my family. There were certain times this would affect me in particular when I can home for christmas and my dad drove me back. The moment he left there would be still silence that would take me by surprise for a few moments. When I was going through a hard time in my third year all I wanted was a hug from my mum. The point I want to put across is that it is natural to feel homesick but do not give up the first moment you miss home. Do not think university is not for you. Give yourself a chance to explore this new part of life. You will regret not giving yourself a chance to explore all your opportunities. The fact that I got my degree made up for feeling homesick from time to time.
- Join your student union - Some unions are better than others but this is something I wish I did earlier. I have a feeling if I did I would have met a lot more people and got to experience new activities. I did get involved but I wish I did a bit more.
- Time manage - I did a lot of volunteering in my first two years of university so adding this to my university work and spending some time with friends. The way I got balance was to time manage. I work well in the morning and in the late evening so I either woke up or worked until about midnight. Find what works for you and plan ahed so you can fit everything in without feeling like you have to give something up. I knew leaving things last minute would not work for me personally so I didn't do that.
- Have fun! - University is a great time in your life. You are carving your future but you should have fun doing it too.
Sorry for the long post - I didn't intend for this to be long or this personal. If you have any questions or want to know more about university just drop me an email or tweet or comment and I will be more than happy to help you any way I can.
If you are starting university this year good luck! I wish you all the best.
