things i wish iâd known in my first year of university
Iâm reaching the end of my time at university and itâs got me all sentimental. and regretful. There are a number of things that I had learned during my time at university that I wish Iâd known during first year.Â
Read everything. The only valid excuse for not reading everything on the reading list is that you didnât have time, not that you found it boring, or that it wasnât useful. Because thereâs nothing scarier than trying to write an essay on something you studied a month ago, and you have no notes on the topic.Â
Revise constantly. I wish Iâd revisited everything I did a week after I did it, just as a recap. I tended to focus on what I was doing in the moment because it felt the most important thing at the time. Well, during exams, everything is equal. And itâs so frustrating not quite being able to remember something. So, revise. Even just for ten minutes.
Donât spend all of your money on impulse. Iâve bought so much rubbish that I really donât need. And if Iâd saved that money, I could have gone on holiday. Save every last penny you can.Â
Eat well. I just said that you should save all the money you can, but I think that food is one exception to that rule. Try and save money where you can, obviously, but donât go for days and days without fresh vegetables because youâre saving money for a holiday. Your mind, as well as your body, needs food.
Go and talk to professors in their student hours. I used to find this so awkward. To be honest, I still do. But if youâre going sending them an email and asking for clarification on a topic, consider maybe popping into their office when itâs open to students. And tell them if youâre struggling! If you donât let them know, then they canât help you.
Take hot drinks with you, to your lectures or to the library. Donât spend all your money in the library cafe. Bring a flask of tea, and loads of study snacks in a packed lunch box. Trust me on this.
Make time to meet up with friends you havenât seen in ages. Donât wait for them to ask you. I make sure to socialise with my friends at least twice a week. And by socialise, I donât mean getting blind drunk and going clubbing. Sit down and have lunch together. Chat. Get to know each other properly. Friendships formed over alcohol never last as long as friendships formed through actual conversation.
Do stuff that the university puts on for students. Join societies. Get involved. One of the best nights I ever had at university was a masquerade ball that my college put on. And for some reason, Iâve never done anything like that since then? And I donât understand why! University is for making memories, and I donât really have many!
Travel around your university town. If youâre university is on a campus, donât let your life revolve around that one place. If youâve travelled away from home to go to university, then make it worth your while! See the sights, be a tourist, get on a bus and go to a random town and buy ice cream.Â
Experiment. This is the time. Dye your hair blue, join a weird and random society and take up a hobby youâd never dreamed of.  If you want to try drugs, make sure itâs a safe environment and do your research before hand. If you donât want to do that kind of thing, then donât judge other people for doing so.
Give yourself a day off per week. When youâre at university and youâve got loads of work, itâs tempting to just work constantly - or at least, to work every day, if not all the time. But itâs so much better for your mental state to take a day off to just relax.Â
Keep up with your chores. When youâre stressed about an assignment, you donât want to be also stressed about that pile of washing up accumulating by the sink. Keep your room tidy too - clear space, clear mind.
Be kind to everyone. Youâre going to meet a lot of people at university, some youâre going to hit it off with immediately. But there will be some who really rub you up the wrong way. Donât worry about it, itâs completely fine to not like someone. But donât be mean to them. This isnât high school, youâre all here to learn and thereâs just no need to make them feel bad about themselves. Itâs just petty and childish.
Think about the future. I know that youâre completely wrapped up in your university life right now, but youâre going to have to venture out into the real world at some point. Do things that might help your future career: volunteer, get a job, join a sports club, make connections. University isnât, sadly, forever.
There you have it! The advice that I would have given myself in the first year of university. Whether youâre just about to start university, or whether youâre just about to leave, I hope this is useful to you.
