10 things I wish I knew sooner at university
As I near the end of my second year at university, I’ve begun to reflect on lessons I’ve learned and advice I wish were imparted to my year-ago self. So without further ado, here are 10 things I wish I knew sooner at university.
- Keep your options open
Whilst it may appear that others at university know exactly what they want to do and have their life sorted, there is absolutely nothing wrong with keeping your options open, particularly in the early stages of your degree. Take the time you need to figure out whether you can envision yourself working in a particular career and explore alternative less-travelled career paths.
- Opportunities don’t meet you halfway
Say yes to all opportunities that come your way, particularly early on in your life/career. If not for this piece of advice, I would’ve turned down various opportunities and events that have come up over the past two years during my time at university. Sure, in hindsight, some of them may have seemed pointless - but others led to valuable connections and lasting friendships that would have otherwise not been formed.
- Doing university with friends is much easier than doing it alone
I know with certainty that a lot of people will resonate with this one. Find a group of people that you know will support and motivate you through university, making it much more bearable than trying to trudge through the endless quizzes, readings and assessments alone.
- Hustle culture is not a badge of honour
You’ve probably met people who constantly talk about how they’re overworking, their constant all-nighters and stress as if it’s some badge of honour. It’s taken me an exceptionally long time to realise that the time you sleep, eat and rest is not up for grabs. It should not be optional time that you portion away for something else, but time required for you to take care of yourself.
- Stay true to yourself when it comes to making university/career-related decisions
It’s easy to get swept up in the crowd when it comes to making life-changing decisions such as whether to stick out with your degree or pursue the job which will help land your dream career. Stay true to your interests and skills and don’t worry about what “everyone else is doing” or what “you’re supposed to be doing”.
- Figure out how, where and when you like to study to do best in your classes
If you’re in first year, you’ll probably figure this out pretty quickly, so I won’t dwell on it. Figure out a study habit conducive to productivity for you, but perhaps not necessarily for other people (and try not to get FOMO if you feel as though studying on your own will be more productive than in a study group).
- Timetabling makes a huge difference to your experience during the semester
Another pretty self-explanatory one - compacting your weekly uni schedule to as few days as possible might be optimal for you, but not for others, likewise to picking 9am classes.
- Staying organised and managing your time well is the key to thriving at university
Procrastinating assignments or exam preparation to the very last minute isn’t cute. Get a head-start on your assessments and use a planner/ to-do list to schedule your time effectively to avoid pulling that all-nighter which will make you instantly regret everything the next morning.
- Stop comparing yourself to others
As Theodore Roosevelt states, “comparison is the thief of joy”. As difficult as it is, try not to overwhelm yourself by comparing yourself to others. If that seems impossible, particularly when you’re surrounded by high-achievers, try to channel that time and energy you would otherwise waste into productivity. Speak to those you compare yourself to and learn from them, or shift comparing to others to your previous self instead.
- Work hard, but enjoy it while it lasts
The final piece of advice is simple - your time at university flies, so strike a healthy balance between working hard and savouring student life. As they say, these few years will likely form one of the most transformative chapters of your life, so enjoy it while it lasts!
Check out the 2021 SUBS Young Professionals Guide for more advice in relation to opportunities offered by the Business School and building your professional edge at university.
As I near the end of my second year at university, I’ve begun to reflect on lessons I’ve learned and advice I wish were imparted to my year-ago self. So without further ado, here are 10 things I wish I knew sooner at university.
- Keep your options open
Whilst it may appear that others at university know exactly what they want to do and have their life sorted, there is absolutely nothing wrong with keeping your options open, particularly in the early stages of your degree. Take the time you need to figure out whether you can envision yourself working in a particular career and explore alternative less-travelled career paths.
- Opportunities don’t meet you halfway
Say yes to all opportunities that come your way, particularly early on in your life/career. If not for this piece of advice, I would’ve turned down various opportunities and events that have come up over the past two years during my time at university. Sure, in hindsight, some of them may have seemed pointless - but others led to valuable connections and lasting friendships that would have otherwise not been formed.
- Doing university with friends is much easier than doing it alone
I know with certainty that a lot of people will resonate with this one. Find a group of people that you know will support and motivate you through university, making it much more bearable than trying to trudge through the endless quizzes, readings and assessments alone.
- Hustle culture is not a badge of honour
You’ve probably met people who constantly talk about how they’re overworking, their constant all-nighters and stress as if it’s some badge of honour. It’s taken me an exceptionally long time to realise that the time you sleep, eat and rest is not up for grabs. It should not be optional time that you portion away for something else, but time required for you to take care of yourself.
- Stay true to yourself when it comes to making university/career-related decisions
It’s easy to get swept up in the crowd when it comes to making life-changing decisions such as whether to stick out with your degree or pursue the job which will help land your dream career. Stay true to your interests and skills and don’t worry about what “everyone else is doing” or what “you’re supposed to be doing”.
- Figure out how, where and when you like to study to do best in your classes
If you’re in first year, you’ll probably figure this out pretty quickly, so I won’t dwell on it. Figure out a study habit conducive to productivity for you, but perhaps not necessarily for other people (and try not to get FOMO if you feel as though studying on your own will be more productive than in a study group).
- Timetabling makes a huge difference to your experience during the semester
Another pretty self-explanatory one - compacting your weekly uni schedule to as few days as possible might be optimal for you, but not for others, likewise to picking 9am classes.
- Staying organised and managing your time well is the key to thriving at university
Procrastinating assignments or exam preparation to the very last minute isn’t cute. Get a head-start on your assessments and use a planner/ to-do list to schedule your time effectively to avoid pulling that all-nighter which will make you instantly regret everything the next morning.
- Stop comparing yourself to others
As Theodore Roosevelt states, “comparison is the thief of joy”. As difficult as it is, try not to overwhelm yourself by comparing yourself to others. If that seems impossible, particularly when you’re surrounded by high-achievers, try to channel that time and energy you would otherwise waste into productivity. Speak to those you compare yourself to and learn from them, or shift comparing to others to your previous self instead.
- Work hard, but enjoy it while it lasts
The final piece of advice is simple - your time at university flies, so strike a healthy balance between working hard and savouring student life. As they say, these few years will likely form one of the most transformative chapters of your life, so enjoy it while it lasts!
Check out the 2021 SUBS Young Professionals Guide for more advice in relation to opportunities offered by the Business School and building your professional edge at university.
