First Time at Uni
Having just finished school at the end of last year I am about to embark on the journey that is university. This is going to be a huge change in my life and if we are being honest I don’t always cope well with change. I liked school and I have always been the type of person to get very involved through extra curricular activities and service for my school community aka I was a nerd and proud of it.
This has resulted in me feeling like a big fish in a small pond while I was at school and going to university makes me feel like a small fish in an ocean. Basically I’m scared about what the future holds, as there is a lot of uncertainty that comes with moving on. If you are in this same situation I have some tips and tricks that I have picked up from talking to people who are older than me and hopefully these can help you too!
It’s okay to be scared: Don’t let people tell you that you are weak for being worried about the future. It is completely natural, you are about to enter a system that most of us don’t completely understand yet and it’s time to grow up. In saying this don’t allow this fear to hold you back. This year will only be scary for a little bit of time. Think back to when you started NCEA or your final school exams; everything seemed daunting because you didn’t understand the terminology and you hadn’t found your rhythm. By the time you reached your final year of school you understood the system and it became ‘normal’. I can promise that eventually this will happen with university but you have to give it time and you will only relax if you don’t stress about the unknown. Once this happens it won’t feel like an ocean and you won’t feel so small.
Be your own person: This is your life now so make choices that you are happy with. School was about doing the things we had to do but this year should be about doing the things we want to do. The world is full of judgment and realizing that you can’t control this is important. You can control the way you see yourself. It isn’t about fitting into one ‘type’ of person. Every single one of you reading this is beautiful in your own way! If you are confident in yourself then that will radiate from you. Create a style that you like and own it. If you want to wear designer outfits to 8am lectures, go for it or if you want to wear pj’s then embrace it.
Be prepared: Make sure you know when the important start dates are so you don’t get flustered closer to the time. In terms of stationery don’t worry too much about this until you start. It best to turn up on the first day with some paper, pens and a clear file and as the first week goes on you can work out what learning style and managing notes system works for you, then go buy the things you need. The more prepared you are the less you will be overwhelmed.
Have fun! There is certainly the serious side of university which comes with the study and assignments that you will probably leave to the last minute but you have to remember to enjoy yourself! Get involved and make new friends and meet different people because your views on the world will expand. If you are worried about being lonely or not finding anyone then join a club and get involved because one day you will want to look back and have no regrets that you wasted any opportunities.
Change isn’t always a bad thing and it doesn’t mean you have to forget about the past, it just means that things are going to be different and that can bring new experiences. Go and be whoever you want to be and if you do that then you will be empowered and that makes you pretty darn amazing! I leave you with a Dr Seuss quote. I think this is appropriate as we end this phase in our lives we move on to something new we should remember as Dr Seuss once said; “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” ▼
