Hello, hello, helloo! How are you? I hope you're well.
I am attending university for long enough now that I think it's time to tell you, what I learned and how I survived the first year of confusion. Here are my tips:
Don't listen to the horror stories older students tell you!
Before I had my first day at university, I talked to a lot of people who were studying for a few years and they told me all kinds of horror stories. I don't know, if these stories were their impression of university, but in my opinion they were dramatized and over the top.
They told me university is worse than school, and that you have to study more than ever. However, this simply isn't true. I enjoy university way more than school, because I have way more freedom and I'm finally working for my future. I also don't study that much more than I have in school. I think we all have to form our own impression of uni and mine is absolutely positive.
Don't believe everything fellow students tell you!
Rumours are spreading fast and also fellow students tend to dramatize. Here is an example: I study Maths and I, of course, had a final exam at the end of the semester. Everyone said that it'll be more than difficult and that over 50% don't pass. Shortly before the exam the next rumour spreaded. Other students said that we'll get 11 pages worth of exercises. They were right, I got 11 pages but they weren't full of exercises and we've got huge spaces in between them so that we had space to answer the questions in detail. I wasn't nearly as bad as everyone said.
Don't procrastinate!
Time management is one of the most important things in university. If you are behind on work, you'll have to do even more shortly before the exam. The best is just to summarize all the things, you learned in a lecture, right after it. Then you will remember everything and you'll have all your papers together when it's time for the exam. Unfortunately, this is one of the hardest things and I myself have to get better at that, but my time management has improved since starting university.
Be open!
There are so many different people going to university. Be open and talk to them. I think it's so interesting to get to know peoples' lives, especially when they are students from other countries. It's just so interesting to hear what they have to say about their country and their culture.
Don't worry about not finding friends!
I was the only one from my school who decided to go to the university where I am now. That meant I didn't know anybody! Since I am quite a shy person, I was so worried about not meeting people I would like. However, when I think about this now, this was such a stupid thing to think. So many people visit university thus you will definitely find someone. Don't worry and just be open. :)
Learn to be self-sufficient!
That sounds worse than it is, but no one will help you with your problems. I also had to learn that. The times of school are over where most of the teachers were willing to help you, when you've got a problem. Now, I have to solve them myself. Sometimes this is also better than asking someone else, because as I've explained earlier, some people tend to talk a lot although they don't know it better either.
I hope these tips are helpful. If you are starting university soon, just remember:
Everything will be alright!
I hope you're having an amazing weekend! See you, xx
Instagram: @marythisisme