At university, there are two groups of students. The group that is freaking out over their first semester ever, and the other group that has passed the first week hype in semesters previous, and are simply holding on for dear life. Thankfully, there are ways to slay this semester, and I am here with experience to drop a few suggestions your way in terms of keeping costs low, grades high while holding a strong social game!
1. Limit your fast food consumption
And yes, I’m referring to that hidden gem in the student resource centre that serves phenomenal teriyaki chicken- sure, you should try it. However, it is easy to get in the habit of rewarding yourself after every paper, test and lecture you successfully attended and eventually eroding your savings account. To combat this, many students will place limitations on their financial access to eradicate any form of temptation for campus food. Others pack amazing lunches, or limit themselves to one campus lunch per week.
2. Ask questions
Keep this in mind: you are now attending university, you will be here for a few years or less, and after interacting with thousands of people, you will likely keep in touch with a select few. Many people see asking questions in class as a social game killer and as a result, stay quiet; however, asking a clever question each time will not only help you succeed in the class, it will show the professor that you’re bold and in it to win it. Asking questions may also help other students who are unsure of how to articulate their questions, so listen up!
3. Take breaks
In my first semester, I felt uncertain of whether it was respectful to leave a lecture to go to the washroom- it may sound silly, but when you’re in a room with 400 other people who apparently never need to go, things can feel tricky. Eventually, I felt more comfortable in leaving quietly, and after a while, realized that taking a 15 minute walk in the middle of a four hour lecture actually kept me more engaged than sitting still for the entire lecture. For me personally, I found that cutting corners where necessary actually allowed me to succeed more in my courses, and this skill has helped in other aspects of life; I’m not saying slack off, I’m saying it helps to have breaks and rewards in order to maintain quality and motivation.
MORE FROM JULE MAGAZINE
4. Try at least one student event
For whatever reason, some of you are not going to like this one; however, I encourage you to get out to at least one campus event to A. Say that you did it, and B. Possibly meet really cool people. University is drastically different than high school in a social sense, and if it doesn’t seem that way, I encourage you to expand your circles. One thing I really appreciated university for was broadening my perspective in being around several different paradigms of thought. Some ideas I agreed with, some not so much, but in the end I was able to see more clearly through my interactions with people that I would meet and never see again, and people who would go on to become my greatest allies.
5. Try your U-Pass
Taking the bus may sound icky for some, but truthfully, you can save so much annually by cutting costs on gas, parking, bridge tolls and any other fees applicable. As well, there are several students to chat with and befriend, bizarre conversations to casually eavesdrop on, and a seat for you to try and get some thoughts down for your twenty page thesis. Most of all, your U-Pass is your ticket for a safe ride home on a Saturday night, as it can be used outside of school hours during the semester.
6. The ‘Freshman Fifteen’ is avoidable
Many people will inform you that you’re about to gain fifteen pounds- most people will inform you of this perhaps because this happened to them. However, if you can keep your life balanced, don’t sweat it. It’s okay to eat pizza on an all-nighter, and it’s okay to partake in your Starbucks craving- like anything in any part of life, we require balance and moderation. I admit that I ate terribly in my first year of university, however my athletic commitments allowed me to maintain my health and evade this college myth thankfully until I was capable of making a meal that wasn’t chicken or Oreos. Drinking water regularly is a plus.
Everyone has their own unique university experience, but it’s amazing how many patterns we all tend to follow together as we grow intellectually and independently before departing into the real world. Share your university tips with us on Twitter @julemagazine, and keep the conversation going!