3 things I learned from going to university

It has been a whirlwind experience as I'm racing towards the end of my final semester to graduate and enter the ‘real’ world.

From my experience, it hasn’t been what television, movies, and books portrayed university to be. With that note, we need to stop romanticising experiences that can blur the reality, but it won't stop this girl from daydreaming.

My university life has been a real learning journey. I have a different perspective of the world now as a young adult.

Here are the top three things that I have learned whilst studying during university.

1. FRIENDSHIPS WILL CHANGE

The truth hurts but you will lose friends (sometimes those friendship bracelets/necklaces mean nothing at the end of the day).

It is where time and distance tests your high school friendships.

Attending college/university means that people will leave the country or attend a different university or course. You will no longer be in the same classroom as them and see them in the halls of your school.

My experience hasn’t been the greatest, but it has taught me a lesson on communication. It is as the saying goes, communication is the key to any relationship. I have lost close friends in the past few years due to a lack of communication and loss of contact. I have lost some because of prioritising romantic relationships over friendship and other priorities in life.

Opposite to losing friends, I have also gained new friendships, I have re-connected with people that I haven’t spoken to in a long time. University is that time where you realise who will have your back after high school and who will support your journey through life.

I entered university after being surrounded by the same people for seven years. I enrolled in my current university where only a few other peers are in the same university. Everyone is in the same boat when it comes to making friends in the first year/freshman year.

I can say it’s difficult to make friendships doing an arts degree where people have vastly different majors. My advice is to get into the clubs and societies because it puts you in a position where you are able to connect with people with similar interests. Participation in discussions can help because you can make friends after the class finishes by continuing the discussion. It tests your dormant social skills if you have been in a familiar environment for a long time.

2. SCHEDULING YOUR LIFE

One of the hardest skills you have to develop when you begin your university life. There isn’t the 9–3 timetable with scheduled breaks because it's all about you organising your life together, which I haven’t mastered yet.

I still struggle with eating at specific times given the circumstance of my commute to and from university. There are some lectures or tutorials that are set at awkward times such as the dreaded 8 am classes and the late afternoon ones. It can be hard when it comes to juggling many commitments such as jobs, study, family, alone time and hobbies.

My advice isn't advice but it's trial and error to find the perfect happy medium to a proper schedule. You will feel like you are in control when everything is put into place. Related to friendships, do try to set some time aside to catch up at least a couple of times a year. It will be worth it in the end trust me because your friends will appreciate it especially in this busy world, we live in.

Besides that, life is unpredictable and not everything will go to plan.

3. BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN ACTIONS

The first thing will be attending lectures and tutorials. They’re optional for the most part (bless technology and recorded lectures) because I can guarantee you will skip them at least once. Unless you have a marked attendance but usually by week 5, numbers will start dwindling.

You are put in a position where no one is nagging for you to get your assignment done. There may be times where you discuss and workshop your drafts which forces you to start them. Your lecturer will have several hundred other students to look over and the only form of communication is through snail mail aka email. They have office hours that you may schedule in to discuss your query and are prompt on replying to emails. The unit site will have a discussion board which is a helpful tool for you to communicate with your professors. There are some tech-savvy professors that do use twitter but I would say it’s more reserved for the science and politics professors from my experience.

You are in control when it comes to when you start and finish your assignments. It’s where you decide if you will be the diligent student by doing your assignments on time or be that student that pulls an all-nighter to hand in the assignment right before the deadline.

Professors know when assignments are sent in because the time handed in is by the nearest second. I have handed in assignments past the due date and I wouldn’t recommend that for anyone to follow my footsteps.

I’m not the greatest role model but I hope my experience and advice could at least help one person. It’s not all rainbows but it can become a life-changing experience with the endless opportunities that university provides.

Go get that education!