Starting your University education is definitely one of the most exciting periods in your life and a milestone worth being proud of. However, there is no doubt that something as big, as new, and as out of your comfort zone could be also very overwhelming and challenging to feel ok about at first. If you are awaiting your freshman year at university, it is safe to assume you will feel very excited but also very stressed at the same time. Therefore, as people who have always been through the whole experience and totally survived it, we would like to provide you with a handful of helpful tips for your first year at university, check them out.
Everyone You Meet is Important
It is important to tune yourself to the idea that everyone you meet during your university years is someone important to your life because they have something to offer. It is a good way to start your first year at university with this idea. You will, indeed, meet hundreds of people at university, including your lecturers, professors, and advisors, classmates, staff on campus, and recruiters. Each and every one of them will have something to offer to you as an experience, advice, lesson. Yes, of course, you won’t enjoy all of them and you won’t become friends with every one and this is totally normal and an important experience in your life too. Make sure to network with as many people as possible as this will provide you with some valuable relationships that can come into play once you finish university.
Good Organisation and Deadlines as Priority
Some of the most important things that the university will teach you to include soft skills such as independence, self-discipline, responsibility. University will teach you how to prioritize your responsibilities and keep up with your deadlines whenever you want to be a good student. University will also show you the importance of good organization and how it can help you a lot.
Make sure to get yourself a paper organizer or download a smartphone app, whatever is more convenient for you to use, and start writing down all your engagements, tasks, and responsibilities at university, this will help you keep up with all the workload you need to deal with and not miss something important. During your university years, you will have hundreds of assignments, therefore, you want to be well-organized and keep up with everything so you don’t miss your deadlines. It will help you create an efficient routine for you and feel less overwhelmed or tired.
Never Plagiarize
Don’t even try plagiarising because you will be caught doing that, for sure. It is not only important to never plagiarise because it will make you fail the assignment and you will face the consequences. It is also important because if you plagiarise, this will prevent you from developing your writing skills which are crucial in the majority of careers you may want to start someday. Writing skills are among the core ones when you are studying at university and if you don’t develop this skill on time, the university will be a very hand experience for you. Instead of plagiarizing, make sure to learn how to find and use a variety of resources, how to cite them properly, how to exercise your critical thinking, how to develop your own writing style and a routine that makes sense to you.
Use a Good Note-Taking System
Taking notes when you are at university is a crucial help during the learning process. Different methods of taking notes can work differently for everyone. For example, some prefer taking notes on the laptop, because it is easier and faster. However, taking notes by hand is the preferred method for other people as it helps them to better remember the material. Find out what works best for you and keep in mind that in some classes you may feel better when taking notes by hand, while in others, the laptop may be very helpful, so it is not necessary to do all classes the same way. It may take some time until you find the right approach for you, however, once you find it, you will feel great and save yourself a lot of time.
Back-Up Your Files. Always
This is one of the most important things you need to learn how to do when you start your first year at university. There is nothing worse than being almost done with your assignments only for your laptop to break down and all your work to be wasted and lost forever. Therefore, make sure you always save your assignments and make backup copies of all important files.
