University Advice From a Recent Graduate

Back-to-school season is here and it’s always been my favourite time of the year. You get to buy new clothes, school supplies, and best of all, you get a fresh start. I’ve always loved school, especially university, and I miss it now that I’ve graduated.

A lot of people go through university without making the most of their experience, so I’m giving you my university advice as a recent graduate so you can have the best four (or five or however many) years!

Make friends in every class

The best advice I can give you is to make as many friends as possible in every class, especially your core program classes. It’s nice having someone to sit by and talk to during class, and you’re guaranteed to have a study buddy. These might be forever friends or you might never talk to them again after the semester is done, but at least you’ll have another familiar face around campus. 

It’s more important to make friends in your core classes because you’ll be seeing those same people all the time. I don’t know what I would do without my best friends who are in the same program as me. We took all of the same classes, sat next to each other in every class, and did group projects together. These are your forever friends. Just note that you can never have too many friends, even if you only speak during class or nod at each other in the hallway. Connections are everything.

Go to every event on campus

Be social and go to every event that you can. One of my biggest regrets is not going to more sporting events. I always wanted to go, but never did. I maybe went to one or two, and I had so much fun that I planned to go to more, but then the pandemic shut the school down. Events are so much fun and they’re a great way to socialize and take a break from class. Some of my best memories are from going to school events. Sure, some of them are lame, but you’ll never know until you go.

Always buy used books

Don’t waste your money on buying new textbooks. I bought brand new textbooks my whole first year until I realized how much money I was wasting. It can cost around $1000 for textbooks each semester, which is crazy expensive when you can get them used for cheap. Check to see if your school has a used book exchange Facebook group and search for your textbooks there. You’ll save so much money.

Picking 8 a.m. classes isn’t a bad thing

Actually, 8 a.m. classes are great. Everyone I knew hated them and complained about them, but I enjoyed having a reason to wake up early in the morning. Don’t take an 8 a.m. class if you KNOW you’re going to skip, but they’re great if you want that extra push to get up early in the morning. The other great thing is campus isn’t crowded at that time so there’s lots of peaceful places to sit before and after class. Or, you can do an early morning workout after class. Get a coffee and you’ll be fine. You might even discover that you love early classes.

Try something new

Try something new whether it’s a new food, new activity, etc. University is when you should experiment and get out of your comfort zone. Don’t restrain yourself, even if you’re scared. Fear will only prevent you from growing and flourishing. University is a time to discover who you are as a person and what you’re interested in, and you can’t do that unless you try new things and experiences.

Learn time management

You will suffer if you don’t learn how to organize and prioritize your work. It sounds extreme, but it’s true. The sooner you learn this skill, the better.

Buy a planner and write everything down. Everything. There is nothing worse than forgetting to do an assignment or having to do an assignment last minute. Writing everything down will help you visualize when assignments are due, so you can prioritize which assignments need to be completed first. Planning ahead will also help you dedicate more time to friends. You don’t want to be the only friend staying in because you have an assignment to finish. Complete your schoolwork ahead of time and then go have fun.

Grades matter, but they’re not everything

Strive to succeed and be your best, but don’t put too much pressure on yourself. It’s okay to fail (or almost fail) a class — it happens to almost everyone. Some classes are harder than others and you’ll learn that very quickly, which is why it’s important to remember that grades don’t define you. In my experience, jobs don’t care about your GPA at all. I have it on my resume, but no one has ever told me it’s something I need on my resume to get a job. Do your best to get good grades, but don’t compromise your mental health.

You do not need straight A’s to be a good student. 

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I hope you have the best time in university and that this university advice from a recent graduate helps! Click here to read my other school-related content and check back for more!

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