They always say that your student days are the most beautiful days of your life. The fact whether they are beautiful or not varies greatly, but there are indeed ways to make your student life memorable.
Following are the most effective ways to make the most of your university experience.
Set yourself some goals
While this probably isn’t the most fun you will have as a student, what better way to get motivated before classes start than by making a few (realistic) goals? It might be as simple as vowing to improve on your results from the previous semester or to try every eatery on campus with your friends. If you do not have specific goals in mind, start with the basics. Being on time to class and taking note of exam and assignment due dates are both great examples.
Be Open-Minded
A college is a place where cultures, ideologies, and lifestyles clash – that is why serious misunderstandings are bound to happen. The best you can do is assuming that all people, actions, and words are well intentioned, even if they come off like that. That will simplify the problems a lot.
Make Friends As Soon As Possible
Stepping into college or university, everyone is starting his or her life over. People want to meet new people and make friends, so your greetings will be much appreciated. Put up with your shyness and go introduce yourself to people around, like in your neighborhood, in the class. Do this for the first few days or weeks – after the first month has passed, things will get a bit harder.
If you feel comfortable with it, leave your room door open or stay in the joint areas if you are staying in an on-campus accommodation. Accept invitations, and invite people to go with you around (to the library, bookshop, etc.). If you are waiting for a chance, it is very likely that others are waiting, too. Make it happen by taking the initiative.
Choose subjects that interest you
The beauty of post-school education is that you choose what you study and have a say in the types of subjects you take (depending on your course structure, of course). The best tip is to choose subjects that interest you and to avoid making your choices based on your other circumstances (your desire for a bludge subject or a Monday morning sleep-in, for instance). Look for subjects that challenge you or allow you to further develop an area of interest, and do not be afraid to explore those outside of your immediate faculty. Why not take on a philosophy elective as part of a science course, a music class to break up your law degree or add a language elective to a business degree?
Avoid doing the bare minimum
Being a student is not just about showing up to compulsory classes or making an appearance in tutorials every couple of weeks. Try to attend all your classes (no matter how early in the morning they are scheduled), keep up with the workload (including course readings before each class) and do not leave assignments or exam study until the very last day. If you need to miss a class or don’t think you can meet an assessment deadline, it’s best to have chat to your lecturer or tutor so that they can provide assistance, but remember to do this ahead of time, not within hours of a due date or compulsory class.
Get Involved in Activities
Do you know what the number one regret of graduates is? That is not getting involved on campus at all. Do it while you can. It is too easy to forget to get involved in recreation activities when you go to university. There’s so much studying to do and so many credits you need to get, but these college experiences are just as important to keep you function properly. They will help you have a rest from constant schoolwork, calming the mind, and is an excellent way to enlarge your circle.
Learn to Take Care of Your Finance
Now that you are an adult, budgeting, saving and balancing are things you must do in college. Here are some small, yet important tips to make your money a tool for you (and avoid you being your money’s slave)
Guess low for income and guess high for expenses: as students often do just the opposite of this, they end up struggling when the month has yet to pass for being overly optimistic.
List monthly savings as an expense: decide on the amount you would like to save for each month (most favorably, 10% of your income), and let that be a fixed expense in your budget.
Fight impulses with disciplines: As you go further in life, you will find out that motivation and inspiration are not actually as important as discipline. A little bit of overspend each day will accumulate into a significant amount, that’s why you should acknowledge any surplus and get back on your track as soon as possible.
Travel a lot
As a student, you are eligible for many discounts on rentals, hotels and travelling tickets to various destinations. One thing that students do to enjoy college life is going on road trips, where you get your friends and pool the resources together, renting a van and set on to a destination.
People tend to have many regrets, thinking that they are somehow missing on life. By taking measures to make your student life memorable, you can save yourself from these bad feelings later in life, while enjoying yourself to the fullest. Have fun, stay safe.
Consider a study abroad or student exchange program
What better time to experience the world than as a carefree student? Most institutions offer students the opportunity to study overseas for part of their course. Opportunities come in all shapes and sizes, from short study tours as part of a subject to a full semester or year completed abroad. Overseas study gives you the opportunity to travel, experience a different way of life and make new friends from all around the world. If you choose to study in a non-English-speaking country, you can also expand your language skills. Of course, there is also the opportunity to add life experience to your resume, something that many employers value from graduates straight out of uni. See Study abroad and student exchange for more information.