10 Things I Wish I Knew Before Coming to University

Coming to University is both exciting and frightening. It’s a new chapter of your life, and you’re entering something you’ve never experienced before! Here are 10 things I wish I knew before coming to University.

1. What you decide to major in isn’t what you have to stay with (or what you have to work as for the the rest of your life). More than half of students change their majors in their first few years – quite frankly, it’s hard to know what you want to do! It’s also important to note that there are many different paths that one program can take you down. Just because you enter into one doesn’t mean that’s what your stuck with!
2. Marks are important, but they aren’t everything. Sometimes my professors laugh at us for caring about marks so much. Because though marks are important for things like getting scholarships, jobs, etc… they aren’t everything. As a student who aims for high marks, I have to keep telling myself this. The most important thing in University is truly learning, whether or not that comes out on paper. That is what your professors want to see – learning, passion, and willingness. It’s also what your employers will want to see. Do not overstress yourself! It just isn’t worth it!
3. It really isn’t that different from high school. Students come in to University wide-eyed and terrified a lot of times, only to realize that it really isn’t that different from high school. Save for a bit more freedom and self-learning, you still have to study, do exams, group projects, and assignments. The work load, at least for me, isn’t a whole lot more. I still have homework and still cried over a few things I didn’t understand (true story).
4. Make friends with (and be nice to) your professors. Not only do they love students who are passionate and inquisitive, but they are also easy to talk to… One of my favourite professors helped me to get a job at a local bank, all because I had the initiative to go and talk to him! Think of them as your allies, not just your instructors.
5. Avoid 8:30am classes at all costs. Unless you are a morning person: don’t do it! You will either die, fall asleep at the desk, or snooze your alarm enough times to be late for class…
6. Bring your own breakfast/lunches. Food at the caf, though delicious, can often be expensive. It adds up fast. Unless you are on an unlimited meal plan, I suggest mixing your days between buying food and making it at home.
7. Don’t do extracurriculars just because they’ll “look good on a resume”. Do things that you enjoy and are passionate about – not because you’ll think it’ll get you a good job. Find what you’re passionate about and volunteering will actually be fun, like it’s supposed to be! My favourite place to volunteer is the Humane Society, because I adore animals!
8. It’s okay to do bad or fail on a few things. Now I’m not saying it’s the best idea to fail classes themselves… but if you fail (or do bad on) a test or assignment, don’t fret. In the big picture it’s really not worth getting worked up over. I remember my first year accounting class I got a 56 on a midterm (after getting a 102 on another) and I cried the whole way home. Looking back, I feel dumb for getting so worked up! You have areas to make up for that mark (I got a 90 in the class overall), and in the end even if you don’t, an employer isn’t going to look at it and say “I’m not hiring you because you got a 60 and not a 80 in one class”. It’s not worth it – and just think of it as a learning experience… did you study enough, were you distracted?
9. Pick a major, but be smart about it. It’s easy for a lot of students to go into different programs… and though you should always enter into something you love, it’s also important to consider the job prospects for that degree. Try to balance something you love and want to do, with a degree that will take you places in life! You can do a lot of research on job prospects online, and where jobs are the most needed – try matching those up with your interests!
10. Make the most of it. Go to hockey games, pub nights, skating on Lake Tamblyn, take interesting classes, make friends, go swimming, hike Mount McKay, take a bus tour, go to the Trampoline park, and make the most of it! Before you know it the years will fly by. A lot of people say college is the best years of your life, and I’d believe it.