Isn’t it so ironic that we usually come out of situations with so much knowledge and insight but in said situations we forget or disregard information that would be beneficial in that moment. Maybe that’s why they say experience is the best teacher. As someone who has been through four years of university, I can say there were a lot of things I ignored, took for granted and flat out did not know and I want to share them with you. Maybe it will be of help to you and make your university experience better.
1. Plan ahead and time management is key.
This seems obvious, but honestly, don’t play yourself. A lot of schedules have a lot of white space in between classes and we often fail to remember that the space left on the page is also part of the school day and we should probably utilize all the time we have to get the best marks possible. When you do this, I honestly find that you can genuinely have the weekend or at least most of it for yourself. Are you not sick and tired of feeling guilty every time you hang out with your friends because you know you did not do enough during the week.
2. Study smart and strategize.
Listen, I was a philosophy major at university, and I will tell you it is physically impossible to read all the readings that have been assigned. So, study smart and strategize. What helped me was when I created a schedule and understood the amount of time required for each course. Strategize!
3. Get to know your professors.
For all my folks who want to do post grad, you will definitely need a reference in the for your post-graduate studies. Take some of that white space on your schedule that you use to text, hangout with friends, take a nap and just go to an office hour that is scheduled or schedule one in yourself. Not only will that help with postgraduate but it will help your grades as well. For future opportunities, guess who your Professor is hitting up?… YOU!.. because they know you.
4. You can get a grant.
Ask me how I felt when I found out that there were grants of $1,500 available for students who need it every single year at my school! Every school is different in terms of the money that they provide students, but I can assure you that your school has some sort of grant and or scholarship that can help bare the financial burden. Look into it and there just might be one that you are eligible for.
Now that I have graduated and been out of school for a while, these are a few things I wish I knew going into school and few things I wish I considered as I was going along. Hope this helps!