- I remember years back when I just graduated from high school... The feeling of having control over what u can and can't do, the rush and excitement for university life. It's a common feeling among all fresh graduates, especially those who left boarding schools. Freedom comes with responsibility... If you're not careful you'll find yourself 2 months into your program, looking at your first assessment results and wondering whether it's really you... I mean this can't be... There must be some mistake... Well the only mistake was that you didn't do what it takes to adapt to university life. It is a whole new world w a new set of rules... -
- Firstly… know your campus. All buildings... Especially lecture and tutorial halls. There are people who almost missed a test simply because they didn't know where the hall was, and it took a lot of time to locate it. You don't wanna find yourself in such a situation... Looking for a hall under exam stress. The best time to know your campus is at the beginning...when there’s no pressure. Plan a day to take a tour round campus and master where all buildings are. It Will save you from stress.
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- Set SMART academic goals at the beginning of your program. Your main goal can be to get a GPA of at least 3/4 by the end of the year. With that main goal in mind, set sub objectives such as to have at least 15/20 in every assessment. That keeps you on a steady course towards your goal.
- Develop a Study Plan
- Of course you can’t achieve those goals without studying, meaning you equally need a study plan... It's better to study for 2hrs daily than
- To study for 5hrs one day and not at all the next day. Again set SMART goals... 2hrs/day is alright as long as you're CONSISTENT.
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- Find Study Buddies
- Complement your individual study with group work. Don’t be that student who studies alone in their corner. Look for study partners at the beginning; identify those people whom you can easily flow with. That means you need to step out of your comfort zone and interact with your classmates. Study buddies encourage and learn from one another. As you study in a group, you get to see things that may have missed or get explanations on concepts you didn’t understand… Unity is strength.
- Engage in Meaningful Extracurricular activities to complement your academics. They’ll look good on your Resume/CV… Join a club for example or play a sport. You could even take up a leadership role. But be careful not to overcrowd your schedule with activities, just a couple will suffice… your studies should be your number one priority.
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- Say No to Peer Pressure… Again your studies come first. Am I saying that you shouldn’t have any friends, or have fun occasionally… of course not. It’s necessary to go out once in a while to relax; but don’t spend most of your time doing that. More importantly, stay away from friends who distract you from your objectives.
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- Use every opportunity to network with your Professors. Be active in class by responding to and asking meaningful questions; that way your Professors will notice your interest in their courses. It sets the base for a possible relationship with them. This is useful because sooner or later, you’ll need letters of recommendation. It will be a lot easier to request for recommendations from Professors you know personally.
Overall, to adapt to university life as a freshman:
First Know your Campus and
Set SMART academic goals
Develop a study plan to achieve those goals
Create/Join a study group to facilitate your studies
Engage in meaningful extracurricular activities
Don’t give in to peer pressure and invest time in
Networking with your Professors.
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