A whole new world
A whole new world
For most of us, university is very different from high school. The campus is new and strange. The classes are huge. The lecturers don’t care whether you pitch up for class or do any work. From being a top student, praised and admired, you find yourself one of thousands. You may not be used to working with computers, which suddenly form part of every activity. You may have to see to your own meals for the first time. You have to manage your money, however much or little you have. You are surrounded by strangers who (perhaps) all seem to know what they are doing and where they are going, while you feel lost.
Even for senior students, a new year brings changes and challenges. You have much more work, and it’s more difficult. You may have to find new accommodation. Some of your friends may not have come back, making you doubt whether you yourself can really make it.
In the next pages we will give you some practical tools to deal with all of this. Take a deep breath and relax. It is possible to get through university successfully, even though it may not seem that way at the moment. Thousands have done it before you, and they were just as lost in the beginning as you are now
Whenever you doubt yourself in the weeks and months to come, always remember what it took to get here and, even more importantly, why you are doing it.
Perhaps you want to make a few notes:
- How hard did you have to work to achieve that bachelor’s pass? What did you have to give up?
- Was it easy to find funding? How did you do it?
- Why did you do it? The degree you’re studying for is a stepping stone towards a dream. What is your dream for your future?
