5 Things You Might Not Expect About Starting Uni…(Kat)

1: You’ll find yourself making a lot of Harry Potter references… Just this week on a walk through the Old Quad (which definitely looks like Hogwarts), I overheard heated discussion on whether Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff are the better house. Seriously. Since starting uni, I’ve received a wax sealed Hogwarts letter (about time if you ask me), declined an invitation to join the quidditch team (because even magical sports are not my strength) and been pranked on April Fools day when the official university page announced they were going to offer a Bachelor of Dark Arts. I would have swapped out of my regular BA in an instant! 

2: Just like Hogwarts, help is always available as long as you ask for it… Tertiary level assignments can be really intimidating, especially when they introduce skills you’ve never tried but are now expected to know (I mean, do we really need 8 different referencing styles!??). For some reason, universities can be perceived as places where you’re left to figure out all these things on your own, but this is a myth. There is an entire team of Academic Skills staff ready to impart their wisdom; whether that be in person or online.

Believe it or not, most people don’t know about this amazing resource or how to access them, so for more information click here.

 

3: You may learn to tame your inner ‘control freak’… I look back fondly at my January self, meticulously spelling out subject codes in coloured pens and filling out dates in a little notebook, feeling immensely satisfied and organised. If you had told me within three weeks of class I would have had three different timetables, I would have laughed nervously and turned a very interesting shade of crimson.

Yet, this is exactly what happened. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not advising you to change your program three times like I did – imagine the administration nightmares if that were the case! However, what I want to get across is that things can work out in unexpected ways, even if you like to be in control just as much as I do. Surprisingly, I’ve learnt that it’s ok to change your mind and be a little flexible if things aren’t going as planned. You can talk to a course advisor if you’re having any doubts about your subjects, but make sure you know your census dates.

4: You’ll make friends in unexpected places… Drumroll please! I made friends during a group project (gasp!). Believe it or not, you’ll meet people you click with in the most unlikely of circumstances and this is one of the coolest parts of being a student. You meet new people all the time, through club events, tutorials, and even campus tours on your very first day, so keep an open mind.

5: If you’re finding something hard, you’re probably in the majority, not minority of students…It’s time for some real talk. University is not meant to be easy (ok, ok I know that wasn’t exactly profound) but this is something we tend to forget. It can be especially difficult to get back your first assessments and receive much harsher criticism than what you got in high school. If you’re finding a subject hard, chat to other people in your tutes and you may be surprised to find they feel exactly the same as you do. Pool your knowledge, go to peer assisted study or just keep doing your thing. You got a place in your course for a reason and you don’t have to be perfect right away. After all, it’s your first year!

If you want to know more about anything on this list, or have questions we can answer in a future post, I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!