You have spent 18 years of your life working towards your matric, the last thing that you want to do is hinder your university career. If you want to survive your first year at university you need to know all the facts.
By following this step by step guide, you will not have to worry about becoming another dropout statistic. All of the information that you need in order to make your first year at university a successful one is right here:
Step 1
Make sure that you pick the subjects that you actually want to study. During the first two years that you attend university, you will often have to study another subject that does not necessarily fit in with the field that you wish to focus on. This is especially common when doing a creative arts degree. Make sure that the subjects you choose genuinely interest you. You do not want to fail your first year because you were not smart about your subject choices.
Step 2
Find the balance between socializing and studying. This is extremely important. You are obviously going to university in order to get a degree that will help you towards having a career. Unfortunately, you cannot – and probably don’t actually want to – escape the social aspects of the experience. A good way in which to find the balance is to join a club so that you can structure your social life around your studies.
Step 3
Have a reliable support structure. When the stress kicks in, which it will, make sure that you have support around you. This support can be your friends or your family, just as long as you make sure that you have someone to turn to when it all gets too much. Homeopathic calming pills can also help you through the first year.
Step 4
Do not be afraid to ask questions. Even though you are now in a higher learning institution, you are still allowed to ask questions. Do not be shy to find out or to clarify certain facts, even if it means going to the lecturer after the lecture. Make sure that you get the facts that you need. You do not want to fail an essay or a course just because you did not want to seem stupid in front of your classmates.
Step 5
Do not leave your work to the last minute. This is probably the most difficult “rule” to follow. You may think that you have plenty of time to tackle the work that you are expected to complete, but this is not the case. You will soon find that your marks begin to drop and you will become lazy if you do not work hard, right from the beginning.
Step 6
Budget, budget, Budget! Make sure that you assign yourself a monthly budget – and that you stick to it! When living in student accommodation or residence, you need to make sure that you spend your money wisely. If you do not, you might be short when it comes time to pay for the important things such as rent and food.
Make sure that you follow these top tips if you want to have a successful first year at university.
Written by Kenneth Nel (Article here.)