Just warning you this is a bit of a wordy post!
Recently I’ve been helping out my university with phone calls to the 2014 starters on my course, asking them if they have any questions or concerns about starting university. I was hearing almost exactly the same questions and worries call after call and I can relate to them all as I was in the same position this time last year! So, I thought that I would write this post, just for anyone that may come across my blog and currently has unanswered questions about University and all of the doubt and worry that you naturally get beforehand.
BEFORE UNIVERSITY
Interviews
Some courses and units require you to attend interviews before they offer you a place, so that they can look through your portfolio of work, or assess you're personality and the way you interact with others. This can be quite daunting and cause a lot of stress and worry, but it really is about being yourself. If can show how passionate you are about starting the next part of your life at that university studying that course, then there is no reason why they wouldn’t consider you. It’s all about showing how much you want it!
Making your choices
Once you’ve received all of your offers, it can be quite hard to choose which you want to take as your definite choice and your insurance. If you have been to open days and interviews at these Universities theres probably one that deep down you feel more attracted too and feel comfortable within the surroundings. However some of you may have never visited where you have applied too, so you need to think of the pros and cons of each - maybe you should write it down for each Uni and then you can weigh them up against one another to help make your choice.
AT UNIVERSITY
Settling in / Meeting people
Before moving to university, I was a mess. Constantly worrying about moving away from home, was I going to settle in? Would I like it? What if I miss home? What will I do? And so on. Now, looking back I can’t believe what a waste of worry this was! Moving into halls of residence (uni accommodation) was a lot better than I expected. You have moved away from home, more than likely you wont know many people at your university to begin with, and may be feeling slightly scared and alone to begin with. BUT! Everybody else is in exactly the same position, so it is so easy to make friends, socialise with everyone and just to have fun meeting all these various new people that you may have never crossed paths with before! If you are feeling that you are going to miss home a lot and will struggle away from family, I just think ‘I am only a phone call away’ and you can call friends and family that are at home at any point to talk about anything!
Starting university
The same kind of thinking goes with starting university. All of your classmates are in the same situation and are probably feeling exactly how you are, giving you no reason to not get on well or meet new people. If anything these will probably be easier to create friendships with as you all have the same interests and way of thinking! Your lecturers and teachers are all there to help you with your degree and only want the best for you, so don't be afraid of them, show them how good you are at what you do!
Uni work / Deadlines
If you're like me, you get a tad stressy when it comes to getting work done and meeting deadlines -I’ve grown to become the biggest time management freak you could possibly meet! If you can manage your time effectively getting your assignments done wont phase you at all, and you should have more than enough time to complete things before the scheduled hand in date. However, there will probably be the odd occasion where you do feel rushed and stressed because you haven't yet finished and the hand in is tomorrow, or you've had a major set back and need to re-do something. The key thing is to NOT panic. You will get the work done and it will be of the standard necessary - Think positively!
Dont worry about University, its a huge new chapter in your life and it will change the way you think about everything! I feel a lot more independent and grown up since moving away from home and its only been five-six months! Have fun, university is an adventure waiting for you to take advantage of. Meet as many people as you can and learn as much from everyone and everything!
‘The world is your oyster’ as they say!
I hope this helps at least a tiny bit and good luck! :)
