Features / freshers
What I now know as a graduate
YOUR UNIVERSITY YEARS REALLY ARE WHAT YOU MAKE OF THEM
“Make the most of it”, “don’t just let it pass you by”, “get involved”: all variations on a slightly irritating theme, but all, (frustratingly) good advice. University can be “done” in so many ways: you can spend three years working hard, three years partying hard, three years attending every society on the SU’s A-Z list. All are valid approaches – and all take commitment! You really do get out of uni what you put into it. Think about what memories you want to make – and go about making them.
TOXIC PRODUCTIVITY IS REAL
As the haze of first year fades into the stresses of second and third, it’s easy to start feeling that if you’re not doing something “productive’’ – getting coursework finished, or an internship secured – then your day has been a flop.
Burnout is real – don’t forget to take breaks and look after yourself. Credit: University of Bristol.
But it’s important to include the smallest of things in your list of achievements – going out for a walk, or for drinks with a course mate. It will keep you happy and healthy. Burnout is real – and it wastes far more time than a coffee break.
is needed now More than ever
AT SOME STAGE, YOU MIGHT CONTEMPLATE DROPPING OUT – BUT THIS TOO SHALL PASS.
There may come a stage when you consider throwing the towel in. You’re stressed, exhausted, and confused as to why you ever signed up to this in the first place. I suggest taking a step back and realising the luxury of the situation you find yourself in: you get to spend these years thinking, talking, and writing your way around your subject. I’m a believer in embracing the cliché of it all; so take coffee to the library and leaf through that intimidating text book; read Nietzsche in a cafe, and be obnoxiously enthusiastic in a seminar: revel in the pretentiousness of it all.
Main photo: University of Bristol
Read more: What I wish I knew as a fresher
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