If done right, your student years can easily be among the best in your life. They’re an opportunity to branch out, meet new people, and take your first steps towards becoming a completely independent adult. However, it’s not always easy to maintain the right balance between having fun, and fulfilling your responsibilities. We’re going to take a look at a few ways of ensuring you get the most out of study, including:
- Joining groups and societies
- Maintaining a social life
- Ensuring you don’t fail your course
Take Advantage of the Opportunities on Offer
For many people, the biggest regret upon finishing their studies is the realisation that they did not make the most of all the extra activities on offer. Most universities have a huge range of different clubs and societies, covering a really wide range of different hobbies and interests. If you’re already a keen enthusiast of a sport, topic or other subject, you can easily find a group of people with similar interests. And you’ll also be able to get involved with many new interests and pastimes that you were never aware of before. These clubs and societies are not just a great way to find out about a new interest. They are also extremely social places, and a good way of extending your network of friends. Another great thing about them is that, if you stick with one long enough, you’ll have a chance to join the committee and take responsibility for organisation. It’s a rewarding and fun way of adding to your university time.
Don’t Let a Lack of Friends Discourage You
It can be initially daunting for students to find themselves so far away from their friends. It’s not always easy to find like-minded people when you’ve been put down in a new and unfamiliar environment. However, perseverance and saying yes to things should allow you to expand your circle of friends and find some new people to enjoy your time with. Don’t feel pressured to go along with any social activities that seem stupid or pointless to you. Eventually, you’ll be able to find a balance and spend time with people you have something in common with. University is also a time when people try out new personalities and affectations. This can sometimes result in people seeming pretty insufferable. However, it’s worth remembering that you may be doing the same thing, even if you don’t fully realise it.
Maintain a Study/Life Balance
While there’s no end of fun to be had socialising at university, it’s worth remembering that at the end of the day, they’re going to be taking a lot of money from you, so you may as well try and get a decent degree. All you need to do is ensure that you know which corners you can cut for the sake of enjoying yourself, and which ones you can’t. Manage your own expectations of what you expect to leave with, and understand when to put your nose to the grindstone. If you’ve got half a brain in your head, you should be able to finish your student years with both good stories, and decent education.
These are just a few suggestions for how to ensure you get the most out of your student years. Ultimately, you’re going to make a fair few mistakes along the way. However, if you surround yourself with the right people, you should be able to finish things on a good note.
About the Author: Hello, My name is Ellen. Having graduated the University of Essex for creative writing and traveled the world, I’ve developed a passion for technology and culture – how the two interact and change each other, how the society changes in the 21st century. Currently working as a corporate project manager, I spend my free time looking for new venues for my creativity, as well as nerding out over The Next Big Thing.
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