It’s quite scary to embark on this new chapter of your student life. I know I was super nervous during my first year at university. Be sure to check out my post on 5 things I wished I knew before my first day at university for more tips.
Even if you’re reading this mid-way through your semester, it is not too late to avoid these blunders. Let me share with you 5 things to avoid doing so you can start your semester off on the right foot.
1. Don’t Be Too Stressed Out or Overwhelmed
I was that kid who would over-dramatise school re-openings after the holidays, and just want to be ‘on-go’ mode 24/7. I strived to stay on top of things and do as much as I could before work piled up. Eventually, I felt overwhelmed trying to do everything and ended up burning out pretty quickly.
There is nothing wrong with riding on that motivation at the start of the semester, but be careful not to go overboard with it. Ensure you still schedule ‘clean rest’ to relax and not think about your studies. Although a small amount of stress can be beneficial, it can affect your mental health if there are excessive amounts.
The key here is balance. Constantly remind yourself of the bigger picture and prioritise your goals. If you need some help with that, check out my free journal prompts guide so you can get laser-focused.
2. Don’t Stick To Your Old Social Circle
If you’re lucky enough to see familiar faces in your school or classes, you may feel tempted to continue hanging out with them. This is perfectly fine, but I encourage you to also actively meet and spend time getting to know your new schoolmates. After all, going solo gives you more freedom to pursue the things you actually want, instead of going with the crowd.
I joined various CCAs and events to broaden my social network and to have fun at the same time. You can also initiate lunches or dinners to get to know them better outside of classes or CCAs.
3. Don’t Stay Quiet During Classes
I know it’s scary sometimes to speak up in front of the whole class. In fact, I still feel my palms go sweaty each time I raise my hand to say something. As you do it more often, you may still feel the sensations of fear, but trust me, you’ll realise most of the time, it does not turn out to be as scary as you think it will be.
You can start by going to class earlier so you have plenty of opportunities to strike up conversations with your classmates. During breaks, you can ask your professors questions and then follow up with emails to schedule consultation sessions.
4. Don’t Be So Self-Conscious
Speaking of vulnerability, it also means not caring so much about what others think of you. (I hope I’m not the only one who feels awkward eating alone at school canteens and cafeterias.) This phenomenon has an actual term called ‘The Spotlight Effect’. It is where people tend to believe that they are being noticed more than they really are. For example, you sub-consciously think that other students are judging you as being ‘a loner’ when you walk along the corridor by yourself.
Overtime, I’ve come to realise the benefits of going around campus by myself and not being overly self-conscious about it. I started to feel grateful that I have some ‘alone time’ with myself and used these opportunities to be fully present in the moment or people-watch.
Reassuring yourself of these thoughts can definitely save yourself from a lot of mental drama.
5. Don’t Read All Your Class Material Beforehand
I don’t know about you but I’m the kind of student who wants to spend their precious time studying effectively and efficiently, so that I can get back to watching my shows. Well, in order to use your studying time wisely, you must study ‘smartly’.
Pre-reading is helpful in getting clearer pictures about what will be taught in class next, but there is no need to waste time trying to read every single word (unless you really want to). Instead, you can make brief note summaries, annotate or prepare questions. As long as you get the gist of each reading, you should be prepared for class.
In my opinion, the more important thing to do is to revise class material within the next 24 hours after learning them. I found that once the 24-hour window has passed, it takes more effort for me to recall and understand the concepts taught.
I know you want to get a head-start in preparing for your semester, but don’t forget to check out my blog post to know a few additional tips on saving money in college.
Don’t worry about the jitters – it’ll slowly disappear as you get used to university life. Feel free to share this post with a friend, reach out to me or follow me on Instagram for more tips!
