I have had a hard time making time for a blog!

My apologies… life is hectic in the summer apparently.

Do you remember when you started university and you knew exactly what you were going to do? I thought I knew. I thought I knew everything (personality flaw), but honestly, I was very confident I knew what was up. The reality is that no one knows, and if you do know, it will change 13 million times before you cross the stage. AND THEN you do cross the stage and you still have no idea and there are no jobs… I am not trying to be negative here, but there are some key steps people should take to make their experience in university successful.

I honestly could tell you a million things that you could do to prevent that lost “I don’t know what to do with my life” feeling, but my experience is a lot different then someone else’s experience. But what I do want to talk about is things I wish I knew in the beginning that would have made life so much easier for me in university.

1. SOCIALIZE. This might seem a little obvious, but you seriously need to meet people. Make friends, go to parties, join a society, leave the library… I at first came into university thinking “OMG I NEED TO DO NOTHING BUT STUDY!” but then half way through the semester I was so overwhelmed and bored that I didn’t even know which way was up. My mother talked me out of dropping out in my first semester (Thanks Mom) and told me to go make some friends. Which is exactly what I did, and they are still my best friends! Socializing is what makes the university experience so much better. That means you should be involved in societies, and events the university has going on!

2. STUDY. This is another obvious suggestion, but university is nothing like High school. Just sitting in the class isn’t enough. And I am not talking about studying the day before… you need to start retaining that information as soon as it is given to you. There is a healthy balance between socializing and studying. It can be hard to study for that Monday exam, when there is an event Saturday night. That time management and balance that you learn through this is your key to success in later years.

3. HONOURS. I think this was the biggest shock to me. There is an extension to your typical bachelor’s degree. People who are doing an honours degree are light years a head of someone who just chose their majors. This is a long process, and there are a lot of prerequisites. Unless you know this is what you want early, you will be taking an extra year. I had to take the extra year, a lot of my friends had to take an extra year, a lot of people I talk to now are taking the extra year… just be aware that this option exists. You also need this option if you are going into graduate school.

4. RESEARCH/TEACHER ASSISTANT. It does not matter what your degree or major is, there is a way to do research in every department. Even if you do not want to be a researcher, you learn a lot of skills and information by getting this experience. You develop passions and realize that there are some things you just dislike on a topic. You benefit greatly from getting involved this way. Its competitive to get into a lab, but it is worth it. Becoming a TA is what sets you apart from your peers. You gain experience, and vital information. DO THIS!

5. KEEP AN OPEN MIND. Seriously, you will change your mind throughout your degree. You will meet so many people and learn about things you didn’t even know existed. It is ok to change your mind. You need to follow your instinct, and make sure that you’re doing what you want and not compare yourself to your peers or what your family wants. If you start out in commerce and realized you really want to be in biology, see what you can do to fulfill that dream. It is possible to switch and balance yourself. You will do a lot better in a field you are passionate about.

6. IT IS OK TO FAIL. Now I am not talking about failing everything without there being consequences. I am talking about messing up on assignments, exams or being rejected from scholarships. It honestly prepares you to be rejected a lot more as we finish our degrees. An academic would tell you ten times over that they fail more than they succeed. We only see the success, and don’t realize that a paper was rejected 4 times before finally getting accepted, or that there were multiple failed attempts at grants. Think about how many jobs you truly want that someone else gets. We need to be prepared and ready to fail sometimes.

There is probably a lot more brutal realizations that come to surface as we grow in an institution. This is your first step to growing up and taking life seriously. I have worked with an unimaginable number of students who are just shocked when they learn there is so much more to university than going to their classes and getting good grades. You need to be a well-rounded person to succeed in the real world. The new university year is approaching, and I hope that everyone is prepared for new challenges and adventures.