In full transparency, I was so nervous about starting university and I think my nerves got in the way of me loving first year as much as I felt I should have. Even though I had wonderful friends, enjoyed my course, and did extracurricular, I was lonely and homesick sometimes.
However, by second and third year, I found my feet and really enjoyed myself and can now truly do love uni! I am glad that first year me stuck it out, but there are some things I wish I could tell her to help her through that early phase.
Things I wish I Knew in First Year
- Engage with your classes and contribute to discussions, go to office hours, and get to know your lecturers! You will learn and understand so much more this way, and getting feedback or making mistakes may be scary but it is worth it.
- First year is for figuring it out, and this applies to pretty much everything. From how to take notes and do readings in ways that work for you, to learning how to live independently, you have lots of opportunities to figure life out and it can feel quite overwhelming at first but eventually you will find your rhythm.
- It is okay to miss a lecture when you are ill! I feel like attendance is so drilled into us as school students, so I found it really hard to skip university classes when I was definitely too unwell to be going and probably prolonged my colds by doing so. I’m not saying skip everything, but just rest when you need to – you will be able to catch up!
What First Year Me Should Look Forward To
- There are things to do! Moving from a small town to the UK's second city meant I have had fun new opportunities and experiences at uni. Specifically, I love music, but live music was difficult for me to access at home. In Birmingham it is so much easier to see my favourite artists!
- You will become more independent and grow so much as a person. My first solo train journey home for reading week in first year was terrifying, but now it is a trip I do with ease. I have even become a pro at fixing power cuts and changing lightbulbs. It can be scary at times, but it is so worth it.
- Meeting your friends! I was so scared about meeting new people and making friends at university and I wish I could go back in time and tell myself that I have made the best group of friends. The only problem is, now I have to try and say goodbye to them.
