5 Tips To Survive Your First Month Back To University
Whether you’re going through your first year at university or you are starting your first semester of your last year in college, there are 5 tips, that no one dares to tell you, which are going to literally save your ass through your first month back to studying.
1. Talk to whoever sits next to you.
It might be annoying, I know. It will usually involve anxiety or even small panic attacks if you’re like me. It might even be a really bad idea if the guy sitting next to you kind of smells from the night he spent drinking right before getting there, but you have to go through with it.
That person next to you might be your savior for the rest of the semester or –better!– for the rest of your three or four years in that same class. And you’ll never know unless you try, so do it.
2. Smile.
I know it’s hard when you’re in for a class that starts at 9am, or if you’re simply in a very bad mood because you just had to read tons of articles for that very lesson and you are kind of bored by the sound of your teacher’s voice, but I swear it’ll pay off.
Maybe don’t smile at the weirdo across the room that looks like a psychopath and who’s being staring at you for the last 40 minutes, or to the one who’s way too into what the teacher is talking about, but smile to the world. You know what I mean, right? There’s no better way of starting your day if not with a smile.
3. Bring pens.
I know what you’re all probably thinking. What is she talking about? I’m obviously going to bring pens on my first classes. But from one fella to another, let me tell you one dirty little secret about most students: it’s a very common thing to forget basic things on your first day, or even in general. And maybe the guy next to you and who’s going to become your best friend for the rest of the year needs one, and maybe the fact that he can borrow yours will make him smile. And… You see what I just did there? You talk to him, you smile, you brought pens, and so he smiles. #ButterflyEffect
4. Ask about what you don’t understand.
If you’re an international student like me, you’ll definitely get what it means to be extremely grateful for that one person that asked the teacher to repeat twice something you really didn’t want to ask again. Well then, guess what? You can be that savior. You can be that same guy that asked in my last class when we had our exam and saved me from showing up in December instead of May for an exam that I apparently have to sit just 5 months later than what I understood. I know it’s scary, I know you might think it’s a stupid idea to ask in front of every person in the room something that maybe half of the class already got written on their notes, but trust me on this, the other half is going to love you.
5. Freaking enjoy it.
This is the cool part, guys. There’s no human interaction necessarily involved and if you’re a stressed student like me, I want you to remember that we’re all on the same boat and even talking to someone who you didn’t know before is going to be just fine.
You have to enjoy your day, your week, your month, your semester, and even your whole year or it’s just going to be tougher.
Smiling every day or talking to the person next to you or even bringing pens is something you might eventually forget to do when you’re packed with assignments and stressing over the way your face looks on some mornings, but that shouldn’t mean you shouldn’t enjoy your whole experience less. Sometimes you just have to look around you and think that you could have it worse and hold on to that feeling.
So… Good luck with your upcoming year, fellow students. Hope this helps you in any way, or just makes you smile. Now I’m going to read the 50 pages I have to analyse and take notes of for tomorrow, but you know what? I am okay with that for now.
New year? Bring it on!
