5 things I learnt during my first year at university

Now that my first year at university is over (where did the time go?), I can definitely say it was full of changes: new place, new people, and new experiences. I’ve never thought I would change as well, but looking back, I can see I am a different person now.

Here are 5 things I learned during my first year at university (don’t worry, I won’t start talking in Business terms)…

1. I can survive without my mom. We’ve all been in that situation when we needed something and couldn’t find it, so we would ask our mom for help and she would immediately get it for us (just like a superhero).

With my Wonder Woman thousands of miles away, I had to learn how to cook, clean, wash and find missing objects (though, to be honest, I still struggle with that one).

2. Doing research is the key to all assignments. You may hate this sentence, but it is the truth. I couldn’t have completed any of my assignments without first going to the Hive and finding some relevant articles and books on the topic. It’s mandatory haha!

3. Everything costs money. While at home, I didn’t have to worry about costs of accommodation or food, as I had a permanent place to live in and a fridge full of dainties.

Now the situation is different because I have to pay for rent, bills, and food, not to mention money for going out. Can’t believe I thought saving up was easy…

4. Being organized is crucial. As I decided to get a part-time job during my first year at university, I had to carefully organize my time.

It was very important to me that the job wouldn’t interfere with my classes, which is why I created my own system with calendars, agendas and lots of reminders. Knowing how to manage my time also helped with my assignments.

5. I can have a social life. I’ve always believed in a first good impression, so when I came to the University of Worcester to study International Business Management, I wanted to do well in all my classes, read the entire reading list and impress (which meant staying home all the time covered in books and not having a social life). After a while, I decided I can have both.

I joined the Harry Potter Society, went to bowling competitions with my classmates and celebrated friends’ birthdays while still checking lecture slides, finishing my assignments and getting good grades. It is possible!