8 Things I wish I understood when applying to University
The “Most Important decision of your life” doesn’t have to be such a big deal
1. Calm down
Believe me, it’ll work out. I was the poster girl for Making A Big Deal Out Of University, but I can say with almost absolute certainty that if you want to go to university, you’ll get in.
Life is a journey, not a destination. If you kill yourself trying to get INTO university, you’re going to burn out, and that burn out will drag into the next year. And here’s the thing, once at University, everyone is back at square one. So it doesn’t matter what you did to get there; it’s all about what you do next.
2. Do what you love
Everyone’s favourite saying, yet no one ever follows it. It’s probably the most important thing to understand if you want to set yourself up for success though. Before you pick a program for the easy or guaranteed job path at the end, please do yourself a favour and actually look at that path. There is no point in having an easy job straight out of school if you’re going to hate it so much that you spend the next 20 years looking for a way out.
Also, while there are some courses you just have to suck up and take, your extracurriculars should be representative of your passions. I know way too many people who join ECs and volunteer and spread themselves so thin for the sole purpose of building their supplementary applications and Resume. Building up is great, but build with things you enjoy. Chances are, those will be the most relevant to your career path, and if you truly love it, the time commitment will feel like a break, not a chore.
3. Shoot high (but make sure you can reach the target)
Shoot high. Don’t get me wrong. Push yourself and believe you can do it. Those impossible university programs are not as impossible as they seem, because as much as you want to get in, the program also wants amazing students to apply.
Push yourself to the limits, but also know your limits. Don’t kill yourself to get into a program; nothing is worth that. Remember, getting into the program is only half the battle. You don’t want to spend the next 4 years killing yourself too.
4. Program over Prestige
This might be an unpopular opinion, but I really believe it’s important to stick to what you want. Don’t throw away a good education, but keep in mind what a “good school” really is. Especially here in Canada, there are so many good schools that “prestige” is really just a relative ranking in your head. Stop asking which school is the most “prestigious” and instead ask “will I get a good education”.
So if you get into a good engineering program, and that’s your career goal, take it; it doesn’t matter if you got into the most prestigious business program if thats not what you want. You won’t succeed in the future if you don’t enjoy what you’re doing, no matter how “prestigious” your degree is.
I remember getting so much criticism for turning down Waterloo’s world-reknown engineering program and McGill’s acclaimed Science program to accept a “less prestigious” program. But rankings aside, I knew I was going to get a great education, and I promise you, I don’t regret that decision one bit. And I don’t think you will either.
5. Campus matters
Again, probably an unpopular opinion, but I do believe it’s true. We have all heard the horror stories of star students dropping out of first year because they lose the drive. But thats what happens when you don’t listen to your heart (cliche aside)
Big, small, pretty, high-tech, everyone has different standards of how important a “perfect campus” is. But let me tell you: If you hate the campus, you’re going to hate the school. And if you hate the school, you’re not going to succeed.
6. Trust yourself
I’m pretty sure I asked everyone and their mom about what program I should choose when I was deciding in May. That that was a horrible choice. Suddenly there were sides and my choice became a validation or dismissal of someone’s opinions. Remember, everyone has their own career interests, which is why there are so many options out there. Just because someone finds some program to be amazing, doesn’t mean it fits into your interests.
If you want to ask for a second opinion, my advice is to ask people for pros and cons. When someone you respect tells you a school has “strong research opportunities” verses “go to x school”, it becomes an accumulation of information, rather than another conflicting opinion. You’ll have enough conflicting thoughts as it is; no need to add any more.
7. Go into it loving it
Life isn’t perfect. You’re not gonna love every part of every class of your program. But if you go into the program embracing it, you’ll hold on to those classes you love. On the other hand, if you’re expecting to hate your program, those dreadful 8:30 physics classes are going to be all-consuming.
We all have our doubts. The “should’ves”, the “what-ifs”, the “if-only-i-got-intos.” Throw those away. You’re on a new chapter in your life, and everything you’ve done in the past doesn’t matter anyone. You control what’s coming next.
8. Take a deep breath
You’ll get into a university. Maybe it’s not the first choice you listed on OUAC, but that doesn’t mean that your program can’t become your First Choice.
This might be the most meaningful decision you’ve made in your life thus far, but honestly, your degree choice doesn’t mean much. Think of your program as the land you’re choosing to build your house on. At the end of the day, it’s about what you do when you get there. So get ready to build your mansion.
