A Handbook Right Before Stepping Into University

Nour Feghali
Aug 31, 2018 · 3 min read

It’s that time of year where high school seniors have broken a sweat at graduation, thinking of the freedom in summer days to come before embarking on this overwhelming yet exciting journey we old folks like to call university. By old folks I mean those who can now kind of make sense of the system.

Therefore, behold a culmination of the tips that, in retrospect, I wish I’d known going into university:

To start off with the financial part :

Photo by Fabian Blank on Unsplash

1. Avoid buying books from university bookstores if you can.

Buy/rent books used if you only need them for that semester and don’t intend on using it again. If you’ve got friends who would sell you theirs at a good price, then definitely go for that.

2. Apply to lots and lots of scholarships.

University is expensive, and if you’ve gathered nothing from your high school math class, at least know that the more scholarships and grants you apply to, the greater the probability of getting free money to cover university.

3. Save change.

You might not think it’s worth much, but for parking lots and tips, they will add up nicely.

4. Keep track of your expenses.

There’s nothing worse than thinking you have a whole bunch of money saved up and ending up barely able to pay your rent on top ungodly amounts of credit card debt.

As for academically:

Photo by Sebas Ribas on Unsplash
  1. Try making it to office hours.

You’ve probably read this everywhere and been told by everyone: go to office hours. Professors love to see that you’re putting in effort to do well in their class and it will definitely pay off.

2. You don’t have to stick to your major.

This may sound like a nightmare to the anxiety-prone perfectionists among us, but it’s true. University is a place for self-exploration and truly finding the subjects or activities you enjoy and are passionate about. If that requires you veering off the path you started on, then so be it. Why pay thousands of dollars to agonize when you can succeed in something you love?

3. Keep track of deadlines.

They can creep up on you. Pro tip: Take all of your course syllabi and make a nice, big chart of deadlines at the beginning of the semester.

4. Talk to upperclassmen.

Who better get advice from than people who’ve gone through the exact same thing you are?

5. Pay attention in class, and don’t skip any.

It will be tempting on rainy days when all you want to do is snuggle in the comfort and warmth of your bed, but you’re paying for them. Being in class is half the work it takes to prepare for exams.

6. Do the extra credit.

Some professors won’t offer extra credit, but those who do are giving you the chance to bump up your grade.

7. Take handwritten notes.

It gives you the freedom of drawing diagrams, highlighting, color coding, and generally engaging your brain when you do. It also makes it easier to remember and recreate that same content on exams when you’ve got to do it handwritten.

— Written by Nour —

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Nour Feghali

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