A sneak peek of what our first years need to know about campus

Coronavirus has so far had unprecedented effects on many sectors in the economy.

Universities are crucially affected at their core: the students. For us the period has been undoubtedly stressful.

Classes have been moved online, semesters have been postponed and how examinations will be conducted still remains uncertain. But learning must continue, a bit differently, hoping it shall be effective.

Will this be the case for our incoming first year students? I hope not. You all need to experience the joy that comes with being in college. In case you might not be part of this great encounter, better still read out how mine has been so far.

When I first entered university, I thought my future path will all be set. Having fewer units (subjects) to take would mean I was guaranteed to pass.

I’ll graduate with glorious A grades, sweet high paying dream jobs lined up, several powerful connections build up here and there and extraordinary interpersonal skills where people couldn’t just help but fall in love with me. Ahem.

But yeah, obviously it didn’t turn out as I had planned.

Was I nervous? Of course. Being enrolled in a world class university that also has some ridicule from the public isn’t easy. A lot of proverbial cold feet questions ran through my mind.

‘Will I make friends at school? Will I like the school? Is it the right fit for me? How will get used to being away from the comforts of my home? And so on… As confident as I have been, I was harbouring some of these concerns, just as even the most garrulous dad who jokes once you’re done with your degree, ‘I cant wait until you move out! Ha, ha!’ is probably a little worried for both his child and himself.

Well, good news! We all survive this rite of passage and that most first time students believe they made the right choice of school.

This was quite contrary for me, as I did not like my course. I never got into the first selection by KUCCPS. This meant that I was only to choose from the remaining courses. How I cried. But life had to go on.

There are still some things that I did to make the transition easier, including: being positive about and upbeat about the transition while acknowledging that the jitters are normal.

Being in college was a roller coaster ride that was filled with different emotions, experiences and responsibilities. In the long run, you learn new life lessons every single day.

High school is over and I can’t lie, university is was more challenging than you might think. I mean, you could barely study in high school and still somehow get good grades but in campus, blink for a second in your lectures and your grades will be dwindling.

Okay…I’m kidding. Its not that crazy. Just plan to stay organized and study smart. Believe you me, you’ll be fine. There are no more rules and you think it’s now freedom. Remember everything comes at a cost, even freedom isn’t free. Having self-discipline is more than essential.

College makes you a stronger, more complete person. Living on your own for the first time is difficult and facing all the challenges that a new environment brings is terrifying- I think that if I knew all the challenges I would have to face before I transition, I would have a lot more fear. But there’s no person I’d rather be than the person I am now. The difficulty of being alone, of finding a whole new friend group, of growing up, were daunting, but I am proud of me.