Dos and don’ts of first year
Yovella Ball,
8th Oct 2019
Tags:
Life
Blog
Friendship
Sport
University
So, you’ve done it! You’ve finished school, completed your exams, and made it through what often feels like the longest summer of your life. And now, you’re in uni!
I’ve just finished my first year of uni, and I had a blast.
I’ve learnt so many new things, (both from the textbook and outside of it), met so many people who I now call friends and even family, and I’ve grown as a person.
I’ve compiled a simple list of the dos and don’ts of first year.
The first year can often seem extremely daunting. To help, I’ve compiled a simple list of the ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ of first year, based on my own experiences.
To start off, DO get involved in a club.
At uni, there are so many clubs and societies you can join. There are thousands of opportunities to learn a new skill, or language, or play a sport you’ve always wanted to try out.
For me, I picked up ballroom and Latin dance, (don’t laugh, it’s actually really good fun!).
Whatever you’re interested in, give it a go.
I have friends who go climbing, rowing, or are involved in the university government.
Whatever you’re interested in, give it a go. It’s often very low commitment, so you don’t need to stick around if you feel you’ve got too much on your plate.
That leads me nicely onto the first DON’T. Don’t take on too much. With moving to a new place, making new friends, and a new workload to get used to, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.
Do get involved in a club for some productive downtime, but feel free to say no when you need to rest.
Look after yourself. I can’t recommend it enough.
I take each Sunday off as my Sabbath. On this day, I don’t do any work at all and relax whilst I prepare for the coming week.
Try to take a whole day off each week to look after yourself. I can’t recommend it enough. It makes the rest of the week much more manageable.
The next DO follows on well. Do look after yourself.
Yes, rest, but try to also maintain a healthy diet and exercise routine.
Getting involved in a sport can be great for having fun and staying fit. It's killing two birds with one stone, which is helpful when you feel like you don't have much time.
Balance is spending time with your friends, and getting your work done.
Thriving, rather than just surviving, means you have to find the balance between looking after yourself, spending time with friends, and making sure you get your work done. It’s not as impossible as it sounds.
For me, it just meant that I prioritised my mental health and friendships over my work.
I still made sure I got the work done as best as I could, but not at the expense of my health or happiness.
Basically, DON’T lock yourself in your room studying.
Get your work done, then get out there and discover who and what else uni has to offer. There’s so much more to life than books, and that’s coming from someone who loves to study.
Finally, DO look for a community to support you.
I made incredible friends at my uni's Christian Union. We support each other, have fun together, and all share similar passions.
Over time you will be drawn to different people.
Don’t stress if you don’t make an amazing group of friends early on, over time you will be drawn to different people.
If you’re feeling stuck, I definitely recommend going to your uni’s Christian Union. It’s a great way to meet people who will really care for you.
One of my lovely pals, that I met through the Christian Union, showed this kind of care for me when they bought me pasta and jacket potatoes when I was feeling unwell.
To summarise, enjoy all that uni has to offer: the work, the societies, the people, and everything else that comes with independent life.
Look after yourself and have fun, it’s going to be a blast!
Places you can go for help
To find out if your university has a Christian Union, click here.
