It’s that time of year when new students are leaving for university. This post is for them.
University is the greatest opportunity you will ever get for meeting new people and taking up new hobbies and challenges. Make the most of that opportunity.
You’ve probably been given a load of advice about living away from home, but I reckon it can be summed up in just two topics.
You are in charge of yourself
For probably the first time in your life no one is going to tell you what you must do (within reason).
No one is going to tell you when to go out, when to come back, what to eat, what to wear. It’s up to you to decide what is acceptable.
It’s your responsibility to get yourself to where you need to be at the time you need to be there, and to do what you need to do.
No one will notice if you miss a lecture; no one will chase you for that assignment – they just won’t mark it.
People who drop out of university don’t usually do so because of the academic work; it’s because of the living side of things – the general ability to organise themselves and to prioritise their commitments.
Contacting home
You have escaped from your parents! And not to put too fine a point on it, they’ve escaped from you – at least, once the empty nest syndrome has died down.
You don’t need to call/text/skype them every day. But they would like to hear from you from time to time.
Once a fortnight would be good; once a week would be better. And proper conversations – a twenty-minute phone call once a week will be appreciated far more than a few texts every so often.
And – possibly the most important piece of advice – TAKE YOUR PARENTS OFF YOUR FACEBOOK FRIENDS LIST (and others of their generation).
They’ll only see things they don’t need to see, and worry about things they don’t need to worry about.
You can always add them back once you’ve graduated.
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Are young people still using Facebook? Facebook is no longer their main platform, I would think.
When I was at university, I didn’t return home from abroad for about 4 years. The whole dormitary had about 2 public phones and buying a phone card was expensive. So I wrote home some letters (with a pen and paper), and made occasional calls (like twice a year).
I remember I used Airmail a lot (was it the proper name?) I’m talking about the 2-in-1 envelope and letter airmail. It was cheaper than paying for an airmail envelope and postate.
I remember those airmail letters – on thin paper to save weight. From my experience younglings use facebook more than email
You can take a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.
You can take a student to the well of knowledge but you can’t make him think.
He has to do that for himself.
Earn the respect of your fellow students by your honesty, knowledge and humour. You will gain the respect of your tutors at the same time.
Best tip to help the budget – don’t go shopping for food when you are hungry.