How to survive your first semester of

university

+ How to combat the homesickness that comes with it.

Hello studious friends! Your first semester of college is a tough time for many people. You’re in a new place, with new people. You are far away from your family, and you are sent into this big and scary world and expected to kind of fend for yourself in many aspects. It’s completely normal to experience intense emotions during this time period (especially if you are studying super far away from your family). For instance, I made the decision to study on the other side of the earth from where I grew up. This, as you would expect, was a very big change for me and definitely came with some growing pains. However, I believe that in any situation you are put into, you can adapt because that is what humans are made to do. It can take some people a longer amount of time to adapt than others, and that is completely okay. This is not the time to compare yourself to anyone else. You are on your own special journey, and that is something truly beautiful. Give yourself the time you need to feel your emotions, whether that is fear, anxiety, or homesickness, but whatever you do, remember that it will, in fact, pass. In my experience, the first two weeks of university are always the hardest (especially the nights). The best way to combat these intense emotions is to go out and explore. Whether you are studying in a new city or country, there is always something new to see. Go on a walk, buy some yummy food, or try out a new café. This will make the feeling of homesickness diminish a little because you are distracting yourself. These emotions may not ever really go away, but it is part of the process of moving out. Another way to make your time in uni 1000x better is to find a group of supportive friends. Remember that everyone else is in the same situation as you, and now is the time to go and talk to people. During the first few weeks of uni is the easiest time to make friends because everyone else is also open to making friends. Furthermore, your school is definitely holding some sort of welcome event, and this is the perfect place to meet people. Try to go to as many of the school events at the beginning of the semester as you can. It will take your mind off the homesickness.

Key takeaways:

1. Go out and explore
2. Go to school events
3. Find a supporting group of friends

Surviving Your Classes and workload

Depending on your major you may have more or less workload but for sure it will be more than what you experienced in high school. Trust me the first semester is always the hardest. However, with these tips you will be ahead of the game.

1. You’re gonna have to study more than you think: When I first began university, I thought I had to study exactly how I had been studying in high school. News Flash! I had a lot of trouble… because in uni you are more or less teaching yourself. It’s not enough to just attend class and do the homework, unfortunately. This is the time to be creative and find a study routine that works for you. There are many different study techniques that are out there but my favorites are the pomodoro mathod, teaching others the material and making flashcards.
2. Study with friends: You kinda wanna play this one by ear because friends can either be super helpful or very distracting. I found it helpful because we can talk through the material together, which can help cement the information in your brain. This kind of connects back to the last point of teaching others as a study technique.
3. Research professors beforehand: if you’re able to, try doing some research on your professors and see what their rating is on ratemyprofessors.com
4. School-life balance: I’ve noticed that I actually learn best when I am well rested, have eaten a proper breakfast, and have a school work life balace.(this can be difficult for some but is completely possible) This is very important because it will actually make your studying more effective and less time consuming.