Honest Truths About University
The idea of graduating university is one that I thought would terrify me more than it did. In all honestly, I couldn’t wait to finish and get out into the world – the idea of sticking around for another year to do a Masters was absolutely off the cards for me.
From as long as I remember, university was sold as “the best time of your life” and a place to make “lifelong memories”. I’m sure everyone’s experience of university is different, but for me, I spent some of my worst days at university wishing that it was over. Since graduating, I’ve been able to reflect on my university experience. The phrase I kept repeating to myself was “wow, I wish someone would have told me this before I started”. So, here I am telling you what I wish I knew. Here are my honest truths about university.
You Might Not Make Friends For Life, And That’s Ok
Don’t get me wrong, I met some amazing people who I’m still in contact with, but I wouldn’t say any of them are my soulmates. I half-expected to meet that one person who you were destined to meet and we’d be friends for the rest of our lives. It simply did not happen. I’ve heard different versions of this subject. Some people don’t talk to their ‘home friends’ at all and some only talk to them, with everything in-between. I’m definitely part of the latter group – I couldn’t wait to get home and plan a cocktail night with the girls. I’m not saying that you’ll end up with no friends at the end of university, just don’t put pressure on yourself to make best friends for life and be let down if you don’t find them.
Failure is Easy, Success is Scary
In A levels I would hysterically cry if I got anything lower than a B. At university, if I got higher than 40% on an essay I was ecstatic. It was so easy to miss a lecture or revise a little less than you should. You’re given so many assignments at university that it’s sometimes hard to distinguish what’s important. This does have one downfall – suddenly it becomes super important to perform well (you know, to actually pass your degree!). This creates so much pressure, making you believe that you have to do well. This followed on after graduation. It became the norm to be rejected from jobs and not hear back from interviews – the thought of actually being accepted into something was terrifying. There’s a constant feeling of not being ready and needing to prepare more. Life tip: you’ll never be ready, just go for it!
Self-Sabotage is a Real Thing
“Just one more episode” is something I remember thinking to myself on a regular basis at university. Suddenly, you’re your own person and no one is there to force you to work or complete that really important assignment. When things build up it’s much easier to just bury your head in the sand and watch Netflix. If you’re putting off doing some uni work right now, here’s a reminder to do your damn assignments! When you get a bad grade, your first thought might be to blame everyone except yourself – bad marking, terrible exam questions etc. Think about how many hours you spent putting off doing the work instead. It’s difficult to force yourself to do something you don’t want to, but your brain will thank you when you’re managing your workload well rather than pulling all-nighters.
You Don’t Have to Study a ‘Useful’ Degree
Life’s short, study what you want. I know way too many people who studied a subject because their parents made them or they didn’t think they’d get a job. There are so many routes you can take to get to where you want to be, don’t spend 3 years hating every minute when you could be learning so many interesting things about a subject you love. Even when I was feeling down and wishing I wasn’t at university, the thing that kept me going was the fact that I was learning about the subject I loved more than anything.
Sometimes You Can’t Live Off Student Finance
I probably didn’t help myself here seeing as I studied in London. Basically, student accommodation is expensive. I had to sacrifice so much of my time to work just to afford rent – I note this as one of the key factors that led to my eventual dislike for university life. Don’t be that person who spends their entire loan in Fresher’s week and is deep into their overdraft by Christmas. As a student, budgeting is so important. You might think that you have loads of money at the start of term, but it soon disappears quickly.
University Rankings Actually Do Matter (sorry!)
Looking back on it, I was an absolute snob when it came to choosing universities. I refused to let myself attend a university that wasn’t Russell Group, high up in the league tables and well respected. I was privileged in the fact that this was achievable for me, which is probably why I wouldn’t settle for less. When I’ve been interviewed for jobs after graduation the thing that came up more than anything was which university I attended. Let’s be honest, when attending university you are paying for the name on your CV as well as the degree. This was probably more vital for me as I studied Music – the arts have typically been looked on, so I figured that if I wanted to study Music, I would have to go to a good university to make up for it (and I was right).
What I’ve realised, is that university isn’t always the dreamland you’re told it’s going to be. In a time when new students are starting university, I want to let you know that you’re not alone if it’s not what you expected. It’s a stressful environment fuelled by constant work and peer pressure to go out and enjoy yourself. Just remember, regardless of whether you enjoy it or not, university is a stepping stone to the rest of your life. Good things are to come after graduation and you never know what’s around the corner.
Written by Suzie Letts
Hey, I’m Suzie! I’ve recently finished my undergraduate degree at King’s College London and currently work as a Social Media Marketing Officer for an international music summer school. I also work freelance for various musical artists to create social media strategies and online content. As a musician, I love writing and performing everything from classical to musical theatre and spend a lot of my time playing in orchestras and bands across the country.