How to Survive University 101

SURVIVING high school is one thing, but surviving college in university? That’s an entirely new domain. One can peak in high school and be treated as a total outsider in college, it really depends on how the wheel of life decides to play with you–no matter how much you try or how much you do not try. 

University is your one-way ticket to transition into being an adult. The freedom will blind you and the people will overwhelm you. It’s like going inside a maze blindfolded, and you can’t wait to reach the end. It’s one of the most challenging parts of your life with no assurance that you’re going to survive it.

So, here are 6 tips to help you survive university:

Know what kind of college experience you want to have

Going to university isn’t always a stagnant experience, not because you’ve seen the university life in vlogs or in different media does it mean that it’ll stay that way. It won’t. One’s experience while in college is a totally unique experience. 

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One might say that your experience is entirely yours—you might relate to other people, but you won’t find someone who went through the exact same things you did. That’s why it’s necessary that you establish the kind of college experience you want early on. 

Do you want a nightlife college experience? Do you want an academic weapon kind of experience? Do you want it to be aesthetically pleasing? If you already know how you want your university life to unfold, it’ll be easy to set a goal and remind yourself of what things you want to look back on. 

Your “dream” college experience will be your motivation within the course of actions you’ll take while you’re in university. So, build that vision board and create your dream university experience, one step at a time.

Have a routine and stick to it

Having a routine will save your life in college. Technically, making a routine isn’t easy. At first, it’s fun and it makes you feel organized and productive, and that you have your life together. But most of the time, it makes you feel unfulfilled and unsatisfied if you don’t get around it. 

That’s why you have to create a routine that is realistic, set a standard for yourself, and train yourself to stick to it—no matter what happens. Not only will you train yourself to be disciplined and responsible, but you will also drive around any paths that might lead you astray from your goals. 

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Having a routine and learning to stick to it will make sure that you get to challenge yourself into having time management, this will further lead you to reach your goals in the proper timeframe. However, your routine shouldn’t be solely full of serious and academic things, make sure that you pop some relaxation, and self-care, and have fun with it. 

Because what’s university life without messing up?

Choose the people you surround yourself with wisely.

Unlike in high school where you’ll have the time to tackle friendship problems and involve yourself in confrontations and issues, in college—you won’t have that. You’ll spend so much time studying and setting goals that you need a good support system. 

University life is going to challenge your innermost will to live, there’s going to be a lot of hurdles that’ll come your way and it’s the most important thing that you have people around you who will help you get through it and won’t be the reason that you mess up.

Influence plays a large part in college, so if you surround yourself with people who will help you academically, guide you, and be your voice of reason—then you won’t have to experience unnecessary problems that might make things worse for you in the long run. 

Having friends who will be your guide and will be able to help you in any aspect that you need will elevate your college experience more whilst protecting you from being negatively influenced.

Keep your eyes on the prize

Setting goals is one thing, and having a routine is another, but reaching your goal—that’s the main purpose of being in university. There would be several distractions that will present themselves to you in college, may it be the drunken nights and situationships, nevertheless they will come up one way or another. 

That is why keeping your eyes on the prize will help you manage your life a little bit better. While it’s important that you also make mistakes so that you can learn from them, not doing too much damage is something you should also aspire to move forward to. 

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Getting those tiny experiences of going home drunk, kissing strangers, and trying to belong is fun. But if you get too immersed and involved in that kind of life, you might forget where you want to be after you graduate. 

So, always remember to keep your eyes on the prize, a.k.a. graduating!

Protect your peace

As mentioned before, college is far from high school—you won’t have the energy for confrontations and anything in between. And universities are full of different personalities (in a wider range than college) and while it’s ideal that you won’t cross anyone; you will. 

So, it’s better to protect your peace when the time comes. It’s not worth it to defend yourself or engage with any negativity because (1) you won’t have the energy for it, (2) you’ll give them what they want, and (3) you have better things to do. 

Sometimes, letting them run their mouth says a lot more about them than you, it’s better to keep it that way. They won’t be relevant in the future, and you don’t get to do any more damage than you will if you engage in their nonsensical fights. 

At the end of the day, having your peace intact will keep you sane in university, there’s no fulfillment in confrontations. Just let it go and do your own thing. Go to sleep, read a book, or watch your favorite series while they struggle to find the attention they keep looking for.

Take time to rest

Studying is exhausting. But having to start being an adult? That’s like getting beaten to death. That’s why even if you have a routine and you’re on your way to being an academic weapon, take time to slow down and rest. 

There’s nothing wrong with choosing yourself from time to time. Reward yourself for the little achievements and make yourself feel a little bit better. Grinding all the time will not only exhaust you but will drain you emotionally and physically. 

So, while being an academic weapon is the dream in university, having good mental health is also a goal that all college students wish to have. Now that you’re starting your journey, train yourself to have that before you even start. 

Once it becomes a habit, it’s easier for you to continue choosing yourself every day despite being in a world where everyone will bleed and dry. 

The university experience is really magical, it’s this generation’s taste of freedom. You get to meet different people and immerse yourself in an entirely different environment than you were used to, but stepping out of the world you had before university might make it hard for you to survive. 

So, one of the best advice one can give is to always remember why you’re here in the first place. Then somehow, someway, it’ll get better. 

With reports from Ashley Kristieanne Ignacio