Skills + Wellness
13 Things I Wish I Knew Before Going to University or College
University and college represent some of the best times of your life, but they are also among the biggest adjustments you’ll go through
You gain independence, meet new people, explore your interests, and start shaping your future.
For many, it’s the first time living away from home, managing your own schedule, navigating adult responsibilities, and making big decisions about your future – all at once. The freedom is thrilling, but the adjustment can be overwhelming.
Looking back, there are so many things I wish someone had told me before I started. So, if you’re heading to university soon or already in your first year, here are 13 things I wish I knew earlier.
1. It’s never too early to start planning your career
Do internships, go to career fairs, network, and talk to professors, TAs, and upper-year students. This can all go back to as early as first year.
Don’t stress yourself out, four years is a long time – but basically don’t wait until the last semester of fourth year to start thinking about your career. Your skills, network, and experience are slowly built up over your four years at university.
2. You don’t have to know exactly what you want to do
Although this kind of contradicts the last point, both can be true. You can spend time figuring it out, trying, failing, and changing your mind, but in the end, the most important thing is that you are trying.
3. Do things that scare you
University and college is the time to grow and try new things. You don’t want to look back in four years and realize you never pushed yourself out of your comfort zone. Although something may be scary in the moment, you will (almost) always thank yourself for trying new things and doing scary things.
4. Health is important
This may not be something that you have consciously thought about much in the past (maybe someone else has thought about it for you up until now) – but don’t minimize the importance of your physical and mental health.
Learn the basics: how to get enough sleep, eating well, taking vitamins, etc. This can go such a long way, especially living in a dorm room.
Warning: More likely than not, you will get sick at least once (or maybe over and over again like me) in first-year residence.
5. You’ll probably fail at something
This obviously isn’t the case for everyone, but it may be a good idea to remind yourself not every moment of the next four years will be perfect. It may be a test, class, relationship, or something else. Try to look at these moments as opportunities for growth and learning (that’s really what it’s all about).
6. Learn how to study
Remember, reading is not the same as studying. Many people can get through high school without ever learning how to study – this probably won’t be the case in university or college.
Tests have more content, are more difficult, and are worth more of your overall grade. This isn’t meant to scare you, but those first few tests can be a big adjustment. Learning this earlier rather than later can be a big help.
7. Make time for fun and rest
Like I mentioned, health is important – and this can be in the form of fun. Whether you need more sleep, want to workout, go hangout with friends, or go to the bar, these activities can all be productive in their own ways.
Balance is extremely important in university and college. Going from having a strict schedule to more freedom can be difficult to adjust to, but finding time for everything (including fun) is entirely possible.
Tip: If your campus is too busy and you can’t find a study spot, try going into an empty classroom.
8. Use the libraries
Libraries are not just books, they have so many amazing resources. They can be great places to study, they have extensive databases full of information, and the librarians are an extremely helpful resource to help you study and write papers.
9. Learn how to manage your time
As I have mentioned, there is time for everything: academics, clubs, partying, internships, travel, rest, and so much more – but there is only one way you will be able to handle it all and that’s learning how to manage your time.
Tip: Sync your phone and laptop calendar, turn on notifications, and input your important dates so you never miss anything.
10. Friendships take time and effort
Growing up, and in high school, lots of friendships come out of convenience or proximity – this isn’t always the case for university or college.
You don’t have all day every day to see the same group of people. You may see your roommates or friends in your program more often than others, but even then they have their own individual schedules. It takes time to find your people, but it also takes more effort to maintain those friendships than you may be used to.
11. Grades are important, but they aren’t everything
In high school, your grades were essentially your only metric to determine your success and ability to get accepted to university or college. However, grades are not the only or best indicator of success at school.
If you are planning to get a master’s degree or continue your education, grades are important. But if you are just looking to get a job, grades aren’t everything.
Many people get great jobs from networking, internships, or extracurriculars. This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t focus on getting good grades, but unlike high school, there are many others ways you can stand out to future employers.
12. Living with others is a skill
Going from living with your family to friends or in many cases strangers is an adjustment that takes time to get used to. You’re not just sharing a space, you’re sharing routines, habits, values, and responsibilities. It’s lots of fun and very rewarding but only through communication and compromise.
Tip: Just clean-up after yourself. This is usually the #1 conflict between roommates so just get ahead of the problem.
13. No one has it all figured out
It may seem like everyone around you has everything figured out at some moments, but honestly everyone is still figuring it out. Uncertainty is normal, especially in a time of such momentous changes. The key is to keep learning, stay open, and trust your process.
Conclusion
University is a unique chapter filled with growth, challenge, opportunity, and transformation. These next few years aren’t just about academics – they’re about becoming your own person. You’ll learn how to manage your time, take care of your health, build meaningful relationships, and bounce back from failure. You’ll try new things, change your mind, and surprise yourself in ways you never expected.
You have time. You have room to grow. And you’re more capable than you think.
