Welcome back everybody! It’s a new year and I’m incredibly excited. I know it can be particularly stressful for returning students when it feels like we are running out of time and still doing too little! University is filled with opportunities for everyone’s different interests, and with my experiences over the past two years – I’ve come up with three pieces of advice that I think can be particularly helpful:
- Never skip a commitment: If you’ve promised to do something make sure you do it! You’d be surprised how valuable dedication and commitment are, especially to potential employers. I realised last year that even when it seemed harmless to skip that one class, it made it a lot easier to skip other classes as well, and that bad attitude can be infectious.
- Always go to interesting events: Sometimes it can seem like God himself has handed you the world’s work and you might end up feeling as though no event could possibly be worth your time. That, as you may have already guessed, is a complete fallacy. At the end of the year, you will find yourselves wishing you’d gone and spent those two hours learning about something new. My personal experience is that all these events are incredibly important in making you a better-rounded individual and also help you increase your commercial and political awareness, which an advantage employability wise!
- Keep a journal: Make sure you write down the events you attend and the people you meet! You’d be absolutely astounded as to how friendly some speakers and visitors are. When I started university I expected that top academics and figures that stopped by Kent and elsewhere would not be interested in speaking to me, a young (relatively?) unaccomplished student. I was surprised to find that they’re actually quite good company and more than willing to have a discussion. A journal is a great way to jot down their details, as well as any points you find particularly interesting, and anything else that might be relevant! This is a great way to network and you’d be surprised how helpful your contacts might end up being.
Good luck to all students – both old and new! Let’s hope it’ll be an incredible year for everyone and we end it with no regrets 🙂