University can be a great way to get ahead in life, but while furthering your education is a great idea, not everyone makes it out of university with respectable grades.
In fact, according to a
study carried out by Third Way, more than half of students who attended a typical university did not graduate.
To help you stay on your toes, I've listed some common mistakes to avoid so you can study smarter, have fun and get a good degree at the end of your course.
1. Don't Just Study, Socialise Too
The main focus of the university experience is getting a decent degree so you can have a better future. However, if all you do is study, go to lectures and then take exams, then you'll be miserable.
Not only will you be miserable but you'll be missing out on some of the best and most useful parts of university. For me, the network you build through university student organisations is every bit or more important as the grades you make. If it weren't for people I met at university, I wouldn't be doing what I do today.
2. Skipping Lectures Altogether
When we're at school, our attendance is usually monitored. But at university, that is not usually the case. Some universities have an attendance policies but most don't. Sounds like a dream right?
Sometimes the structure of university makes it feel like skipping lectures is a good idea. Since all your assignments are on the syllabus and all the information is in your textbooks, so why go?
Well here's why...
Missing lecture means that you don't get a sense of what the lecturer is really looking for when you do your exam or assignment. You also miss out on any discussions that takes place between the students and the lecturer which can help you get a better understanding of the syllabus.
3. Ignoring or Losing the Syllabus
On the first day of your course, you're usually given a syllabus. Every professor will stress the importance of this document and will advise you to keep it safe. Yet, students still ignore the syllabus and wonder why their teachers get irate over stupid questions.
What did I miss in class? It's on the syllabus. What are we doing tomorrow? It's on the syllabus. What percentage of my grade will the tests make up? It's all on the syllabus, so just keep up with it and read it.
4. Course Overload
A university student is really ambitious and they want to take as many classes in a single semester as possible. This is a terrible idea. If you overload yourself with loads of modules, you'll stress yourself out and could possibly give up on education altogether.
Talk to your tutor and see what they suggest you take. They've been building schedules for students for a long time. And chances are, they also did the same course as you as well.
5. Ignoring Your Health
Once you start freshers weeks, it is easy to get carried away with all the parties and take aways. And since everybody is indulging themselves and having a good time, it is hard to resist.
This is where you need to learn the importance of moderation. We're not saying you shouldn't party or eat take aways. You can, but in moderation.
You must take good care of your health so you can have healthy mind and body. Which is crucial for your studies.
6. Poor Money Management
Ideally, as a university student, you don't want to work too many hours in a bar or in retail because you want to focus on your studies. But the tricky thing about being a student is watching your money.
And it is true. With all those parties and take outs, your spending bill will add up.
Also, learn how to save your money whenever you can. Because when you graduate, those savings will come in handy to pay off your students loans and debts.
Another poor financial decision students make in university is living off of credit cards. Some students will apply for credit cards and use them to buy all their food and school supplies for the duration of university. This is extremely risky. You're already building so much debt just by being a university student. Don't make it worse than it already is.
Are you already in university? Did you make some of these mistakes? We'd love to know about your experience in the comments section below.
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