By Pearl Tanna
“Expect the worst and hope for the best” — this is my mantra regarding school. In my first year, however, I was out to make a new name for myself and prove that I could make it. I quickly learned that this is easier said than done. I didn’t really have anyone around that could help me wrap my mind around the immense changes of leaving high school and entering university. The only advice that I got was from a perky PhD student who told me that I needed to take five classes each semester in order to graduate on time (this is by far the worst thing to do in your very first year of university).
Follow this advice and you’ll breeze through your first year. Remember, learning from your own mistakes makes you smart, but learning from other people’s mistakes makes you brilliant!
University courses are vastly different from high school subjects. First of all, you get to pick your courses and professors. This is both a blessing and a curse. In their first year, students often take either a schedule full of hard courses, or they sign up for all the slack courses, and neither one will really help you that much. You need to find a happy medium. Don’t expect to take all the first- year sciences and get away with the A+ that you’re used to. First year is designed to weed out all of the students who cannot deal with the stress, so relax.
It’s good to take classes outside your intended major; after all, this is the time to explore your interests. However, taking classes solely because you’ve heard they’re easy is just a waste of time and money. Do not take five courses if you can’t handle the workload. It’s fine to withdraw from courses if you do it by the deadline. Dropping out is nothing to be embarrassed about, especially if you’ve got a part-time job and other responsibilities. Instead, take a maximum of four courses for the first semester. Know your limit, and don’t try and push yourself past it. It will only cause you stress and will actually be counter-productive to your GPA.
Picking teachers randomly can also be risky. Use student sites, such as Rate My Professor, to find the teacher that best suits your learning style. That said, ratings aren’t the be-all, end-all. Use them as a guide, so that at least you know what you’re in for. I didn’t find out about this website until my third year, and it would have saved me from some seriously monotonic lectures that did nothing for my mind except put it to sleep.
If you thrive on competition, join a study group. This way, you make friends, you stay on top of your studying, and you have a safety net of people who will help you with the stuff you don’t get.
To save some cash, buy used textbooks. You can find these online (Craigslist, Facebook, Books2go, or Amazon), ads posted around the school, and in your school library. Use the bookstore as a last resort. School fees will keep on piling, so this is an easy way to save some money.
A lot of first years tend to pull all-nighters, cramming as much knowledge into brains as is humanly possible, and surviving on greasy foods. Big mistake. At the time, it doesn’t seem that bad to stay up all night, but it’s really a bad pattern to fall into. A few years down the road, it’s going to be hell, because you never learned to successfully manage your time, and staying up all night is no longer an option. I am completely guilty of all-nighters, but they left me feeling physically sick and mentally drained. It is the worst condition to be in when writing an exam. I ended up drinking and eating as much coffee and sugary foods as I could just before the exam to stay awake. Trust me, your grades will be higher if you manage your time well. A habit that many university students fall into is drinking excessive and unhealthy amounts of coffee at all hours. Consider subbing in tea, (a good choice is Yerba Mate, known for its lack of caffeine and abundance of matteine) for a healthier choice.
When it comes to studying, time is of the essence. Don’t try to read through all the content the night before an exam. You won’t get anything out of it and will waste what could have been valuable study time.
The SFU campus has a great fitness center, which is included in your student fees, so make good use of it. Exercise has shown to lead to higher grades by reducing stress, not to mention that you’ll feel more energized and confident. Know yourself: if you know you have really bad concentration at 8:30 a.m., either don’t schedule morning classes, or sit in the front, where you won’t be able to doze off. If you’re a completely forgetful person, like myself, pack your bag the night before so you have everything you need for the next day.
Carrying heavy textbooks and binders around all day is just asking for back pains. Leave your binders at home and carry around notebooks instead. You can also check out the campus library to see if you can borrow the course textbook from there while you’re at school, so that you can leave your copy at home.
University Life
After a hard day of studying, by all means, reward yourself with a beer or two. Be warned, though: it’s not called the “freshman fifteen” for nothing, and alcohol is an easy way to pack on pounds without noticing. Another way to control this is by packing your own lunch and snacks that you will need for the day. Not only are you less likely to eat fast, greasy food, you also save money.
If you don’t live on campus, save money by taking public transit instead of driving: not only is getting a parking space nearly impossible at SFU, sometimes you can meet interesting people on the bus. Keep in mind that busses have a tendency to fill up pretty quickly, so plan for the bus schedule and get there early.
Always ask questions. If your professors intimidate you, go to your T.A.s for help. They are paid to answer your questions. Think of them as tutors that you share with 200 other students.
One common regret is not joining clubs in first year. This is a great way to stay in touch with campus life if you live at home and to make friends doing something that you enjoy. University is a much bigger environment than high school, so if you want to make friends, you have to break out of your shell and talk to people around you.
Living on campus is an experience that is recommended to students at some point in their university career. I’ve heard mixed things: some say that it reduces stress and boosts grades, while others say that it’s not a great experience. Well, if you can afford it, try it. What’s the worst that could happen? If you don’t like it, at least you know.
Safety is another thing to keep in mind. If you leave the school late at night, call campus security, and they will walk you to the bus stop or your car. I’ve had incidences where I’ve left the school at 10 p.m. to take the bus, and didn’t get home until midnight. Make sure you carry a cell phone with you, and let people know where you are at all times.
You now have enough information to make your first year a little easier. If there is one piece of advice to take with you, it’s that stress will do you more harm than good. The life of a university student can be tough, but it’s definitely worth it. Some say that the high school days are the best of your life, but they don’t compare to this.
