Prospective Students
A Guide to Surviving University / College
Starting tertiary education, while intimidating at times, can be a fun experience! Here are some tips on how to survive university / college.

Be Prepared
When you’re in a new environment, there will be lots of challenges that lie ahead of you. For example, you will be immersed in a totally new environment with new people and faces, face difficulty completing an assignment and or worry about a presentation. Fret not, because these challenges happen to everyone. To better prepare yourself for the challenges ahead of you, it is imperative that you have the right expectations of college or university.

Know your campus
Your new campus can be a huge and daunting place – a map of the campus should serve you well and help you get to your classes on time. It also would be handy to note where important places – such as the cafeteria, labs, bookshop, library, lecture halls, etc- are located. In no time, you will find campus grounds as familiar as the back of your hand.

Self-restraint
When you enter university or college, you determine what, when and how you study. The urge to skip classes, especially if you are enrolled in a large class, can be very tempting. However, it is important to attend all your classes (and tutorials) as skipping classes will have an adverse effect on your academic life!

Be receptive towards others
If you’re studying overseas, you will encounter new peoples and experiences that will enrich your life. As such, you will need to accept certain things, especially if it is a part of the culture for the country you’re in. You may even need to adopt certain practices which may be different from your own. The key to surviving in a foreign land is to keep an open mind towards others’ culture and practices. If you do so, you will enjoy your experience of studying and living in another country.

Know yourself
If it’s your first time away from home, you will find that you are endowed with the freedom to do whatever you choose. While keeping an open mind is important, you need to remember what your values are and what your upbringing has taught you. Sometimes, you may need to make the effort to stay away from unhealthy influences whether or not they are a way of life for certain groups.

Prepare yourself for daily tasks
From your stationary to your reading list, do ensure that you have all the necessary items ready before starting college or university. Being prepared both mentally and physically eases the transition into your new life.

Be involved
Seize the day and get yourself involved in the myriad of activities that your college or university has to offer. There are usually a host of activities that you can be involved in that helps to develop your communication, leadership and teamwork skills.