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5 Feels You Can Definitely Expect To Have When You First Get To Uni

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Choosing to study at university is a huge deal. After 13 years of schooling, followed by what seems like an eternity of friends and family on your back asking what you’re going to do with your life, you’ve done it!

Hard part’s over, but now it’s about to get real, so we’ve compiled some feels you’re bound to experience when you first get to uni.

#1 Completely & Totally Unprepared

Whether you’ve done extensive research into your degree or picked it because it has a cool-sounding name, it doesn’t matter – every single person has absolutely no idea what they’re doing on their first day. Facts are facts.

Seek comfort in knowing you don’t have to go into it completely blind. Universities often have preparatory programs to help students meet the entry requirements of their chosen course, or just as an excuse for you to brush up on your skills to ensure you’re primed and ready to slay your first day.

And, of course, there’s O-Week — seven glorious days dedicated to easing you into the university experience with a bunch of awesome activities, usually while wearing a toga.


#2 Like You Don’t Know How To Do Anything

The step up from high school to uni is scary! And feeling like you don’t know how to do stuff is a totally reasonable feeling to have. But we’re going to do an exercise right now, ready? Breathe in. Breathe out. And know you’re just being a dummy.

Besides, your uni has done this before. It has all the tools readily available for you to succeed and feel fully supported the entire time. It’s literally the staff’s job to get you through this thing and even learn some stuff along the way.

And always remember, you worked bloody hard to get here, so back your own abilities.


#3 Like You’re Not Alone

Uni is like looking both ways before you cross the street and then getting hit by an aeroplane. So when you’re in the midst of a nervous breakdown, seek comfort in knowing that literally thousands of people have stressed and cried over the exact same stuff before you. And some of them are closer at hand than you think.

Check if your uni has a student mentor program, so you can lean on someone who’ll hear your frustrations and slap you (metaphorically, duh) back into reality when you need it.


#4 Hella Overwhelmed

Whether it’s the stress of due dates, adjusting to a life sustained almost exclusively by ramen noodles, or a fun combination of both, life as a uni student can be OVERWHELMING AS HECK.

But before you start crying in the shower, check to see what your uni offers in terms of personal support like counselling services, grants and scholarships. Look after yourself and go talk to someone, boo boo.


#5 Unsure, Then Sure, Then Unsure If You’ve Made The Right Choice

Boy oh boy, throughout the course of your degree, you’re going to question your decisions more times than you’ll admit. And that’s okay!

You’re asked to pick the career you’ll do for the rest of your life at the ripe age of 17 and then told that changing your mind will only delay your mission of finding that dream job.

But your uni’s got you, boo. They have fancy career stuff like work-integrated learning, industry partnerships and work placements coming out their ears, you just gotta go get ‘em.

These practical experiences can help you suss out what it is you genuinely want to do with your life before jumping in headfirst.

Whatever you want to be, CQUniversity knows what you need to succeed. Find out more and check out their wide range of TAFE and university courses.