When I take a look back at the time when I finished high school, I remember it being filled with excitement and mild anxiety. I was happy to have finally finished school but still a bit concerned about the grade I was going to get once the results were out.

Fortunately, the results came and I had fared well. It was time to join campus. After sorting out issues surrounding the course I was going to take and getting admitted, I was ready. Here are 5 things that I learnt quickly in my first years and some that I wish I knew before joining.

• Self-awareness is very important

The top item on my list that I wish I knew before joining campus is that self-awareness is very important. This is because life in campus can be quite adventurous and dynamic. It’s where most people get introduced to a lot of new things and experiences.

Knowing what you like, what you don’t like, and having a set of values that you live by acts as a guiding system. It helps you to pick the right friends, stay clear of anything that is likely to get you into trouble, and provides opportunities for growth.

The company you keep while at school will influence most of your decisions. While there’s no harm in having a good time once in a while, you want to make sure that you’re at least responsible. If others are doing something that doesn’t sit well with you, it’s very okay to sit it out.

• The trick to studying and passing exams

Studying at the university is different from studying in high school. You will not always make it out on your own. A trick that I quickly picked up along the way was taking advantage of group discussions and seeking help from top performers. I got to learn from people who seemed to know more than I did.

While peer group meetings can sometime be full of interesting stories, they are an invaluable source of knowledge. This is especially if the members take their education seriously. My grades improved significantly when I started emulating what one top performer was doing and making good use of group discussions.

• Take care of what’s important

Campus has its own share of academic work. What I wish I knew before joining was that if the work isn’t taken care of early, it can pile up and become overwhelming. Neglecting your assignments also translates to getting a bad grade in your final score.

While at school, it’s easy to forget that you’re an adult that is now autonomous. You’ll have no one keeping track of your responsibilities for you. Neglecting what’s important can quickly come to bite you back later.

For example, supplementary exams and retakes will waste a lot of your time and even keep you longer in school. To make sure you’re sorted throughout campus, find out what’s important to you and your progress, then stay on top of it. It pays in the long run.

• Free time is extremely valuable, use it.

Campus is probably the only period in life that you get to have a lot of free time. This is, of course, subject to the course that you take. Finding something productive to do on the side can go a long way in helping you build your skills and make some money.

By the time you’re finishing campus, you’ll be way ahead of your peers. Joining a program like Lapid Leaders Africa, for example, will help you prepare for life after campus as you settle into the job market. Starting a side hustle can teach you a lot about business and even provide something to continue doing right after school.

Some of the things that you can take up include coding, online writing, forex trading, YouTube, blogging, affiliate marketing, transcription, copywriting, digital marketing, etc. Each of these can be turned into a great source of income. The information is available for free. The secret is to pick one, learn as much as you can, and experiment until you succeed. 

• Build valuable friendships and networks

The friends you make in campus will be among the people that will be closest to you for the rest of your life. They are the people that will pass on opportunities to you when you’re out looking for a job. You’ll get to build businesses with them later and even grow together. Heck, your husband or wife may even come from there.

As mentioned earlier, it’s important to pick the right friends and build valuable relationships both at school and outside school. Joining clubs, programs, and other classes can also help you to meet new people. These people may not necessarily be your age mates, but they’ll surely be crucial for your development.

The trick is to get involved in spaces that will challenge you and help you grow. While there, you’re more likely to meet people that share the same values and have the same goals as you. Lapid Leaders Africa offers a program that students can take while in campus. Be sure to check it out and enroll once you complete the HeadStart program.

On That Note

Life at campus can be fun and full of new experiences. It’s a place where many people get to start their journey as an adult. I hope that you found the tips shared above valuable to you. Keep them in mind as you step into the next phase of your education and if you can, do visit this article again in your free time to refresh your memory.