10 NON-ACADEMIC LESSONS TO LEARN FROM UNIVERSITY
By Michael Harred
Some of us take courses that we have little interest in and will not even pursue a career in the said course after graduation. You may be one of these people who is constantly asking themselves how the course they are pursuing will help them in their life. But what about the non-academic lessons that you learn from university? Some of these lessons you will use for your entire lifetime. Here are 10 non-academic lessons that you will learn from the university.
1. How to Deal with People
At university, you will meet many people. Some of them will be your classmates, roommates or you share a sorority with them. Some of them will tolerable while many of them will simply be difficult to tolerate. They will insist on making your life unbearable. This will prove to be a great exposure to open your eyes to the kind of people you will meet in the office in the future. You need to develop a skill of putting up with all kinds of people. You know, limit exposure to people that make your life difficult. So, work on the right mentality to deal with people. It will really come in handy in the future.
2. Learn to Budget
Unless you come from a rich family with parents who give you tons of money, then you must really learn how to budget. Do you want to buy pizza, or go out for dinner with your friends? How much will it cost you and how much do you have? Your parents probably give you a monthly allowance. You need to budget for it to ensure that it can take you through the whole week. Allocate money for food, clothing, stationery and study related materials. Make sure you save some money for a rainy day.
3. Learn to Prioritize
With the immense freedom, you must learn how to set your priorities straight. Will you go out clubbing with your friends at the expense of your studies? Will you take a nap instead of completing the assignment that is due? These are things that you will learn in university. You will need to make a list of things ranging in order of importance. Classes, reading, and assignments should come top of your list. Only then should you slot in non-academic stuff to do in your free time. But at the end of the day, you should have a balance between academics, personal time and time with friends and family.
4. Learn How to Cook
Buying food or calling for deliveries is very expensive. Sooner or later, you need to learn how to cook. You do not need to make a 5-star course meal, just something edible. These cooking skills will help you survive in your later years when you are starting out on a job and are still earning a little cash. Apart from saving you money, it will ensure that you remain healthy.
5. Perseverance Is Key
In university, you will be in a sea world of people. You need to work extra hard in order to stand out and be noticed. You may have been the best in high school, but this is no longer high school. You need to be dedicated and put in more effort. Giving up should not even be an option. Sounds frustrating, right? All these are there to prepare you for when you join the workforce where it will be a daunting task to be noticed among the other interns, or when you are angling for that promotion your co-workers have also been eyeing.
6. Networking
Never ever burn bridges. People who you think you won’t meet again have the tendency to reappear in your life when you least expect it. You may think that being a jerk and laughing at other people is a good idea now but it is not. It will come back to haunt you in the future. It is important to establish and maintain connections in the college world. These connections might help you land a job in the future. However, do not be afraid to walk away from relationships that are detrimental to you. Cut out friendships with people who only aim to bring you down.
7. Learn How to Market Yourself
In sales and marketing, it is always said that you are your own and best advocate. You will learn how to position yourself as a brand, not in a slutty way but in a professional way. First, you will have to create connections. Once, you’ve created them, you have to make yourself stand out from the others. How do you present yourself in front of your professors and advisors? You imagine presenting yourself in front of an interviewing panel and present yourself in the same manner. Do something that makes you look unique and stand out from the other people. After all, it is only you who knows your strengths and attributes and can present them in the best light possible.
8. Make The Best Out of Everything
Everything happens for a reason. If you begin to question why you will never enjoy everything life has to offer. Maybe you were not lucky enough to be admitted to your dream school. But, do you simply quit studying or continue with your studies? After all, it is you who stand to gain or lose. Maybe, a lecturer has failed to show up. Don’t begin cursing him or her for wasting your time. Look to the bright side of it. You have some free time to catch up on your reading and assignments, or maybe your favorite novel. Better still, you can use the time to unwind and relax. So, learn to enjoy what life has to offer.
9. Engage in Extracurricular
Do not limit your college experience to classwork only. You can seek professional writing services to help with the burden that accompanies schoolwork. These services can help you get some time off your schedule for other activities. Get something to do outside your classes. You might join a group like Red Cross, engage in sports, a hobby, or simply look for a job. This may sound ridiculous, but it is not. Extracurricular activities will expose you to a lot of people and you will learn how to tolerate and understand different kinds of people. Getting some kind of job or internship will help you develop into an accountable and responsible person, skills which will help you in the professional working life.
10. Learn How to Waver the Storm
College is the place that toughens you before you face the real world. Here, you will have more classes and assignments than what you were used to in high school. This can knock you off balance and find yourself lagging behind in your classes. Criticism will come from all corners. College mates who think you do not fit in with them. The team coach who thinks you are not talented enough to make it to the first team or the professor that will make you re-write the essay 10 times before he is satisfied. To get through this, you will need to develop a thick skin. Failure is something that you should not be afraid of. You only need to learn how to get up and dust yourself to forge ahead after every attempt.
Now, get these in your head and do not forget them. Even though academics are what brought you to university, the non-academic lessons are the ones that will make your university life memorable and prepare you for the difficult life that is waiting upon graduation. Embrace these lessons and pass them down to your friends and siblings once they also join college.
Author bio:
Michael Harred is a passionate blogger and writer at Lord Of Papers. His topics of interest are blogging, social media and education. To know more about Michael – check h
