Starting university can feel scary, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are some tips from older students on navigating university life.

With classes back in session, a new set of students is joining the USask community to further their education. University life is intrinsically very different from high school in many ways. From the content and pace of classes to relationship dynamics or living on your own for the first time, sometimes it feels like everything changes when starting university. As daunting as this sounds, take comfort in knowing everyone experiences this to some degree.

By the time this article is published, I will have (hopefully) graduated with my Bachelor’s degree after four long years. When I started university in the Fall of 2021, I was absolutely, completely terrified. I was moving out of my parents’ house on my own and starting a major that seemed almost too hard to get through, while trying to juggle having a social life with all the newfound duties and responsibilities of being an adult. I say this not to make you pity me—but because this likely will also be the case for many new students.

I cannot speak for everyone’s experiences. However, in hopes of comforting and helping at least one person starting their university journey, I gathered current students to ask them about their experiences and what they learned from first year to now regarding some aspects of university that first-year students often struggle with. 

Choosing a major and career path

One of the most common concerns among students of all ages is making the very personal decision of choosing a major and a prospective career path. 

Paul, a fourth-year Biochemistry major, has been interested in discovering and understanding life and biology scientifically since high school introduced him to the field. During his first two years of university, however, he realized that being a Biochemistry major aligned better with his interests than being a Biology major, which he was for a semester. “It’s not weird to not know what you want to do at university,” he explained. Even though first-year STEM courses are often regarded as “weeder” courses, Paul says he never doubted his place in the major. “Advancing through classes, I felt like I earned my place in the degree. I didn’t need to feel like I didn’t belong—I earned it.” 

Similarly, Victor, a fourth-year Economics student, knew he wanted to study economics before starting university, and the sentiment hasn’t changed. “I always loved math and politics, and the social side of things. So, economics as a social and quantitative science seemed like a good fit for me,” he explained. However, Victor also expressed that he believes most people doubt their place in their major at one point or another, saying that “it’s a natural part of our university journey. There were big stepbacks for me that really made me doubt whether I could make it or not.” Although sometimes the future does not look as bright as we may have pictured it, Victor believes that “the important thing is to see beyond those bad days and bad moments and strive towards the final objective. If yesterday was a bad day, then make today a good one.”

I was also a Biochemistry major, but had a vastly different experience. I barely took the high school science courses required to start the major. I initially had little interest in my courses and thought I was just using the degree as a stepping stone to a career in medicine. I truly started to understand and enjoy the major towards the end of my second year. I remember taking my first quiz in my first-ever biology class, getting a 70 and crying, convincing myself I was not cut out for science. At the time, this seemed like the end of the world—now, after getting my B.Sc. Honours and planning to start a career in biochemical science and not medicine, as I had originally thought, I look back and laugh. 

Classes and academics

At first, choosing the right classes can be a difficult task. The university also requires that most students take required courses in different areas, such as sciences and humanities, as well as electives, in conjunction with their major classes. One concern some first-year students often have is finding the courses (either the content or pace) too hard. 

“The hardest classes I’ve taken were those I was not interested in,” explained Paul. “The hardest thing was putting in the effort into topics I did not enjoy.” One way Paul described navigating tough classes was by getting motivation from friends. “Even though the topics might not be appealing, getting the motivation to study from people taking the same class is enough.” In my opinion, the hardest classes are those taught by professors who provide few resources for students to succeed, or those that are very test-heavy. 

Fortunately, many resources are available to help students choose their classes. Syllabi for most classes are available online for you to decide which class to take, and some well-known professors are discussed on the ‘Rate My Prof’ website. Academic advisors can also be a valuable resource for some people. Paul explained that “[He] recommends having meetings with academic advisors. Even though it might not be as high quality as you would expect, it is a necessary step in your degree.” 

One additional piece of advice Victor offers first-year students, reflecting on his own experience, is to plan ahead based on the syllabus. “I used to read the syllabus once and never open it again unless I really needed to. This would have helped me not only to get better grades but also to reduce the amount of stress bad organization and timing (specifically at finals) produce,” he explained. 

In my opinion, the most daunting aspect of academics, initially, was exams. In my first semester of university, I was particularly scared of midterm exams. Finals turned out to be bigger, scarier opponents—but midterm exams came first. I broke out in stress hives minutes before starting my first physics midterm in my first semester. However, don’t fret! The anxiety around exams is often attenuated as time goes on. My honest advice is simple: if you’re scared of an exam, get studying. Writing an exam knowing that my answers are complete and correct is one of the best feelings I’ve experienced, academically, throughout my time in college.

Getting involved with campus 

If you don’t trust my advice, that’s okay. However, if there’s one thing you should take away from this article, is to get involved on campus. Fortunately, USask has many ratified student groups, volunteer organizations and other groups to get involved with. 

I did not get involved with activities until the summer after my first year. I didn’t think I was supposed to, and didn’t find any groups I was interested enough in. Maybe, getting involved with something I don’t enjoy would have been beneficial—I could have met new people, found out what I was truly interested in or gained a new interest. Many echo this sentiment.

“I’m an introvert, and getting involved with campus groups and campus activities is something I was always hesitant about,” said Victor. “Last year I started getting involved with student groups like the [Economics Student Society], and the benefits are plenty, from networking, to continuous support from peers and professors as well as the skills you get when you start interacting more and being involved in projects and events.”

Victor always expressed that “⁠[he] does regret not being involved in campus groups or events during most of my university career. It really is a good opportunity to connect with people, learn more about university life and about yourself and the kind of student and professional you want to be someday.” 

If you’re an introvert, you should still try to put yourself out there. I know it’s not easy, but it’s a good way of meeting people with the same interests and of roughly the same age. It also ensures that you’ll see them somewhat frequently! So even if it takes some time for you to step outside your comfort zone, you’ll be around the same people. Most majors have a student society, and that’s a good starting point before you find your niche.

If there’s no advice you can take from this article, I hope it at least makes you feel less alone. The first year of university is hard in many aspects, but looking back, all your experiences during this critical time shape you as a person and shape your career. In the long run, you’ll learn to appreciate even the experiences that at first don’t seem so pleasurable. Study, believe in yourself and put yourself out there—and it will all work out in the end.