Five Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before Entering University

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Looking back now, I sometimes laugh at how unprepared I truly was for university life. Nobody warned me about half the things I eventually had to figure out on my own, and honestly, I wish someone had sat me down and told me these five things:

1. University Is Not Just About Reading, It’s About Balance Before entering school, I thought it was all books, books, books. But nobody told me how important it is to balance academics with rest, friendships, self-care, and sanity. I learned the hard way that burning out doesn’t make you a better student, it only slows you down.

2. Not Everyone You Meet Is Your Friend In my first year, I was so open, so excited, so trusting. I thought every nice person was a friend. I later realized some people are only classmates, some are acquaintances, and only a few are real friends. That lesson saved me a lot of stress.

3. You Will Question Yourself More Times Than You Expect There were moments I doubted my course, my abilities, even my future. Nobody told me this was normal. Over time, I learned that questioning yourself doesn’t mean you’re failing, it means you’re growing.

4. Money Finishes Faster Than You Think Before school, I used to think “I’m not a big spender.” But once you enter university, transport, food, handouts, assignments, unexpected contributions, everything starts calling your name. I wish someone warned me about how quickly money disappears if you don’t plan.

5. You Need a Support System There were days the stress felt too heavy. Having even one person to talk to, a friend, sibling, or parent, makes the journey easier. I learned that you don’t have to do everything alone.

   

   University taught me a lot, but these five lessons shaped me the most. If I had known them earlier, maybe the journey would have been a bit smoother, but I’m grateful for the growth that came with every experience.

What is that one thing you learned in the university, especially in a hard way?

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