What I’ve Learned After Two Years of University: An Academic Reflection
Written by Julia Yurchesyn
@juliaxemilyy
Thumbnail and header picture by Tim Gouw on Unsplash
To my own shock, in April 2022 I completed my second year of university, thereby reaching the midpoint of my undergraduate studies. Looking back to when I was a freshman, I definitely feel like a completely different person now compared to who I was then. I’ve realized that university can be a relentless obstacle course, and sometimes everything in that obstacle course is on fire (joking… kinda). Despite your best intentions to have a healthy work/life balance, it’s ridiculously easy to let yourself slip; be it starting an assignment the same day it’s due, pulling all-nighters, or relying on caffeine instead of sleep to get through the week.
While I still have at least two more years until graduation, I like to think that my first two years have helped me to develop some useful insights that I can pass on to first-years. To this end, I’ve compiled some student life insights that I’ve personally found useful, and I hope others will as well.
Determine your goals.
While many students attend classes with the intention of pursuing a specific degree, everyone has their own reasons and motivations. Some people have no idea what they want to study, while others already have a specific profession or career in mind. Either way, determining your own personal goals for your time at university will help individualize your experience. Is there a GPA you would like to achieve? A club you would like to join? Or maybe you’d like to study abroad? Prioritizing what’s important to you throughout your time at university will help ensure that the time (and money) spent is more meaningful for you.
In addition, having a goal in mind is more likely to help you succeed. Personally, aiming for a particular GPA has motivated me to study and perform well on assignments. It’s worth noting that SMU has its own GPA system, which you can learn more about here. There’s also a GPA calculator that you can access on SMU’s website.
When your schedule gets extremely busy, and you have multiple assignments/tests during the same week, having something to work towards can help you move forward during a sluggish week.
Trust me, you won’t remember everything.
Especially if you’re taking a full course load, the assignments pile up quickly. Deadlines and due dates for big assignments, midterms, and exams tend to be easier to remember, but quizzes and discussion posts are easy to forget. In addition, you’ll probably have events and plans going on outside of classes, making it even more difficult to keep on top of everything.
Instead of letting assignment due dates pass without a second thought, I recommend having a planner/calendar where you can put all your due dates for an entire semester (which should be listed on the class syllabus). If you don’t want a physical one, I suggest using Google Calendar, which blocks time off and provides reminder notifications if you set them beforehand!
If the planning system doesn’t work for you, even just writing a to-do list for a particular week works fine (there’s an option on Microsoft Office!). University is hard enough as it is, so make it easier for yourself by organizing what’s going on in your life.
Academic integrity is a bigger deal than you realize.
On most syllabi there’s a note about academic integrity. While academic integrity is not something you may naturally think about, I can promise you it’s extremely important – and it’s easy to commit an offense by mistake! There are more academic offenses than just plagiarism, and it’s useful to become acquainted with what they are so that you are better able to avoid them.
More information about academic integrity can be found here, and you can also read about it in the academic calendar. Additionally, the Patrick Power Library also offers resources to help educate students on the topic.
Discover your own balance.
You know how the ideal schedule is always presented as something like:
Get up early and go to the gym
Eat a perfectly healthy breakfast
Attend your classes
Study
Recreational reading that’s intellectually stimulating
Go to bed and get a full eight hours of sleep
Obviously, that kind of schedule is not possible for everyone (though sleep is important!). What’s most important is to discover the schedule that is beneficial for you. Maybe you function best staying up late and having a midday nap? Or maybe you hate going to the gym, but you love going on hikes? Do you enjoy gaming as a hobby, and need to make time for it? (For that last one, you should check out our Video Games column!)
What I’ve personally realized is that I hate exercising in the morning, right after getting out of bed. It’s more beneficial for me to exercise later on when I’m more awake. Additionally, I need ‘alone time’ to unwind and de-stress after a full day of classes, work, and studying. Figuring out a balance of your own personal needs is going to benefit you in the long term.
When in doubt, show up.
Image by Javier Truba on Unsplash
You know what’s terrifying for many introverts like myself? Seeing the word ‘participation’ on a syllabus. The participation grade is a weird one, and you will most likely not be able to avoid it during your time at university. However, I will say that it can be exaggerated at times, and it can be easy to think that the only way you can achieve a good participation grade is to adopt a persona completely unlike the one you have.
But what I’ve realized is that when people start missing classes around the middle of the semester, one thing you can do is simply to attend class. After all, attending class is part of participation. The concept of ‘showing up’ also applies to other obstacles like falling behind, having difficulties with a particular concept, or other academic concerns. If trying to achieve something in regards to a class gives you lots of anxiety, sometimes the best thing you can do is to just show up. I promise, doing that is way better than skipping and telling yourself that you’ll figure it out later.
Maintain hobbies outside of schoolwork.
One of the most beneficial lessons I have learned is the importance of maintaining the interests and passions you have outside of your classes. These activities are what will help you avoid burnout, and should be a regular part of your self-care routine. Additionally, it’s good to remind yourself that university is not the only part of your life.
There’s a belief that your hobbies are more ‘optional’ compared to studying. While it’s good to put effort into your classes, I’ve come to realize that engaging with what makes you happy cannot be considered ‘optional’. As many jokes we students make during finals season, we’re not robots, and ultimately we should not be sacrificing our mental health to perform at a certain (often unrealistic) standard.
Don’t get me wrong, especially around the end of the semester, I sometimes sacrifice recreational time to complete an assignment or study for an exam—life happens. But it’s often when school is at its most stressful peak that it’s important to intentionally make time for rest and leisure. If you’re exhausted, is it more productive for you to study or to take a break?
Study the way you learn best.
We don’t all learn the same way. Some people can retain almost everything that a professor said during a lecture, while others (like myself) need time to process the information alone. While some love learning from videos, others can’t stand it and need to discuss information with fellow students, or even just family and friends.
Yes, you need to study to do well at university. But the exciting thing is that studying has so many different forms, so you can change the way you do it often. It also needs to be said that studying in a way that doesn’t work for you can end up being ineffective, so try to explore various learning methods. Some common strategies are the pomodoro technique, active recall, and engaging with practice questions/tests. In this article, I outline these strategies and other study techniques that students can try.
Now that classes are in full swing, I strongly suggest regularly going over the material you learn during lectures, since that is ultimately the most effective way to ensure you remember that information during December finals.
You’ll need help sometimes.
University life can be fun, but there are also moments when it’s really hard. When those times come, don’t think that it’s all up to you to figure it out on your own. SMU has various supports you can turn to, including (but not limited to):
the Writing Centre
In addition, there are supports and communities on the SMU Diversity, Inclusion & Equity page that students can turn to. It’s definitely worth taking a look at all the resources SMU has to offer.
Personally, having access to these resources have been invaluable to me during my time at Saint Mary’s so far. Whenever you need additional support, don’t be afraid to reach out and seek help.
Want an A? Follow the rubric (for everything).
While getting an A in a class isn’t easy, it’s usually pretty straightforward. I’ve learned that doing well on assignments is dependent on how well I follow a rubric. Eventually, all those points add up.
The trouble comes when a rubric isn’t clear, or when it’s difficult to follow those instructions, or when a class is just plain hard. Those are the times when you turn to the Professor during office hours, or when you check out SMUSA’s tutoring page. But as a general principle, take a class one point at a time. When you focus on the objectives of a course and how to maximize the points you can earn, that’s how a good grade in a difficult course becomes achievable.
Make connections.
Finally, prioritize making healthy connections. This can include fellow students, professors, SMU staff, or people from a community outside of SMU. There’s a ton of pressure to make your ‘friends for life’ at university, but instead I suggest just making healthy connections with others when they come up. That is a much more manageable reality, and that way you create a broad network of connections that you can turn to.
You definitely can’t force a ‘best friend’ dynamic with just any student you come across, but it’s important to be connected and find people who can provide advice, or the appropriate support that you need. You never know when a casual acquaintance will say the right thing to brighten your day!
Some of the best places to start making connections are through clubs and societies. If you join one, you already have a base interest, making it easier to form connections. Also, talking with people from your classes can help you find a study-buddy when midterms and finals come up. Wherever you find them, remember that having a supportive network is key to having a healthy balance and finding success in your academics.
Conclusion:
I hope these insights that I’ve learned have been helpful, but take them as you need them. University is a subjective experience, and what may be useful for me may not be useful for you. Also, it takes time to adjust for all students, so remember to be gentle with yourself.
And with that final note, I wish you the best for the remainder of the academic year! Good luck!