My #1 Piece of Advice for Students

Transitioning from high school to university is like jumping into a pool of unknowing. There is no video or article that can fully prepare yourself for such a change, even for transferring from one university to another. However, from my three years of university I've learned one important form of mentality that can be applied to any student at any school. I had a great first year of university, and a big part of why I did is because I kept this piece of advice with me throughout the year. Whether you are entering or already in college/university, this blog post can be beneficial for you. I hope you enjoy reading and thank you for visiting my blog.

The main purpose of my blog is to provide insight on my school experience while always providing valuable advice. So what's this #1 piece of advice? It may be something you've heard before, but probably in a different context. It is something I did not come up with myself and is something that I've never been told, but wish I was.

Have an open mind.

Rewinding back to 2016 when I graduated high school, I did not know much about post-secondary. I knew a lot about the colleges and universities in British Columbia and even Ontario, along with their journalism programs, but not about how big of a transition it would be. It's easy to be nervous, pressured, and even frightened about the unknowing, but that only impacts your experience if you let it. The way you think and feel will always influence what you do and what physically happens to you. If you are feeling nervous on your first day of classes at university, breathe! Everyone, and I mean everyone, feels the same as you. No matter how big of a change college or university will be for you... have an open mind.

What exactly does having an open mind mean? It means giving yourself the opportunity to experience new things, even if it is uncomfortable or unfamiliar to you. Most people's high school experience consists of being surrounded by the same people, having the same options of courses, and limited clubs and sports to join. College and university, no matter where you go, will ALWAYS be different than high school... and that's a good thing. Have you ever heard of the "high school mentality"? That doesn't continue into post-secondary. Everyone has different interests, passions, backgrounds, and personalities. Don't get me wrong, even with all this diversity, there will always be the opportunity to make friends. Be open minded to spike up conversations with people you don't know, whether they be students or professors. With the diverse student body your school will have, comes with the opportunity to learn so much from others, whether that be academically, personally, or life lessons. All in all, don't limit yourself to who you be friends with!

What does having an open mind academically mean? To my knowledge, living in British Columbia, the total enrolment for high schools range from a couple hundred to around 1,500. My high school consisted of grade nine's to grade twelves and roughly 1,200 students. I'm not one to voluntarily do math, but just to put things into perspective... there were 300 students per grade. Along with the standard math, science, art, history, english, and language (french, spanish, etc.) courses that teachers are required to teach. As a result of, 1) the amount of students, 2) the required courses, and 3) a limited amount of teachers, it is hard for high schools to offer unique courses to students. College and university is NOTHING like that. College campuses are typically much larger in size, which comes with more professors, courses to offer, clubs to run, and sports teams. If you come across a course that you've never seen before, but seems interesting... take it! More often than not, the program you'll be in will require you to take electives of your choice, so have an open mind! I took the introduction to marketing class at my school as an elective. During the class, I realized how much I enjoyed going to class, how intriguing it was, and has easy it was for me to learn. That decision I made lead me to discover my passion for marketing and is why I highly recommend taking unique courses during your degree. Taking unique courses can help you discover what you want to do for the rest of your life!

The last reason as to why I believe you should have an open mind in college/university is to allow yourself to be open to new experiences. As mentioned in the beginning of this post, having an open mind means giving yourself the opportunity to experience new things, even if it is uncomfortable or unfamiliar to you. As cliche as it sounds, you can learn so much about yourself if you choose to start off college without any barriers. This doesn't mean partying every day and not trying in school, but socializing with potential friends and people of different cultures, joining a club that you think you may enjoy, and taking a course that sparks an interest in you. Being in college/university is the best time to try new things! Don't focus on what others might think or what your parents may say, and focus on making your college/university experience as memorable and educational as it can be!