First off let me start by saying thank you for all the positive feedback I have received so far on my university series! I'm glad it has been able to help so many people! =]
Nevertheless, as much as I have given you guys lots of generic tips and tricks for surviving in university, I thought it would also be nice to give some more personal advice and share some of my own experiences with you all !
During my time at university I learnt a lot of great life lessons and skills that I will definitely carry into my future and will hopefully help you too..
1. KNOW AND LOVE YOURSELF.
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- Being confident in who you are inside and out-
When I started university, I realised very quickly just how diverse of an environment it really is. It almost felt like a mini-city and you really do meet people from all walks of life, different countries, different cultures etc. From a female perspective, this made me realise the important of confidence early on. As a fresher, for the most part, people are meeting you for the very first time so whatever appearance/character you present them with, they use to try that to assume what type of person you are. However, as a young woman if you are not comfortable or confident in yourself, being around a new bunch of young women can make you feel even more insecure or make you start questioning your appearance or personality as you want to be accepted and perceived the right way.
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MYTH: Being over the top to hide insecurities, means I'm more likely to make friends
REALITY: The truth is if you don't even know who you are and what makes you unique and awesome, other people are not going to know either! Don't get me wrong, we don't all wake up everyday, look in mirror and think 'Beyonce ain't got nothing on me' then strut through campus feeling like a million dollars. But, a big part of the independence of university life also makes it a place of self discovery. So just continue to be you and discover more and more wonderful things that make you unique and amazing along the way.
I can honestly say being confident in who I was really made people respect me and also helped me gain the right type of friends.
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My relationship with God has been an extremely fundamental part in shaping the path in which my university experience took.
Let's be real, a lot of people have this perception that-
MYTH: 'being a Christian and going to university means ''you are limited'' because ''you can't go out'', ''you can't have fun'', ''it's true, you will just miss out on the wild side of life''.
REALITY: False!
I have had an absolutely amazing experience so far and if anything, my faith actually made it much easier for me to have fun. How you ask? Well look at it this way-
My faith reminds me that I am made in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26) and that my body is a temple (1 Corin 6:9). In applying that to my life I already knew:
- I wanted to be a good example and inspire others- so I knew to behave in a way which reflected the characteristics of Christ and would even encourage others to seek him further, or for the first time
- Jumping From Guy to Guy was never an option.
MYTH: 'University is such a free and diverse environment, so it's ok to 'broaden my horizons'. If I'm going to be meeting all these hot, older 'mature' guys and maybe find 'bae' then I want to stand out, so if I have to dress or act a certain way to do that it's not that serious.''
REALITY: No real MAN would look at the GIRL with the shortest skirt, the barely-there bodycon or the over the top flirtatious attitude and immediately think 'yeah that's my wife right there'. And more importantly a WOMAN who respects and loves herself would be interested in the MAN God has for her and wouldn't need validation or want to be solely lusted after by a bunch of different BOYS.
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Particularly when it came to going out, having clear morals and knowing what I did and didn't like, made me much more discerning of the type of events I went to and the type of people I would associate with.
MYTH: Christians can never go out at uni, they are so antisocial
REALITY: I met most of my good friends through socialising and going to events!
The importance of my faith and my morals meant that I was not someone who was easily influenced, so if I did go out, my intention for the night was not to get completely drunk, go YOLO crazy, loose control or fall all over the place and get with a bunch of guys (I know not everyone does this). Even if you have the best friends in the world you are ultimately responsible for yourself, so be wise and make your future self proud!
Being that my interests lay heavily in performing arts I would attend a lot of the live open mic or talent showcases on my campus with my friends as well as other events around London so boredom was never really a factor.
But who says you have to go out to have fun? My best friend and I hosted several movie nights, games nights and cook ups which meant we didn't even have to leave our flat as everyone came to us and we still had tons of fun!
4. DON'T BE AFRAID TO BE DIFFERENT.
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5. BE WISE ABOUT THE COMPANY YOU KEEP.
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During the first month of university, everyone is still trying to find their feet and that includes making new friends. I think that what helped me make good friends was finding like-minded people. Having like-minded friends meant I was around people that shared similar morals and constantly encouraged me in my talents, and we all motivated each other to do well and use our time effectively. For example if we had an event to go to on the weekend we would make sure we used our free time during the week to go to the library and get our work done so our academic work wouldn't be compromised.
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6. INVEST, EXPLORE AND PUSH ALL YOUR GIFTS TO THEIR FULLEST
From my experience, I found that University is a place that really allows you to explore all your talents and discover the vast amount of opportunities the world has to offer.
Using your gifts is a great way to develop them and one of the ways this can be done is by joining societies.
MY STORY: Before I applied to be a student at my university I actually had the opportunity to perform there with the artist I currently work with, which I now believe was all part of Gods plan. Though I was interested and considering applying to the university, this gave me a chance to see the 'student experience' and 'nightlife' first hand, as opposed to all the 'cute stuff' they show us at the open days lol. Coming here I could honestly say I felt a sense of peace and like I already belonged so applying that same year and getting accepted as a student, there really was no place like home! As mentioned before, I went to a lot of the Afro-Caribbean society events on campus particularly the music, poetry, dance and drama showcases. However, being recognised from previously being part of an act that had come to perform here, my experience ended up getting me appointed to be the Head of Music for the Afro-Caribbean society. This meant that instead of attending events, I now contributed to running them! The experience was definitely a blessing and I met some amazingly talented, funny and creative people along the way.
On both occasions I genuinely believe God was making a way for me to utilise my gifts even in an unexpected environment, but its my obedience and commitment that helped me obtain the roles and develop my talents. Both have made me even more determined and committed to
'push myself in everything I do, and trust that God will always see me through' (cheesy but true)
All in all, I can definitely say I have thoroughly enjoyed my university experience and all the new friends, skills and adventures I have gained along the way have been more than awesome! My relationship with God was definitely the largest factor in ensuring I had the best and most rewarding experience and I hope sharing my experiences and advice will encourage all of you young Christians who are in, or are about to embark on this journey that it can and will be amazing !
Stay blessed!
Izzy x
Love this post! Very informative.
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