Things you only learn after graduation

Students are often told what they should do while at university, but we rarely hear from students themselves on their thoughts and student experience.

Find out few things that are important for university students to know, but might not have time to fully appreciate because of their busy schedules.

Our Alumna shares advice on how best to make the most of your university life.

I wish I had done more

This is true when they say It’s only after you graduate that you start to realise just how many opportunities there were at uniThe old saying is true that you only realise the opportunities available at university after graduating. This is especially true when it comes to getting involved in new hobbies, meeting new people, and getting discounts and freebies.

In spite of my involvement with the Pole Dance society and my contributions to Platform Magazine, I still do not feel I did enough to branch out and try something completely out of my comfort zone.

The only regret I have after graduating is not getting involved with volunteer work.. Especially outdoorsy and hands-on opportunities such as conservation.  It is possible now to find similar volunteer opportunities, but working full time gets in the way. You have a lot of free time when you’re a student, so maximise it.

My student experience at university would have also been invaluable in a role such as Student Ambassadors, where I would have been able to share my perspective on student life with students in schools.

Experience is invaluable

It is true that the courses you take are significant, but they are not everything and won’t necessarily prepare you for the working world. Gaining an understanding of what it’s like to work in an office, navigate meetings, and just getting a general understanding of how the world operates is very useful in setting you up for a job after graduation. If I had found similar experiences earlier, I could have settled in much faster!

Consider securing work experience before you graduate by contacting your employability team.

Despite your best efforts, you won’t have it figured out!

During university, you may learn what you want to do, and then you may decide to change your career path.

As much as I love my work in Digital Marketing, I’ve decided I need to step outside my comfort zone and do something new. As a result, I recently decided to get a TEFL qualification so that I can teach English around the world: my first stop is Thailand. And you know what? Up until recently, I had never shown an interest in teaching and never expected to change my career path. However, I am very excited about the skills I will develop as a result (and a little scared, too).

The more support you receive, the happier you will be

Moving to a new city, meeting new people, figuring yourself out, writing assignments, meeting deadlines-university can be tough! There is no need to figure it all out on your own – it can be very stressful. There is plenty of support available. Regardless of whether you think you need it or not, it is still worth exploring alternative solutions that might enhance your student experience just a little bit.

It was quite challenging for me to reference my coursework, and I had issues with it

I struggled quite a bit with referencing, and it got me into issues with my coursework. This really lowered my self-confidence, as even though I figured it out for myself eventually, it was still something I was afraid to make a mistake in my second and final year. If I had just tackled it at the start, it would have taken a lot of stress off my shoulders and enhanced my student experience.

If you want to know other advice from students, check our