Uni age is awkward because studies are a massive financial investment, and I'm not sure it's one that most 18-year-olds are able to make the sorts of decisions to optimise the returns on it. In order to make the degree work for you best in the long term, you ideally need to be in the habit of setting long term goals and making proactive and strategic choices towards them - and you're probably at a stage in life when you've never had to do that. It's often only when you're plunged into the job market after graduation, with all the support networks taken away, that strategy becomes a survival need - and that's often when people learn it. Which is not ideal when you consider that there can't be many things you can put into your career that will cost as much.
But hey ho. Life is what it is. Never again will you have so little to lose by giving up 4 years or more of your life and paying thousand of pounds/dollars that you don't have in order to study.
Aim for a 2:1 (upwards of 60% where I was) or a first (upwards of 70%), consistently. Then when the final exam comes around you will only have to revise, not revise AND relearn everything. Getting less than a 2:1 for your degree can make your life more complicated later, a lot of job descriptions say '2:1 or above' and people will want to know why you didnt get a 2:1.
You'll probably regret studying solidly. I do regret having done that. But if you want the stuff you're learning to enrich you and help you discover new skills and interests, doing the bare minimum amount of work isn't going to secure that for you. The degree won't be worth more than the certificate with the grade on it unless you make it so. Try to take an interest in your subject. The stuff you're going to be reading will be QUALITY. Take time to appreciate the craftsmanship - this took waaay more skill than the stuff of most random websites you'd find yourself. Some people leave their careers to study just for that. Beware though - in humanities at least, professors, books and research articles these days usually write with a political slant. Some sound almost proselytizing. It's up to you wheher you share their views or not, but my advice is to never let yourself forget that this is usually reality through a political lens, not reality 'as it is', and that even statistical studies can be set up or interpreted in ways that privilege certain presuppositions. I say, be aware of the slant so that you remain the gatekeeper of your political beliefs, rather than them. Do not give in to the pressure of the very powerful institution that is the university, to change your opinions for them, or to act like you share their point of view if you don't (e.g. criticizing a student's essay on 18th century literature just because it doesn't share the assumptions of feminism, or Marxism. If you are thay student, make sure you show somewhere in the essay that you what those assumptions are anyway, just so nobody can accuse you of not understanding them, or of not having read the books about them). They will try to tell you that leaving university with 'an education' equates to leaving university having swallowed all their opinions and accepting them as your own. Many of them are activists, of course they will try to make you think that. Whether you agree with them or not, don't believe the lie that the definition of being educated means having the same views as them. If you disagree with them, make sure you understand why you disagree and can express your reason cogently.
Remember to join student associations/internships/voluntary work. But be selective. In fact, I think voluntary work is better than associations sometimes because it's a more direct link to the world of work - and to the field you want to work in. Moreover, if you leave the university bubble you'll be making links with people who might know someone who'll want to employ you later. Join associations that you like, that connect to your passions and that help you think about the big questions in life. But also choose ones that are useful to your potential career path. Especially if you're doing humanities, where there is no career path directly associated with the degree course. Set yourself up with 'experience' to add to your qualification before your degree's over, then you'll escape the catch-22 that so many face of 'entry-level job for brand new graduate - prior aexperience required'. It is a real stumbling block for many people. Don't let it be one for you.
What is your best advice for a boy heading to his first year in college?
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Uni age is awkward because studies are a massive financial investment, and I'm not sure it's one that most 18-year-olds are able to make the sorts of decisions to optimise the returns on it. In order to make the degree work for you best in the long term, you ideally need to be in the habit of setting long term goals and making proactive and strategic choices towards them - and you're probably at a stage in life when you've never had to do that. It's often only when you're plunged into the job market after graduation, with all the support networks taken away, that strategy becomes a survival need - and that's often when people learn it. Which is not ideal when you consider that there can't be many things you can put into your career that will cost as much.
But hey ho. Life is what it is. Never again will you have so little to lose by giving up 4 years or more of your life and paying thousand of pounds/dollars that you don't have in order to study.
Aim for a 2:1 (upwards of 60% where I was) or a first (upwards of 70%), consistently. Then when the final exam comes around you will only have to revise, not revise AND relearn everything. Getting less than a 2:1 for your degree can make your life more complicated later, a lot of job descriptions say '2:1 or above' and people will want to know why you didnt get a 2:1.
You'll probably regret studying solidly. I do regret having done that. But if you want the stuff you're learning to enrich you and help you discover new skills and interests, doing the bare minimum amount of work isn't going to secure that for you. The degree won't be worth more than the certificate with the grade on it unless you make it so. Try to take an interest in your subject. The stuff you're going to be reading will be QUALITY. Take time to appreciate the craftsmanship - this took waaay more skill than the stuff of most random websites you'd find yourself. Some people leave their careers to study just for that. Beware though - in humanities at least, professors, books and research articles these days usually write with a political slant. Some sound almost proselytizing. It's up to you wheher you share their views or not, but my advice is to never let yourself forget that this is usually reality through a political lens, not reality 'as it is', and that even statistical studies can be set up or interpreted in ways that privilege certain presuppositions. I say, be aware of the slant so that you remain the gatekeeper of your political beliefs, rather than them. Do not give in to the pressure of the very powerful institution that is the university, to change your opinions for them, or to act like you share their point of view if you don't (e.g. criticizing a student's essay on 18th century literature just because it doesn't share the assumptions of feminism, or Marxism. If you are thay student, make sure you show somewhere in the essay that you what those assumptions are anyway, just so nobody can accuse you of not understanding them, or of not having read the books about them). They will try to tell you that leaving university with 'an education' equates to leaving university having swallowed all their opinions and accepting them as your own. Many of them are activists, of course they will try to make you think that. Whether you agree with them or not, don't believe the lie that the definition of being educated means having the same views as them. If you disagree with them, make sure you understand why you disagree and can express your reason cogently.
Remember to join student associations/internships/voluntary work. But be selective. In fact, I think voluntary work is better than associations sometimes because it's a more direct link to the world of work - and to the field you want to work in. Moreover, if you leave the university bubble you'll be making links with people who might know someone who'll want to employ you later. Join associations that you like, that connect to your passions and that help you think about the big questions in life. But also choose ones that are useful to your potential career path. Especially if you're doing humanities, where there is no career path directly associated with the degree course. Set yourself up with 'experience' to add to your qualification before your degree's over, then you'll escape the catch-22 that so many face of 'entry-level job for brand new graduate - prior aexperience required'. It is a real stumbling block for many people. Don't let it be one for you.
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The_Loitering_Creep
6 years ago
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