You’ve already done the first term at university. The fears and shyness of the first days have vanished. Every day you feel more familiar with the campus and all its spaces. You even have a group of friends who are always waiting for you outside of class.

At this point, you have grown and matured more than you expected. You have also learned many new things and overcome various unexpected obstacles along the way. The best thing is that you are excited to continue until you are holding that university degree in your hand.

All students are different, but most remember their first term as when they experienced changes and achievements, like these:

Knowing the campus perfectly

During the first few days at university, getting lost on campus was a breeze. So many corridors and buildings that you couldn’t quite understand how everything was organised.

Finding out where your faculty building was was like finding the “X” on a treasure map. But that was not enough. You also had to figure out on which floor and in which room you had class. And with time and practice, you managed to memorise all the classrooms and faculty offices; as well as all the routes that lead you there.

Venturing beyond this familiar territory carried the risk of getting lost. However, your confidence increased as the days and weeks passed. The university became a home away from home, so exploring it was no longer as intimidating as it used to be.

Now, you know the campus of the university to perfection or at least, a great part of it. There is no fear or possibility of getting lost. Congratulations!

Making friends more easily

Just as you gained the confidence to explore the campus, the faculty, and each classroom until you knew them better than the back of your hand, you freed yourself from the shyness that made it difficult for you to make friends during your first days at university.

You learned that everyone is experiencing the same feelings and emotions, so there was no reason to feel self-conscious or intimidated. In addition, everyone must have had something in common if they chose to study the same career.

With this in mind, making friends is now much easier than it was on your first day.

Keeping a more organised lifestyle

Sometimes, with so much homework and reading to do, it seemed easier to buy fast food. The downside of this was that it not only affected your finances but also your health.

At this point you accept that to eat well, you need to better organise your routine. Your free moments were not only dedicated to walking and going out with friends but also to preparing meals for the week.

This happened in all aspects of your life. Your parents were no longer with you to help you cook, clean, or wash clothes. All of these tasks required organisation, as you found out when your life turned into chaos.

Now, you know when and how to wash clothes, what is in the fridge to cook and on what day of the week you should clean.

Studying twice as hard

While you were adapting to the responsibilities that living alone implies, changing your routine and understanding the teaching methodology of each teacher; your first evaluation came with some failure.

It is normal that you felt disappointed in yourself and that you even doubted your abilities. In fact, it is very likely that this was the first time you failed an evaluation in your life.

The important thing is that you set yourself to study twice as hard, and passed the second assessment with an outstanding mark. Then you were able to continue learning that at university you can’t get lost in your studies.

Learning more from your professors every day

At university, professors are not only dedicated to imparting theoretical knowledge. They also focus on developing critical thinking, debate, and reflection in students.

Until now, you hadn’t had a teaching experience like this, so you see each class as an opportunity to learn beyond theory.

Feeling calmer

The first few days at university used to stress you out and put pressure on you. Your mind filled with thoughts about the next day: what you were going to wear, what they were going to think of you, whether you would be able to make friends or not, etc.

As you attended classes and noticed that everything was easier than you imagined, the stress and pressure diminished until it disappeared. Now, university is a routine that you begin to enjoy with more tranquility and enthusiasm.

The first term at university is just an introduction to all that is to come. However, the accumulated experience is one of the most rewarding you have had so far. Go for it!