What I wish I knew in my first year
STUDENT INTERVIEWS
By Kenny Ng, International (on-shore) Student – 5th year Law/Commerce
1. You have both great freedom and responsibility
When I came to Australia in 2016, I was thrilled to begin a brand-new adventure in my life. There would finally be no naggy parents, curfews or chores! I could freely decide whether I would spend an entire day with my friends or laze around with video games and takeout. It was an unparalleled sense of freedom that I had never experienced before.
I soon realised however, that it came with new forms of responsibilities that I took for granted back home. I had to learn to cook, clean and care for myself because if I didn’t do it, nobody else would. So be sure to give yourself some time to get used to this new rhythm of independent living before your university commitments kick off.
2. You don’t need to compare yourself to others
When I graduated high school in Malaysia, I fancied myself a pretty smart cookie. I did well academically, was involved in a bunch of extracurricular activities and was a prominent figurehead in school. Coming to study law at UNSW, I definitely felt like a small fish in a big pond as everyone else was equally as driven and committed to success.
Being in an environment like that, it can be easy to feel inadequate but I understood over the years that having a mentality like that would only lead to unhappiness. Everyone has their own lives, their own journeys and their own respective struggles. What matters most is setting your own pace for success and the strategies that work for you in achieving it!
3. You can change your interests over time
I always believed that I was going to be a lawyer. I mean, that’s what I came to university for right? As I progressed throughout my degree however, I slowly realised that I would much prefer pursuing a career in my Human Resources major instead. Internally though, I felt a sense of unease, thinking that ‘I’ve already spent so much money and time studying law, wouldn’t it be a waste if I never went into practice?’
It’s pretty wild to think that you can assertively say that you know what you want to spend the rest of your life doing when you first arrive at university. Expectations can change, you might discover new interest areas that you’ve never come across before. Take advantage of the university’s academic and career services where you can bounce off your ideas, concerns and opinions with a trusted advisor.
4. You may need time to adapt to a new situation and that’s okay
Learning at university is a vastly different experience. While learning in high school is often personalised, here you are responsible for your own learning and it is up to you to follow up on questions, do your own research and manage areas that you struggle with. This can definitely feel intimidating at first, as I definitely felt. It felt like I was thrown into the deep end and was expected to confidently swim with all my readings, lectures and tutorials!
The most important thing to remember is adjusting to this new way of learning may take some time. You may not get it right the first time but mistakes and failures are part and parcel of growing into an independent learner. Be kind to yourself and remember that you’re adjusting to so many different things at the same time.
5. You shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it
Remember that’s okay to ask for help! No one is going to think of you lesser because of it. If I could go back in time, I would definitely have tried to join a mentoring program in my first year as I came to Australia with little to no social support and had to rebuild my entire network from scratch. It took time, patience and effort, having to troubleshoot issues by myself.
As such, having someone that’s likely been through the same challenges as you when they first started their own university journey can be a great source of guidance and advice that you may not necessarily get from official university sources. Plus, it feels great to have someone that can empathise with any feelings of anxiety or nervousness that you might have.
6. Final Thoughts
If you were to take one thing away from this thought piece, I would say that the best thing to do is to be proactive! University is a time of experimentation and exploration, so make use of all the opportunities available to you. After all, you miss all the shots you don’t take.
All the best to your respective journeys! Stay safe and stay well.
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