In your first few weeks of uni, you’re gonna be learning a hell of a lot of new stuff – new slang terms, new schedules, new names, new ways of learning. It makes sense that you’ll end up doing a few things right (and a few not so right).

We talk a lot about things we wished we did in our first year (god, I have many regrets), but I’m also happy to report that there are some things I actually did do in my first few weeks that I’m proud of.

#1 Following Up New Friends With A Coffee Chat

I was pretty lucky to have a decent amount of friends that I could hang with at uni, and I owe it to an (almost embarrassing) tendency to follow up with them.

If you meet someone who is completely your vibe, don’t be embarrassed to hound them to hang out with you. Before you know it, a few awkward study sessions and Subway hangs will blossom into a legit friendship.

#2 Write Down All Assignments And Classes In A Paper Diary

Of course, my first few weeks of uni were filled with the kind of intense motivation that only the beginning of the year brings. I was also a fresh-out-of-high-school nerd who liked writing with gel pens, meaning that immediately jotting things down was thrilling to me.

And lucky I did because by week eight, the only reason I remembered I had anything due was because of those sweet, naive gel pen scrawls in my diary. By that point, I had ditched my fancy stationary for a pen and the back of an old rego slip I found in my car before class – the fact that I even checked my diary was a miracle.

Take that motivation you have now and make the most of it so that future, lazy you can get a headstart.

#3 Learning How To Reference Properly

You know those god-awful library seminars on APA-style referencing? The ones you’d rather tear your eyes out than sit through? Yeah, I went to those. In my aforementioned haze of motivation, I convinced myself that attending was a good idea. And I was right!

Come Week 11, I actually had an idea of how to track my references through an essay, what style quirks to look out for and all the plagiarism stuff I should avoid at all costs. It really helped me avoid a potential hours-before-the-assignment’s due breakdowns.

#4 Trading In High School Alumni Events For Uni Events

At the start of uni, I had to make a decision about whether or not I would attend an assembly at my high school for recent school-leavers or a uni camp. It was a genuinely hard decision to make: should I catch up with some school friends and teachers I hadn’t seen in months or meet new people?

I ultimately decided to forgo the high school event to jump headfirst into my new life at uni. It didn’t mean I’d leave my high school completely behind – I’m still friends with high school friends to this day – it just meant I was giving more effort to the new life I was creating for myself. I made a bunch of new friends (see #1) and slid into uni with the mindset of ~ new me ~.

#5 Bought A Uni Jumper

Idc if you think it’s lame, I looked fresh af in my brand new merchandise. And while I probably stuck out as a lame fresher, I felt like I really fit in. Embrace the dorky uni pride, get a jumper, chant your uni’s name at sporting matches – that’s some of the best stuff.

(Lead image: The OC/Warner Bros)