The Best and Worst Bits of Uni Life

We asked our members for their thoughts on uni life. Here was our favourite response.

University is an amazing part of my life.

When I finished high school in 2015, I worried that university life would be difficult and I would be alone.

Now, while it’s true that I left behind all my high school friends when we went our separate ways, it is also true that I made new friends with an amazing group of people—in fact, one of my best friends today is a girl I met at university.

In my opinion, one of the best things about uni is the opportunity to meet new and different people. They are people who challenge you and people who complement you; people who allow you to be yourself and feel comfortable in your own skin; people you can honestly say you will remain friends with for life.

And hey, I'm not saying it's going to be easy. Leaving behind your high school and the friends you know can be frightening. High school is a pretty big part of your development—after all, you spend six years there. But at uni, you get to make new friends with people of all ages.

University classes aren't always filled with people of the same age. You could have a class with a postgraduate student, or a mature age student, or someone who took a couple years off after high school. This adds to the excitement of university as you can learn so much from people who are older than you.

The second thing I'd like to talk about is the various courses that are available to study; courses that can be tailored to suit each individual. I am studying psychology and counselling and it is such an interesting course, as we learn how the human brain operates and why humans work the way we do. We couldn't get that much detail in high school.

This is another great thing about uni: at school you are forced to study compulsory subjects and you have limited choice in your studies, whereas at university, you have the freedom to choose whatever course you would like.

If I had to pick a downside about university life, I would say that you have to learn to be more independent as the teachers are not going to "spoon feed" you. But, one can also look on this as an upside: independence is a valuable and lifelong skill.

The only other "worst" thing about uni would have to be transport. For me, it's not too bad because I live in the inner west of NSW, so the city is only a half hour train ride away. However, one of my friends has to catch a train for two hours before she makes it to uni.

Don't let transport issues stop you from going to the university you desire, but do let it be a factor you consider.

In conclusion, I believe university is a valuable asset to an individual's development and studies. It is scary to leave behind that sense of familiarity and embark on a new challenge, but that's what's exciting about starting university. It's an adventure!

Congratulations to Catherine for winning our weekly writing challenge, answering the question: The Best (and Worst) Bits of Uni Life. Catherine wins a $50 Westfield gift card for her submission. For your chance to win, check out our latest writing challenges in our Comps section. Also, be sure to follow this guide on how to win the writing challenge!

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