How Going to Uni Can Help You Follow Your Passion and Find Your Purpose

"Do stuff that you enjoy and chase the good feelings."

This post is presented in partnership with UNSW Sydney.

When you're young, it can be one hell of a challenge to find your purpose and figure out exactly what you are most passionate about. Plus, even if you have found your passion, what steps do you take next? How do you turn your dreams into a reality?

These are the questions that pretty much every student wants answered. Fortunately, there are those blessed few who have already discovered their purpose and passion in life during high school or uni and can give us some tips on how we can find ours too. 

Across the course of two episodes on our special podcast series Goodbye High School, Hello Uni, we caught up with high school student and diver Sam Fricker and UNSW student Jenni Tyler to find out how they’re following their passions in life.

As Sam and Jenni point out, one way to follow your passion and find your purpose is by heading to university. For instance, UNSW—where Jenni is studying, and where Sam plans to head after high school—believes uni is about seeking space to discover the best version of yourself and what inspires you to change the world for the better.

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is what I do with my straws after using them 😊✅🍀 #eco #tsarian #straws

A post shared by TSARIAN (@tsarian_eco) on Apr 4, 2020 at 2:59am PDT

So, how do I find my passion and purpose?

Jenni, who is studying a Bachelor of Science (majoring in Psychology) and Bachelor of Fine Arts double degree encourages other students to find their purpose and passion by finding "what makes you feel something".

"Dig around your talents, figure out what you’re good at and what you can bring to the table. Are you a good communicator? Are you a people person?" she says.

"Life isn’t just going to find you; your purpose isn’t just going to appear one day. Do something that you enjoy and chase the good feelings."

Okay, so how can going to uni help me follow my passion?

Well, by studying a course you’re passionate about, you can broaden your skills and knowledge in the area.  

While elite diver Sam Fricker is still in Year 12, he has found a passion for business and environmental sustainability. He’s considering broadening his knowledge after school with a double degree covering both business and environmental science at UNSW; perfect for helping him expand his business TSARIAN, which creates sustainable solutions to single-use plastic straws.

"I’m looking at UNSW because I really like the fact they have a proven track record in business and business success," he says.

"Not to mention they have a sustainability side, where they’re on the breaking edge of sustainable technology."

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So grateful to everyone who is helped Tsarian grow to where it is today ✅🍀💚

A post shared by TSARIAN (@tsarian_eco) on Apr 21, 2020 at 4:46am PDT

Jenni, meanwhile, is looking to reinforce her passion for helping others through her TikTok account, where she has more than 73,900 followers and 1.7 million content likes.

"The first viral video was a complete accident. I was working on a group project and hit a wall," she says.

"So, I picked up a pencil and literally my cheapest cartridge paper, and I drew my way around the problem. And then I woke up and I think to date this video has 3.5 million plays."

In the video, which was played in some New South Wales and Western Australian schools for Mental Health Week, Jenni describes the characteristics of depression as an emotional state.

She explains how studying at UNSW has provided her with all the resources she has needed to bring her passion to life via TikTok. 

"The most helpful thing so far is having the wealth of information that universities have. It’s at my fingertips," she says.

"I can email an old tutor or an old course convener to confirm details."

@jennityler

meet my friend depression ##mentalhealth ##art ##artist ##foryou ##portrait ##drawing ##painting

♬ Surrender - Natalie Taylor

What if I still haven’t found my passion?

That’s totally okay. Not everyone finds their passion straight away, but that doesn’t mean you should give up.

By figuring out your skills and heading to a uni where you're encouraged to explore and grow, you’ll be closer than ever to discovering what you're truly passionate about.

Are you ready to discover what's out there for you? Find a degree that will push you to bring your own unique perspective to today's challenges with UNSW Sydney. 

Header Image: CBS