By Nicole Waweru
Life after high school sure did look like it would be the best thing that would happen to us, didn’t it? I am sure many of us were just eager and excited to start campus life, a life without restrictions and one where we are free to do whatever we want, whenever we want. As much as campus life is a dream it has still proven to have both its challenges and fun side.
According to a survey I did recently, many university students do in fact struggle in university, and one that mostly popped up was that getting to an early 8 am class has become a struggle, especially for those staying off-campus. There are issues of traffic, having lecturers who cancel classes after you have woken up very early to go to school if you struggle with social anxiety, then making friends becomes a huge problem and not hearing your alarm hence, waking up late.
“Since I commute to school, I often lack time for revising because I am always waking up early and getting home late from school,” explains a student from Kiambu Institute of Science and Technology.
However, university is not all that bad. Your university experience can be really exciting depending on what you do in campus. Joining different school clubs and associations can help build your interpersonal skills and can help you break out of your bubble and interact with different people. Comparing University to high school you can clearly see the differences that are present. For example: in campus you have the liberty to plan your schedule when choosing your classes, you get to socialize with a lot of different people.
“I get to have fun and a lot of freedom to do what I want, in return I learn a lot of life lessons as well,” a student from Maseno University explains.
Also, balancing your social life with your school work is also very important. University is also school and as much as you are enjoying your freedom you need to also prioritize your studies and work hard at school; we all need to graduate at the end of it all. If you know that you are a morning person, then you can plan and wake up early and study and vice versa. Do not forget and party every weekend of your semester, at least do it every other day, revise your school work and catch up on group and personal assignments.
“As much as I am introverted, I try to create time for friends and family by making sure I am done with school work earlier,” a student from Daystar University says.
“I set time very early in the morning to study and do all my assignments and take away CATS if any,” a student from Kenyatta University explains.
Lastly, remember that in university all it takes is your self-discipline and your own personal goals. No one will follow you around in campus but remember that it is your life and you literally have power over your future. All you need to do is remember to study and interact with people. You learn new things along the way, you get into relationships both platonic and romantic relationships. Like I always say, just remember who you are and be YOU.