University: A Place To Lose or Find Yourself?

For some of us, answering the question posed in the headline comes easily. We could give an essay’s worth of detail in response. For others, there’s hesitation followed by a vague “I’ll see where it goes, really. . .”

Lost yourself in here?

So does being at uni help you to find a job, or are only growing more and more frustrated by the choices you have? Decisions like whether or not to take that postgrad degree, take a gap year or start a job you don’t know if you really want.

For a lot of people I’ve spoken to, uni is about having fun, getting wasted and seeing friends. They study when they can – after all the aim is to get a decent degree at the end of it.

For them, uni’s not seen as a place to spend time thinking too hard about a future that may change after stepping out into the real world.

I disagree. Well, at least the part that it’s not necessary to give the future a lot of thought just because it could change.

For some of us, this place is way more important than the Library

I wouldn’t say that university is for either losing or finding yourself; I would say it’s for both. You should use the time here to find yourself, but it’s no problem to get lost in the decisions you make along the way.

Students are allowed to have phases – it’s almost expected of us. The choices you make, the opportunities you undertake and who you are as a person can all change dramatically during your time at university.

There are just three points of advice to get you through; I don’t guarantee to give you a light-bulb moment, but it’s my guide to avoiding missing out.

Don’t waste too much time: balance your routine, and if you find yourself having too much spare time on your hands – join a society or sports club, or blog and write about anything you like. The point is, do something worthwhile.

Don’t be afraid to be ruthless, especially with yourself and your decisions. You can’t sit on the fence forever. Talk to someone, a friend or counsellor, if you need advice.

Do what makes you happy – not what you think you should be doing. Chances are that if you are unhappy then it’s just not for you.

What does university mean for you? Comment below.