It usually will take on average, between 4-5 years through studying for a degree, and fulfilling the necessary post-study requirements (Like NYSC, for Nigerian Students) before you land your first job.

The journey through getting admitted into the university, studying, graduating, and then landing your first job, is full of lessons worth sharing.

In this first part of this article, I will be sharing some of the lessons I learnt from studying for a degree. These lessons are not exhaustive; however, they provide valuable insights for undergraduates and young people seeking to study for a degree.

 

Identify What Drives You And Set Goals

The need to identify the things that drive you through life and develop your academic goals accordingly, cannot be overemphasised.  Developing clear goals helps you maintain focus in an academic environment that can be extremely distracting.

Make Deliberate Friends

Avoid isolating yourself, as the University is a very dynamic environment where information sharing is one of the keys to success. Building deliberate relationships with students within and outside your university will go a long way in helping your degree pursuit.

It is important to find a balance when you make these friends. Make friends with those on the same study level as you and those who are ahead of you. This will help you attain a balance in the quality and relevance of the information you have access to.

It is also important to make friends with those who can learn from you and those you can learn from. This presents the opportunity for you to teach and also learn, which is one of the most effective ways of learning.

Know What Works For You

Do not just always follow the wind. What works for others might not necessarily work for you.

Do you enjoy reading only at night? Maybe you study efficiently during the day with your friends playing loud music. You probably have noticed you only understand things during group discussion sessions. Maybe you only get motivated to study after engaging in your favourite social activity like swimming or gaming.

Knowing what works for you is important for your academic success.

Learn Beyond The Classroom

Beyond what you learn during classes, there are many other things you could learn from your degree study period. However, for you to be able to develop yourself beyond teachings from classroom sessions, you must be open to learning other things.

A clear example of this will be joining your department’s coordination team or being a member of the Student Union Government. These social engagements will help you develop skills like; public speaking skills, problem-solving skills, public relations skills, engagement skills, and communication skills.

 

Find A Balance

Finding a balance between your study and social life may be a difficult task especially during your first year of study.

You may get caught up between giving all your time to academics while your social life suffers or giving all your time to social activities while your academics suffer. Be deliberate about finding the balance by allocating time for both academics and social activities. Then, monitor how you perform with your allocated time for these activities. When necessary, adjust your timings based on the results you get.

 

In conclusion, the University provides us with challenges, opportunities and valuable lessons. We need to be well prepared for the challenges by setting clear goals and knowing what works for us so that we can make good use of the opportunities that come our way, and achieve our academic goals.

 

Toritseju Omagbemi

Digital Content Coordinator